If so, what was your experience like?
I’ve represented myself through child custody proceedings, appeals, summary eviction proceedings, district court civil actions, justice court civil actions, towing complaints, and certain administrative tribunals. Ironically, never in small-claims actions.
Early on, things feel chaotic, totally random, as if you’re at the mercy of this powerful machine. Later on, when you find you’re not the center of the universe but an insignificant grain of sand tumbling through the machine; you find inner peace and you learn to navigate the machine. Even then, there will be frustration, because judges are human, and they do not always follow the rules.
Finally, when you learn how the appellate process works, and if your appellate court is fairly consistent and logical, you will be able to smooth over some of the chaos of robed personalities by having their errors reversed.
Ultimately, the experience is very time consuming, but also rewarding. It teaches you the merits of our Constitutional system, as well as how to respect adversaries, opposing points of view, and can hopefully give you some appreciation as to how much power the individual can have in our American system.
Alex Falconi, Administrator at Our Nevada Judges (2014-present)
