Topic: an unrepresented litigant should not be punished for his fa… · Go Syfert
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Topic #2625

5 canonical passages across 5 cases, quoted by 116 opinions in total. These passages cluster together because the same opinions keep quoting them side by side: they state parts of one doctrine. The anchor passage is from Hughes v. Rowe.

#Case FlagCanonical passage Citers
1 Hughes v. Rowe Anchor
scotus · 1980
green “an unrepresented litigant should not be punished for his failure to recognize subtle factual or legal deficiencies in his claims.” 34
2 Fisher v. United States
cafc · 2005
green “any claim against the united states founded either upon the constitution, or any act of congress or any regulation of an executive department, or upon any express or implied contract with the united states, or for liquidated or unliquidated damages in cases not sounding in tort.” 33
3 Gray v. United States
uscfc · 2005
green “if a court lacks jurisdiction to decide the merits of a case, dismissal is required as a matter of law.” 31
4 McZeal v. Sprint Nextel Corp.
cafc · 2007
green “grant the pro se litigant leeway on procedural matters, such as pleading requirements.” 10
5 Donna Kelley v. Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor
cafc · 1987
green “a court may not . . . take a liberal view of . . . jurisdictional requirements and set a different rule for pro se litigants only.” 8

A red or yellow flag on a member means the underlying case has negative treatment: for those, check the case page before relying on the passage.

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