Legal Question in Constitutional Law in California

Re: Pro Per's Right to see Trade Secret Charges and Evidence

An individual has the right to represent himself in court, but a corporation does not and can only appear through an attorney (any other person who tried to represent the corporation in court would be practicing law without a license).

Of course, this assumes you personally are a party to the case. If the corporation is the only defendant, then you can't act in the place of its lawyer no matter how closely you are connected to the company. For purposes of this answer, I will assume you have been named as a defendant individually.

Have you and your former lawyer completed the papers necessary to have him released as your attorney and to place you in pro per? If not, you need to do so because the court still regard him as your attorney.

Also, anything that has been filed in the court should have been served on you (or, when you had counsel, on your lawyer). You therefore should have access to it on your own and shouldn't need to see the copies filed with the court.

If you have no lawyer and the court is refusing to let you represent yourself or see the sealed discovery, then it is violating your rights. Without knowing more details, I can't suggest the best way for you to proceed.

In a trade secret case it is appropriate for evidence about the trade secrets themselves to be kept sealed from the public, but not from the parties. Parties can be required to sign agreements not to disclose such information, and if you have not signed such an agreement that could be why you are being denied access to the evidence.