Legal Question in Disability Law in Pennsylvania

Re: u.s. federal court

A person can always represent himself. Whether he would be foolish to do so is entirely another question.

The more serious the problem, the more you want an attorney 1) because the law can be tricky and 2) because you are too close to the problem to solve emotional issues in the best way.

On the other hand, you can sometimes hire an attorney as a coach, so it's not one or the other.

Re: u.s. federal court

If it is a criminal case there is a Constitutional right to self-representation under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Some of the Circuit Courts have narrowed this a bit with respect to appeals procedures.

In a civil case, I'm not sure whether or not the right is constitutional under the 14th Amendment or is only statutory. The statute is at 28 U.S.C. �1654.