Saab v. Lebanese American University
- Laura Swain
- 1:25-cv-00692
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Saab v. Lebanese American University, Judge Swain ordered Saab to pay fees or submit a complete application, warning the case could otherwise be dismissed.
Dr. Yolande Saab, who must either pay the $405 in fees or submit an amended application within 30 days to avoid dismissal without prejudice. The case's defendants are not affected by a merits ruling because the court did not reach the underlying claims.
What happened
In Saab v. Lebanese American University, Dr. Yolande Saab brought the case without a lawyer and submitted an application asking to proceed without paying court fees upfront. The application was incomplete because it referred to income from her husband without providing more information.
The court gave Saab 30 days to either pay $405 in filing and administrative fees or submit an amended application. The court did not issue a summons at that time, and said the case would be processed if Saab complied.
Chief Judge Laura Taylor Swain issued the order. She stated that the action would be dismissed without prejudice if Saab did not comply within the deadline, and denied permission to appeal without prepaying fees.
The detailed version
- Saab v. Lebanese American University · No. 1:25-cv-00692
- Laura Swain
- Jan. 27, 2025
Background
Dr. Yolande Saab brought this action without a lawyer. To proceed with a civil action in the Southern District of New York, a plaintiff must either pay the required fees or submit a signed application to proceed without prepaying them. The total fees identified by the court were $405: a $350 filing fee and a $55 administrative fee.
Saab submitted an application to proceed without prepaying fees, commonly called an IFP application. The court found that application incomplete because Saab stated that she relied on income from her husband but provided no further information.
Order
The court ordered Saab, within 30 days of the order, to either pay the $405 in fees or submit the attached amended IFP application. If she submitted the amended application, it had to be labeled with docket number 25-CV-0692 (LTS). The court stated that, if it granted the amended application, Saab would be allowed to proceed without prepaying fees.
The court directed that no summons issue at that time. It stated that the case would be processed under the Clerk’s Office procedures if Saab complied. If she failed to comply within the allowed time, the action would be dismissed without prejudice, meaning the order did not bar a later filing.
The court also certified that any appeal from this order would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to appeal without prepaying fees. Chief United States District Judge Laura Taylor Swain signed the order.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.