Yourman v. Columbia NY Presbyterian Hospital
- John Cronan
- 1:24-cv-06286
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Yourman v. Columbia New York Presbyterian Hospital, Judge Parker ordered a search for volunteer counsel to represent pro se plaintiff Zev Yourman only at mediation.
Zev Yourman, the defendants, the clerk of court, and any volunteer counsel located for the limited mediation representation.
What happened
Zev Yourman’s pro se case against Columbia New York Presbyterian Hospital and other defendants was referred to the court’s mediation program.
The court ordered the clerk to try to find a volunteer lawyer for Yourman, but only for the mediation. The parties have 17 days from the order’s date to object to the mediation or to Yourman’s request for counsel; an objection not filed on time will be treated as waived.
Judge Katharine Parker stated that the search for counsel will not begin until the objection period ends without an objection. The mediation’s scheduling will wait until limited-scope counsel files an appearance, while the parties must continue litigating unless the court orders otherwise.
The detailed version
- Yourman v. Columbia NY Presbyterian Hospital · No. 1:24-cv-06286
- John Cronan
- Aug. 1, 2025
Background
Zev Yourman is proceeding without a lawyer in this case against Columbia New York Presbyterian Hospital and other defendants. The case had been referred to the court’s Mediation Program.
Order
The court ordered the clerk to attempt to locate volunteer legal counsel for Yourman for the limited purpose of representing him at mediation. The volunteer lawyer’s representation will end when the mediation process concludes, and the lawyer may then file a notice stating that the representation is complete.
Yourman and the defendants may object to the mediation, and Yourman may object to the request for volunteer counsel. Any objection must be filed within 17 days of August 1, 2025. The court stated that an objection will be considered waived if it is not filed within that period.
The search for counsel will not begin unless the objection period passes without an objection. The volunteer counsel will contact Yourman directly. The order also states that pro se litigants are not entitled to choose their volunteer counsel, and that, absent extraordinary circumstances, Yourman’s options are to work with the volunteer lawyer or law-school clinic who contacts him, obtain counsel without the court’s assistance, or proceed without a lawyer at the mediation.
Mediation and ongoing litigation
The court deferred the deadline for assigning a mediator until limited-scope volunteer counsel files a notice of appearance. The court’s local mediation rule and Mediation Program Procedures will govern the mediation. Unless the court orders otherwise, the mediation will not change any existing scheduling order, and all parties must continue litigating the case. The order also preserves any party’s right to ask for mediation after a defendant appears, including when the defendant responds to the complaint with a motion instead of an answer.
Disposition
Judge Katharine Parker entered an order directing the clerk to seek limited-scope volunteer counsel for Yourman’s mediation and setting the procedure for objections and mediation scheduling. The opinion does not decide the underlying claims.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.