Shlapatskyi v. YouTube
- Lin
- 3:26-cv-00279
- U.S. District Court · Northern District of California
- 1
Counsel of record per CourtListener. Firm names are approximate.
In Shlapatskyi v. YouTube, Judge Lin denied without prejudice Shlapatskyi’s request for appointed counsel after judgment favored defendants and the case closed.
Plaintiff Viacheslav Oleksandrovych Shlapatskyi, whose request for appointed counsel was denied without prejudice. The order addressed counsel appointment and did not alter the previously entered judgment in the defendants’ favor.
What happened
In Viacheslav Oleksandrovych Shlapatskyi v. YouTube, LLC, et al., the court considered the plaintiff’s request for a lawyer after judgment had been entered in the defendants’ favor and the case had closed.
Shlapatskyi said he needed medication that limited his ability to represent himself. He sought counsel in case the defendants requested attorneys’ fees and costs.
The court found that he had not shown the exceptional circumstances required for appointed counsel and denied the request without prejudice. Judge Rita F. Lin issued the order.
The detailed version
- Shlapatskyi v. YouTube · No. 3:26-cv-00279
- Lin
- Aug. 26, 2026
Background
Judgment had been entered in the defendants’ favor, and the case was closed. Plaintiff Viacheslav Oleksandrovych Shlapatskyi asked the court to appoint a lawyer to assist him if the defendants sought attorneys’ fees and costs. He stated that medication limited his ability to represent himself.
Legal standard
The court explained that, in proceedings where a person is unable to afford counsel, a district court may request an attorney to provide representation. Appointment is discretionary and is reserved for exceptional circumstances. The court must consider both the likelihood of success on the merits and the person’s ability to present claims without a lawyer given the complexity of the legal issues.
Ruling
The court held that Shlapatskyi had not shown exceptional circumstances. Judge Rita F. Lin denied his request to appoint counsel without prejudice.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.