Rimini v. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
- John Cronan
- 1:21-cv-07209
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
Rimini v. J.P. Morgan Chase: Judge Cronan denied without prejudice Rimini’s request for appointed counsel.
Thomas Rimini, whose request for appointed counsel was denied without prejudice; the underlying claims against J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and the other defendants were not decided in this order.
What happened
In Rimini v. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Thomas Rimini asked the court to appoint a lawyer to represent him.
The court said it considers the strength of the claims, ability to pay for a private lawyer, efforts to find one, lawyer availability, and the person’s ability to handle the case alone. A person must first show that the claim has substance or a likelihood of success.
The court denied without prejudice the request for counsel, allowing Rimini to renew it if a potentially meritorious claim can later be shown. Judge John P. Cronan also identified the New York Legal Assistance Group as a possible source of free legal assistance.
The detailed version
- Rimini v. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. · No. 1:21-cv-07209
- John Cronan
- June 30, 2023
Background
On June 27, 2023, Thomas Rimini submitted a letter asking the court to appoint an attorney to represent him in this case.
Legal standard
The court applied the standard for requests for appointed counsel. It considers the merits of the claims, the plaintiff’s ability to pay for private counsel, efforts to obtain a lawyer, the availability of counsel, and the plaintiff’s ability to gather facts and address the issues without assistance. As a threshold requirement, the plaintiff must show that the claim has substance or a likelihood of success. The court also noted that volunteer attorney time is limited and that requests should not be granted indiscriminately.
Ruling
After reviewing Rimini’s claims, the court denied without prejudice his request for counsel. The court stated that he may renew the request when the existence of a potentially meritorious claim can be demonstrated. It also noted that Rimini may contact the New York Legal Assistance Group, which provides free legal assistance to people representing themselves in court.
Effect of the order
The order concerns only Rimini’s request for appointed counsel. The opinion does not decide the underlying claims against J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. or the other defendants.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.