Song v. Columbia University in New York
- Laura Swain
- 1:24-cv-03600
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 4
In Song v. Columbia University, Judge Swain ordered Song to pay filing fees or submit an IFP application within 30 days.
Eugenia Song, who filed the action without a lawyer; the order also determines whether her case will proceed based on payment of the required fees or submission of an IFP application.
What happened
In Song v. Columbia University in New York, Eugenia Song filed a civil action without paying the required fees or submitting an application to proceed without prepaying them. The opinion states that Song was representing herself.
The court ordered Song, within 30 days, either to pay $405 in filing and administrative fees or submit a signed application to proceed without prepayment. No summons would issue at that time, and the case would be processed if Song complied. The court stated that the action would be dismissed if she did not comply within the allowed period.
Judge Laura Taylor Swain also stated that any appeal from the order would not be taken in good faith and denied permission to appeal without prepaying fees.
The detailed version
- Song v. Columbia University in New York · No. 1:24-cv-03600
- Laura Swain
- May 13, 2024
Background
Eugenia Song brought this action without a lawyer. She submitted the complaint without paying the required filing and administrative fees and without submitting an application to proceed without prepaying fees, commonly called an IFP application.
Order
The court explained that a civil action requires payment of $405: a $350 filing fee and a $55 administrative fee. Within 30 days of the order, Song was required either to pay those fees or submit a signed IFP application. The court stated that, if it granted the application, Song could proceed without prepaying the fees.
The court directed that no summons issue at that time. It stated that, if Song complied with the order, the case would be processed under the Clerk’s Office procedures. If she failed to comply within the permitted time, the action would be dismissed.
Appeal-related ruling
The court certified under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(3) that any appeal from the order would not be taken in good faith. It therefore denied IFP status for purposes of an appeal.
Disposition
The court ordered payment of the fees or submission of an IFP application within 30 days. The opinion does not state a final disposition of the underlying claims against Columbia University in New York.
Read the full 4-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.