Inaccessible Case Files, Unsympathetic Court Clerks a Problem for Small-Firm Lawyers After Sandy
Just accessing case files was a problem for some solo and small-firm lawyers in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
Manhattan lawyer Justin Blitz needed an important case file for a deposition, but he faced an obstacle: His office had no power, the New York Law Journal reports. A superintendent of a neighboring building allowed Blitz to enter through an emergency door, and Blitz found his way with the help of a headlight.
Several lawyers told the New York Law Journal they couldn’t access their case files at all. Some reported that adversaries and court clerks outside Manhattan were unsympathetic to their plight.
Solo Jill Zuccardy said clerks in Queens Family Court kept insisting she needed to send a fax. Only after “getting emotional” was she able to get through to a more sympathetic individual who arranged an adjournment.
