This is the first time in our nations’ history that a non-lawyer (Steve Dean), representing himself as the Plaintiff, has litigated a freedom of speech picketing case before a US Court of Appeals Court against a defendant who was employed as an executive for a state bar, won the case and the court then believing the case was so important that they published it in a federal law textbook so that the legal community would be notified of it’s importance. The case has also been cited in over 37 other federal court cases and 2 United States Supreme Court cases.
Stephen ‘Steve’ Dean is not now nor has he ever been licensed to practice law even though he graduated from Thomas Cooley Law School 20 years ago in the year 2000 at age 60 and then personally litigated as Plaintiff before the United States Court of Appeals 6th Circuit and won an important freedom of speech picketing case against the past Regulation Counsel for the State Bar of Michigan. The case is taught in some of the more prestigious law schools today, Dean v. Byerley, 354 F.3d 540 (6th Cir 2004).
It is unheard of for any US Court of Appeals to allow a non-lawyer to appear before them and litigate a case. It is beyond belief, but true, that Steve won the case.
He is the first non-lawyer in our nations history to win this type of case. He gives all the credit to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Dean so far has submitted two other cases to the United States Supreme Court.
As a 58 year old sophomore, he believed it to be his moral Christian duty to picket his law school Evidence Professor Glicksman at Glicksman’s residence for one week and Thomas Cooley Law School for over one year because, in his opinion, Glicksman made numerous immoral and unqualified statements in class over a period of weeks that “anyone would lie under oath (commit perjury) to protect their family” and “perjury sometimes is O.K. .” Perjury, if convicted, is a crime punishable under state or federal law by imprisonment.
As a result of Dean picketing Glicksman’s residence for a full week and Thomas Cooley Law School weekly for over one and one half years, the school refused to inform the Bar after he graduated that he possessed the necessary character and fitness to be allowed to practice law. Of course their opinion of him did not discourage them from continuing to take tens of thousands of dollars in additional fees from him up to his graduation.
Without a law school’s written endorsement it is impossible for any graduate to receive the so called “character and fitness” approval required from a state bar before they will allow anyone to practice law. However, Dean did graduate from law school in 2000 at age 60 and has personally litigated and won more than one important case. The most widely known in modern times freedom of speech picketing case he has personally litigated and won in federal court is Dean v. Byerley, 354 Fd. 3rd. 540 (6th Circuit 2004) against Mr. Byerley who was Regulation Counsel for a State Bar. This freedom of speech and targeted residential picketing case has been cited thirty-seven times in other federal cases. It is also taught in some prestigious law schools today as an example of one of the best right to engage in targeted residential picketing cases in the nation’s history. Even though Dean has never been licensed to practice law he did personally argue and win this case before the United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit.
Dean is the only non-lawyer in US history, representing himself, to win a United States Court of Appeals case filed against a Regulation Counsel for a State Bar. He also represented himself as plaintiff in a three day federal court jury trial against Byerley who was defended by a three man law team that charged the state bar $1,500.00 an hour throughout the entire three day trial.
Above is a photo of Dean as he picketed his law school for one year in 1998-99 before graduating because his evidence professor, Eliot Glicksman, had made numerous unqualified statements over a period of weeks that “anyone would lie under oath …” and “perjury sometimes is O.K.” Dean also picketed Professor Glicksman’s home for one full week in 1998 accompanied by his wife who remained in their car as a witness to his picketing.
Dean has stated that “it was difficult to say the least, trying for well over a year to earn enough credits to graduate when some of the professors were doing their best to fail me”.
As a practicing Christian, Dean found Professor Glicksman’s suggestions dangerous and in violation of the State Rules of Professional Responsibility and federal and state law. He picketed because he believed that the public had a right to know that Thomas Cooley Law School allowed Professor Glicksman to continually and without qualification instruct his students that engaging in perjury, a state and federal crime, was legally acceptable acceptable behavior. The case is now taught in some of the more prestigious law schools in the United States, Dean v. Byerley, 354 F.3d 540 (6th Cir 2004).
A non-lawyer winning a United States Court of Appeals case he personally filed and personally litigated beforea U.S. Court of Appeals against a State Bar Executive is unheard of. It continues to be a shock to the legal community. This is the first time in our nation’s history that a non-lawyer, representing himself has won a United States Court of Appeals Case filed against a State Bar Executive.
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