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.