You didn’t have bad luck. You’re not in a unique situation. It’s not the fault of a "bad apple" government employee. Government systems created your grievance.
You can sue the government, without an attorney, without spending more than a few dollars down at the Post Office. Lawsuits are how government systems get changed. Nothing is going to change until you sue.
How to Sue the Government explains in plain English how to do legal research, resolve your grievance without filing a lawsuit (“exhaust all remedies”), cite statutes and regulations, write your claims, file and serve your lawsuit, and respond to motions.
Is your case blackletter law—a clear violation of well-understood laws—or case law—a law that's open to interpretation? If you act quickly, can you ask for injunctive relief—a judge ordering a government agency to do something or not do something—instead of asking for monetary damages for something that has been done?
You must research the laws thoroughly and completely, otherwise the judge will dismiss your case. Statutes are passed by Congress and signed by the President. Government agencies write regulations to clarify broadly written statutes. Policies and procedures tell agency staff what to do. Agencies write documents for the public that can be very specific.
Some government agencies have an ombudsman. Others have an Office of Inspector General for reporting agency misconduct. Obtain documents through the Freedom of Information Act. And ignore what attorneys say about not talking about pending cases. Use social media to find people who have experienced what you experienced.
No law firm is going to return your calls. Your attorney cousin isn’t going to help you. Outside of Washington, D.C. you’re unlikely to find a law firm with a federal question jurisdiction practice. Such law firms work with large corporate clients and bill $900/hour or more. A lawsuit will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions.
The Administrative Procedures Act (APA) allows injunctive relief—a judge ordering a federal agency to do something or not do something. The Tucker Act allows monetary damages in breach of contract cases. The Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) allows suing the government for personal injuries.
How to tell your side of the story in attorneys' I.R.A.C. style. Write a Harm Caused by Defendant section and a Request for Relief section. File your complaint with the Clerk of the Court and serve your documents to the defendant and the United States Attorney. Respond to a Motion to Dismiss and write an Amended Complaint.
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