There is something surreally entertaining about the NYC Small Claims Courts. You have hundreds of people every night from all walks of life, many of whom have never been in any court before (except perhaps for jury duty) and have nothing in common except for the adventure that they are about to embark on. And, you also have lawyers, guys and gals in business suits, ties, etc., many of whom spent probably hundreds of thousands of dollars for the sheepskin, not to mention 3 years of incredibly hard work, 8 or 9 hours a day, 6 or seven days a week, to get through Law School.
And there they are, handling cases for five thousand dollars or less. The whole thing is a kafkaesque show, or scene if you will.
Paul Matthews
NYC attorney for small claims court
