(Pictured left to right: Rohan Pavuluri, Reverend John Udo-Okon.)

Americans get sued over medical debt. A lot. And , no surprise , most folks getting sued can’t afford lawyers. 

But for a non-lawyer to give even basic advice in a lawsuit is a crime. You could go to jail. 

So some New Yorkers are fighting to change that.

A non-profit called Upsolve wants to train people like pastors, social workers, and librarians to help people know their rights and prepare them to represent themselves in court. 

In the Bronx, Reverend John Udo-Okon wants to be one of those helpers. 

So Upsolve and Reverend John are suing New York Attorney General Letitia James for the right to do this work. If giving super-basic legal advice is a crime, they want a federal judge to rule that it shouldn’t be. 

Here’s a transcript of the episode. 

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