Dear Members of Congress, the U.S. Senate, and the President of the United States,

Let Business Owners Defend Their Own Companies in Court.
Justice shouldn’t depend on the size of your business or the money in your account. Fix the law so founders can defend what they built.

America’s 33 million business owners are the backbone of this nation — creating jobs, driving innovation, and building communities.

But when things go bad, the very people who built those businesses often have no right to defend them in court.

Under current U.S. law, a business owner is not allowed to represent their own company in most courts — even if they founded it, know the facts, and can prove the truth.

They’re told: “Hire a lawyer or you have no voice.”

But lawyers often cost $400–$800 per hour. When the economy turns, when cash dries up, or when disputes arise, even large companies can suddenly become small. Overnight, founders who once led thriving teams are left holding the bag — and locked out of the system built to protect them.

This isn’t a small‑business issue.
It’s a justice issue.
It’s a constitutional issue.
And it’s a moral issue.

We, the undersigned, call on Congress and the President to amend federal and state laws to restore every business owner’s right to defend their company in court when they can’t afford counsel.

We believe:
   •   Access to justice should depend on truth, not wealth.
   •   Business owners should never lose their voice because of a rulebook written for the powerful.
   •   The law should protect the people who build America — not punish them when they fall on hard times.

No founder should be forced into silence, bankruptcy, or surrender simply because they ran out of money for legal fees.

We urge Congress, the Senate, and the White House to act now — and restore the right of every entrepreneur, in every state, to defend the work of their own hands.

Justice must never be for sale.

— Gower Idrees
Entrepreneur, Business Advocate for Small Business Rights.
Founder & CEO, RareBrain Institute