Erik,

That is the misconception, that you need a lawyer to sue someone. All it takes is to learn to fill out the appropriate forms to use to execute a lawsuit in your paticular locality. Then you become a nuiscance to their lawyers using the system to subpoena the pertinent corporate documents that are germane to proving your case. Most Judges are very lenient toward non-lawyers and will usually grant access to corporate documents. Most of the time, they settle, so as to avoid setting any precedents. In my jurisdiction, it only costs $218 to sue in county court.