*Disclaimer*
Filing Without An Attorney
This section is intended to be used as an informative and practical resource for pro se litigants and is not a substitute for legal advice from an experienced attorney. The information is procedural in nature and should be read in conjunction with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Local Rules of this Court, and the individual practices of the Judge assigned to your case.
Please be advised that Clerk's Office staff are prohibited by law from offering legal advice. They are, however, permitted to answer questions regarding procedure and how to access legal forms and reference resources. Listed below is a guide to the information the staff of the Clerk's Office can and cannot provide:
Information the Clerk's Office Can Provide:
- Court policies and procedures
- How to obtain information from a public computer terminal located in the Clerk's Office.
- Court forms and court schedules
- How to access the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Local Rules of the Court, and other legal resources
Information the Clerk's Office Cannot Provide:
- Legal advice
- Guidance on whether or not you should file a case or other pleadings
- Instruction on what to write in court documents and what to say in court proceedings
- Interpretation of court orders
- Computation of deadlines in your case
- Direct communication with the assigned Judge on your behalf
- Direction on what to do next in your case
***Complete information on Privacy Protection for Filings Made with the Court is located in Rule 5.2 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. A person filing any document containing their own personal identifying information waives the protection of Rule 5.2(a) by filing the information without removing personal identifying information and/or not filing the material under seal.