Self-Help Resources

for the

 Self-Represented Litigant

By: United States Courts Library

Eighth Circuit

November 2005

Self-Help Resources for the Self-Represented Litigant

The Latin terms, pro se (meaning ‘for self’) and pro per (meaning ‘for one’s own person’), are used in the legal profession to identify people who represent themselves in court proceedings. However, it is generally recommended that, other than in small claims courts, it is best to have a lawyer.

In a recent AALL panel presentation, the Honorable Chief Judge Edward Toussaint, Jr., Minnesota Court of Appeals, noted that there are two major elements important in litigation: first, knowledge about procedural issues and, second, persuasion techniques. Failure in these two areas will translate into poor results for the litigant. A misunderstanding of procedure may even make an appeal impossible to grant. (Toussaint, 2005)*

That said, libraries are aware that a lawyer is not always an option for a litigant. For that reason the following sites are being provided to assist self-represented litigants.

General Sites and Federal Law Resources

            Federal Court sites:

            Supreme Court Website

                        http://www.supremecourtus.gov/

            U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri Self-Help Tools

                        http://www.moed.uscourts.gov/SelfHelpTools/ProSe.asp

Pro Se Handbook: The Manual for the Litigant Filing Without Counsel, May 1997, Idaho U.S. District Court

                        http://www.id.uscourts.gov/pro-se.htm 

            Federal Rules of Court: Federal Rulemaking

                        http://www.uscourts.gov/rules/newrules4.html

                        Local Federal Rules of Court

                        http://www.uscourts.gov/rules/newrules8.html

            Non-Court sites:

            AJS (American Judicature Society) Pro Se Forum 

                        http://www.ajs.org/prose/home.asp 

            REDRESS Pro Se Information

                        http://www.redressinc.org/ProSeInformation.html

            Pine Tree Legal Assistance Pro Se Links 

                        http://www.ptla.org/pro-se.htm

            Legal Freedom.com Pro Se Resource Center

                        http://www.legalfreedom.com/prc/

            National Federaltion of Paralegal Associations

                        http://www.paralegals.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=23

            The Jailhouse Lawyer’s Pro Se Self-Help and Legal Research Center

                        http://www.angelfire.com/az/sthurston/research.html 

            Wizard Law Collection of Pro Se Links

                        http://www.nolawyer.com/proselnx.html

            selfhelpsupport.org (Self-help Support)

                        http://www.selfhelpsupport.org/resourcesforselfrepresent378.cfm

            Name Change Center (Choose your state)

                        http://www.namechangelaw.com/index.asp

            Findlaw

                        http://www.findlaw.com/

            ABA FindLegalHelp.com

                        http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/findlegalhelp/faq_selfhelp.cfm

            ABA Pro Se Law Center

                        http://www.pro-selaw.org/pro-selaw/index.asp

            ABA Public Information Website

                        http://www.abanet.org/rppt/public/home.html

            American Pro se Association

                        http://www.legalhelp.org/index.php

            Legal Information Institute LII

                        http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/index.php/Main_Page

                        LII Categories List

            http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/index.php?title=Special:Categories&article=Main_Page

            Document Resources:

            Code of Federal Regulations

                        http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html

            List of CFR Sections Affected

                        http://www.gpoaccess.gov/lsa/index.html

            United States Code

                        http://www.gpoaccess.gov/uscode/index.html

            Congressional Legislative Information: Thomas

                        http://thomas.loc.gov/

            Library of Congress

                        http://www.loc.gov/

            Federal Citizen Consumer Information Center

                        http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/

            Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

                        http://www.eeoc.gov/index.html

            Federal Bulletin Board

                        http://fedbbs.access.gpo.gov/

            Federal Register

                        http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html

            U.S. Constitution

                        http://www.gpoaccess.gov/constitution/index.html

State Law Resources (Eighth Circuit States)

Minnesota Judiciary

                        http://www.courts.state.mn.us/

            LawMoose Legal Reference Library Pro Bono and Pro Se 

                        http://www.lawmoose.com/index.cfm?Action=Library.&Topic=MN102097

            Minnesota Legal Research Resources

                        http://www.law.umn.edu/library/tools/EResources/MNWeb.html

            Minnesota Fifth Judicial District County Law Library Resources

                        http://www.countylawlibraryproject.southwestmsu.edu/legal.html

            Minnesota Statutes 

                        http://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/statutes.asp 

            Minnesota Court Rules

                        http://www.courts.state.mn.us/page/?pageID=139

            Minnesota Rules (Administrative Code)

                        http://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/statutes.asp

North Dakota Judiciary

                        http://www.ndcourts.com/court/brochure.htm

            Dakota Plains Legal Service Pro Se

                        http://www.dpls.org/prose.html

            N. Dakota Constitution and Code

                        http://www.state.nd.us/lr/information/statutes/const-laws.html

            N. Dakota Court Rules

                        http://www.ndcourts.com/court/rules/frameset.htm

            N. Dakota Administrative Code

                        http://www.state.nd.us/lr/information/rules/admincode.html

South Dakota Judiciary

                        http://www.sdjudicial.com/

            Dakota Plains Legal Service Pro Se

                        http://www.dpls.org/prose.html

            S. Dakota Codified Laws

                        http://legis.state.sd.us/statutes/index.aspx

            S. Dakota Court Rules

http://www.sdjudicial.com/index.asp?title=appellate_one&category=procedures&nav=931

            S. Dakota Administrative Rules

                        http://legis.state.sd.us/rules/index.aspx

Nebraska Judiciary 

                        http://court.nol.org/

            Nebraska Laws 

                        http://www.unicam.state.ne.us/laws/index.htm

            Nebraska Trial Court Rules

                        http://court.nol.org/trialcourt/index.html

            Nebraska Supreme Court Rules

                        http://court.nol.org/rules/

            Nebraska Rules and Regulations

                        http://www.sos.state.ne.us/business/regsearch/

Iowa Judiciary

                        http://www.judicial.state.ia.us/

            Iowa Judicial Branch Website

                        http://www.judicial.state.ia.us/contents/index.asp?printable=True

            Iowa Code

                        http://www.legis.state.ia.us/IACODE/

            Iowa Court Rules

                        http://www.legis.state.ia.us/Rules2.html

            Iowa Administrative Code

                        http://www.legis.state.ia.us/IAC.html

Missouri Judiciary

                        http://www.osca.state.mo.us/

            Missouri Revised Statutes

                        http://www.moga.state.mo.us/STATUTES/STATUTES.HTM

            Missouri Court Rules

http://www.courts.mo.gov/sup/index.nsf/d45a7635d4bfdb8f8625662000632638/c06ebdca9396f40f86256769005830c8?OpenDocument

            Missouri Administrative Code

                        http://www.sos.mo.gov/adrules/csr/csr.asp

Arkansas Judiciary

                        http://courts.state.ar.us/

            Arkansas Code

http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/NXT/gateway.dll?f=templates&fn=default.htm&vid=blr:code

            Arkansas Court Rules

                        http://courts.state.ar.us/rules/index.html 

Materials: Publishers, Publications and Book Resources

            Nolo.com (Self described provider of do-it-yourself legal solutions) Publishers of:

                        http://www.nolo.com/

Represent Yourself in Court: How to Prepare and Try a Winning Case 2003

                        (Not held in 8^th Circuit as of 11/17/05)                                  http://www.nolo.com/product.cfm/ObjectID/3731D4E8-C4D8-4A98-88680150520FAEDB/104/

                        Lawsuit Survival Guide 2001

                        (KF8863 .M28 2001 held by St. Louis)

http://www.nolo.com/product.cfm/ObjectID/2FCF5FBA-626B-4F3E-A25A847FC887A2AB/104/308/184/

                        Nolo Estate Planning Basics 2005

                        (Not held in 8^th Circuit as of 11/17/05)          

http://www.nolo.com/product.cfm/ObjectID/BA76E59D-DB2E-4EB9-8782E5E55E0CE9CB/catid/FD1795A9-8049-422C-9087838F86A2BC2B/309/

                        Nolo’s Simple Will Book 2005

                        (KF755 .Z9 C54 2005 held by Fargo)

http://www.nolo.com/product.cfm/ObjectID/00A94E61-BCE4-4B4B-805807081D655236/catid/FD1795A9-8049-422C-9087838F86A2BC2B/309/

                        Nolo’s Pocket Guide to Family Law 4^th 1996 available through Amazon

                        (Not held in 8th Circuit as of 11/17/05)         

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0873373227/002-0470443-6108010?v=glance&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance

            How to Research a Legal Problem: A Guide for Non-Lawyers from AALL

                        (Not held in 8^th Circuit as of 11/17/05)

                        http://www.aallnet.org/sis/lisp/research.htm

            Oceana’s Law for the Layperson: Self-Help Legal Almanac Series: listing

                        (KF9367 .Z9 J38 2002 Identity theft and how to protect yourself - held by Des Moines )

                            (KF4865 .Z9 J37 1998 Religion and the law - held by Des Moines )

                            (KF9304 .J37 1998 The law of violence against women - held by Des Moines )

                            (KF9227 .C2 J37 1998 The law of capital punishment - held by Des Moines )

                        http://www.oceanalaw.com/main_Subject_list.asp?ID=28

            ABA’s Guide to Wills and Estates 2^nd, (ABA) 2004

                        (KF755 .Z9 A376 2004 held by Fargo; Little Rock has 2000 ed)      

http://www.abanet.org/abastore/index.cfm?section=Main&fm=static&url=http://www.abanet.org/abastore/front_end/static/home_page.html&r=1

            Patents Guides by U.S. Dept. of Commerce

                        http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/guides.htm

                        http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/doc/general/index.html

            Patent Pro Se: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Provisional Patent Applications

                        (Updated for 2006 – Audio & Data CD’s included) by John Ferrell, Esq.

                        Baywater Publishing 

                        (Not held in 8^th Circuit as of 11/17/05)

                        http://www.baywaterpublishing.com/about/

Family Lawyer software from Parsons Technology, 2004 Review here. Available from Broderbund

                        (Software not held in 8^th Circuit as of 11/17/05)

                        http://www.legalhelp.org/public/reviews.php

http://www.broderbund.com/jump.jsp?itemID=398&mainPID=398&itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&keyword=family+law

Practical Divorce Solutions by Ed Sherman, Esq. Review here. Nolo Press Occidental 1994 available through Amazon.com

                        (Not held in 8^th Circuit as of 11/17/05)

                        http://www.legalhelp.org/public/reviews.php

                        http://www.nolotech.com/

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0944508138/002-0470443-6108010?v=glance&n=283155&%5Fencoding=UTF8&me=ATVPDKIKX0DER&no=283155&st=books

*May It Please the Court: Strategies for Discovering SRL Services Judges Crave,” Program A3, Sunday, July 17, 2005, 10a.m. - 11:30a.m., a panel with the Hon. Thomas T. C. Campbell; the Honorable Dan R. Price II; the Honorable Edward Toussaint, Jr.; D. Jason Raymond, Moderator. AALL Conference, San Antonio, Texas.