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
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
http://www.findlaw.com/
http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/findlegalhelp/faq_selfhelp.cfm
http://www.pro-selaw.org/pro-selaw/index.asp
ABA Public Information Website
http://www.abanet.org/rppt/public/home.html
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:
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/lsa/index.html
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/uscode/index.html
Congressional Legislative Information: Thomas
http://thomas.loc.gov/
http://www.loc.gov/
Federal Citizen Consumer Information Center
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
http://www.eeoc.gov/index.html
http://fedbbs.access.gpo.gov/
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/
http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/NXT/gateway.dll?f=templates&fn=default.htm&vid=blr:code
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 8th Circuit as of 11/17/05) http://www.nolo.com/product.cfm/ObjectID/3731D4E8-C4D8-4A98-88680150520FAEDB/104/
(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 8th 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 4th 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 8th 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 2nd, (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.
(Not held in 8th 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 8th 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 8th 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.