The U.S. Constitution guarantees everyone the right to an attorney in criminal actions. However, there is no such guarantee for civil actions, such as divorce, eviction or debt collection. This, coupled with the high cost of legal services, leads many people to choose to represent themselves as a pro se litigant. "Pro se" comes from the Latin phrase "pro se", meaning "for oneself."
Proceeding pro se can be a difficult task for anyone who has had little exposure to the legal system. This guide includes links to online and in-person legal resources to help pro se litigants as they navigate their way through the court system.
- On-campus and off-campus availability for University of Utah students, faculty and staff only. May be available to public patrons in-person at a University of Utah library.
- On-campus and off-campus availability for S.J. Quinney College of law students, faculty & staff only.
- Resource requires password. Please ask library staff to log you in.
University students, faculty, and staff can access library resources remotely by:
Welcome to the pro se litigant legal resource guide maintained by the James E. Faust Law Library at the University of Utah. Here you will find links to online legal research resources, information about local legal clinics, and descriptions of resources only available in the library. Additional online legal research resources may be found on our other links guides:
Please let us know if you have question or a suggestion for improving this guide!
Trying to figure out legal citations can be daunting at first; there are many numbers and abbreviations you have to know. The Caselaw Research section of our library's FAQ page includes brief instructions on how to read a citation.
Librarians and other staff members at the James E. Faust Law Library do not provide patrons with legal advice. The information supplied in this guide is not intended to be legal advice and is not a substitute for the guidance of a qualified attorney. Patrons should be aware that the law changes regularly and that they should be researching the current law as it applies to their specific issues.
