This Code is intended to help judges and lawyers in the conduct of civil cases involving self-represented litigants. Most rules of civil procedure, professional conduct, and evidence explicitly or implicitly assume that all of the parties in a case are represented by legal counsel. Our systems for pretrial scheduling, for discovery, for motion practice, and for presentation of evidence assume that the parties are represented by lawyers charged with knowledge of the rules. Judges and lawyers who find themselves dealing with self-represented parties, however, frequently must guess about the applicability of the normal rules to such parties, and about the best way to deal with self-represented parties. This code attempts to address problems that frequently arise in such cases. The term “self-represented party” refers to a natural person who represents himself or herself in a civil case, whether by choice or necessity. Such parties are frequently referred to as “pro se litigants” or “litigants in pro per.” This code does not apply to the conduct of criminal cases.

Publish Date / Last Revised

November 4, 2024

Resource Type

  • White Paper

Audience Type

  • Fellows
  • General Public
  • Judges
  • Law Students
  • Lawyers