Representing Yourself

Welcome to the United States District Court for Western District of Arkansas. Filing a lawsuit without an attorney and representing yourself in that lawsuit is called proceeding pro se. Pro Se is a Latin term meaning "in one's own behalf." You have a constitutional right to represent yourself. But you may not represent others or assert their interests unless you are admitted to practice law in this District.

While representing yourself is a right, it is also a commitment. By filing a civil lawsuit in federal court, you are required to comply with the Local Rules for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Both sets of rules are available in this section of the website. You must also comply with any orders entered by the Court. If you do not comply with a Court order, your lawsuit may be dismissed.

This section of the website includes Court approved forms, guidebooks, and links to various resources. These materials are tools designed to help you through the process of representing yourself. The tools are not meant to provide or be a substitute for professional legal advice.

There is no constitutional or statutory right to the appointment of counsel in civil cases. If you believe your circumstances warrant appointment of counsel, you may file a motion requesting that the Court appoint you counsel, but there is no guarantee that the Court will grant your request. If you initiate a federal civil case pro se, you should therefore be prepared to proceed pro se until the end of the case. This District routinely considers lawsuits initiated by pro se litigants who remain pro se until the end of the proceedings.

The Court Clerk’s Office employees cannot give legal advice. This means Clerk’s Office employees cannot, among other things: interpret rules or Court orders, recommend someone take a particular course of action, predict a judicial officer’s decision, or tell someone when the Court will issue its decision. This website includes links to outside resources. The United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas and its employees are not responsible for the accuracy of the information contained in those links. The links are for informational purposes only.