Pro Se Litigants / Representing Yourself

The pro se information on the Court's website is specifically for individuals who are representing themselves in the District of Massachusetts without the assistance of an attorney. It is intended as an informative and practical resource for pro se litigants, and is not a substitute for legal advice from an experienced attorney. The information is procedural in nature and should be read in conjunction with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Local Rules of this Court and the individual practices of the judge assigned to your case. Moreover, the links to other websites are for informational purposes only, and neither the United States District Court Clerk's Office nor any employee of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts is responsible for the accuracy of the information contained in other websites.

If you wish to start a civil action in federal court, but do not have an attorney to represent you, you may bring your case on your own. This is called "proceeding pro se" which means that you are representing yourself in the Court, and you are called a "pro se litigant." A civil case, which is the only type of case you can start in federal court, is different from a criminal case, which can only be started by government officials. In a civil case, you do not have a constitutional right to appointed counsel. Therefore, if you start a civil case pro se, you should be prepared to pursue it to completion on your own because the Court appoints counsel only under certain circumstances that may not be met by your case.

Pro Bono Representation: IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD AN ATTORNEY, you may make a written motion asking the court to appoint an attorney for you. Use the same heading that you used on your COMPLAINT, but entitle the document "Motion for Appointment of Counsel." In your motion, provide the court with your financial status, your attempts, if any, to find a lawyer, and any other information which would be helpful to the court in determining whether a lawyer should be appointed for you. The Court is not required to appoint an attorney, but may request an attorney who has indicated a willingness to accept such cases on a pro bono basis to represent you. See Title 28 U.S.C. §1915.