Pro se

Pro se Back to Index

	Pro se is a Latin expression meaning "for self". The term is applied to someone who represents themselves without a lawyer in a court proceeding, whether as a defendant or a plaintiff and whether the matter is civil or criminal. Most courts allow people to appear in court and submit legal documents pro se, but some prohibit legal "persons" such as corporations from appearing without representation. Pro se litigants are usually able to obtain assistance from a pro se clerk, or in very limited circumstances, the judge may even give certain advice from the bench on how to navigate the law. The decision to appear pro se may sometimes be one of necessity, given the cost of legal representation. Even indigent criminal defendants in jurisdictions that guarantee legal representation may still have to represent themselves in the later stages of appeal, as such representation is often only provided by the state during the initial trial. This is especially true in collateral proceedings such as habeas corpus or postconviction petitions that fall outside the normal appeals process.