Self Help Resource Center at Orleans Parish
Civil District Court Assists Those Who Represent Themselves

Self Help Desk volunteer attorney Anthony Sartorio, an Equal Justice Works Americorps Legal Fellow working with Southeast Louisiana Legal Services

The high number of people who represent themselves in court has spurred the creation of a Self Help Resource Center at Orleans Parish Civil District Court. The recently opened center is a partnership between the Court, Orleans Civil Court Division "A" Judge Tiffany Chase, Clerk of Court Dale Atkins, the Louisiana State Bar Association (LSBA) and several other local legal service agencies.

The Self Help Resource Center (SHRC), located on the fourth floor of the New Orleans Civil Courts building is a legal information and self-help desk designed to serve as a starting point for people who must navigate an unfamiliar and complex court system to resolve legal problems on their own. Volunteers support the self-help component of the program by facilitating the use of online and other legal resources for visitors to the desk. It's important to note that SHRC volunteers do not give legal advice, but assist visitors by providing them with access to legal information and referrals.

Self help desk volunteers, primarily law students from both Tulane and Loyola law schools and pro bono lawyers, assists self represented litigants with a variety of informational and referral services free-of-charge. Walk-in litigants to the SHRC have access to basic legal information, online resources, referrals to additional services, brochures, court forms and documents, and courthouse information. The volunteers help litigants understand and complete court forms when those forms are available and provide access to legal information online and print materials. When forms are not available, or when the legal issues are complex, volunteers refer visitors to outside legal services such as Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, The Pro Bono Project and Catholic Charities Project SAVE.

LSBA President Michael A. Patterson says the self-help desk assists pro se litigants in all civil matters but adds, "The most common issues for which help is sought are domestic issues, including protective orders, domestic violence, custody, visitation, child support and spousal support." He goes on to say, "The number of self-represented litigants in Louisiana creates significant challenges for courts in administering justice and for litigants in their access to justice."

The SHRC is modeled after similar help desks that have been implemented in courts across the country and is now open Monday through Thursday from 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm. Closed on Friday.

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