Legal Information v. Legal Advice

For someone who works in the court system, distinguishing the difference between providing legal information and legal advice can be quite confusing.  With the continuing rise in the numbers of litigants representing themselves in court, it becomes increasingly important for court systems to provide comprehensive guidelines and training that clearly delineates exactly what assistance court personnel should and should not provide.

The SRLN Administrative Office of the Courts working group collected resources from court systems throughout the country that are used to provide guidance to court personnel about how they should assist the public.  The materials include links to court system manuals; training materials (divided into slideshows and learning games and exercises); official court policies; “Can and Cannot” materials; and articles. The materials are intended to assist court systems who want to put together their own training program.