Training Materials for Community Partners
The following information may be helpful to librarians, social workers, and other professionals:
Legal Information v. Legal Advice
This booklet provides guidelines to help you distinguish legal information from legal advice. Only lawyers may provide legal advice. "The Commission hopes that these guidelines will provide all those who interact with self-represented litigants with the knowledge to be able to draw the line between legal information and legal advice."
This information is specifically geared toward court clerks, but offers helpful information for anyone who may find themselves helping a pro se litigant (someone who is not represented by an attorney).
This booklet gives examples of how librarians or others can assist someone without committing the unauthorized practice of law.
Legal aid programs and 844-HELP4TN only assist people with civil legal issues. What is the difference between civil and criminal law? Click on this booklet to learn about these two areas of the law.
"Federal laws apply to everyone in the United States. State laws only apply to people who live or work in a particular state." Learn more about the two by click on the link above.
