Pro-Se and Librarians: Legal Self-Help Options
presented by Julie Beno, Beth Goble & Laura Johnson
September 29, 2010
Self-Help Centers
Operated by volunteer lawyers. Legal information, assistance with forms, and brief
legal advice is provided. The centers do not offer assistance with
criminal cases and questions are not taken by phone. Centers are coordinated by the Nebraska State Bar Association Director of Legal Services.
- Lincoln (Lancaster County)
- Open Mondays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00
p.m., Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Thursdays from Noon to 4:00 p.m.
and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. The Self-Help Desk is located off the Jury
Lounge on the third floor at the Lancaster County Courthouse at 575 South 10th
Street in Lincoln. No appointments are needed and individuals are offered
assistance on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Omaha (Douglas
County)
- Open Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The
Self-Help Desk is located in the Douglas County Law Library. Follow the
connector-hallway between the Douglas County Courthouse and the 1st Floor Hall
of Justice, 17th and Farnam in Omaha. For questions or further
information, call the Library at 402.444.7174.
- Tri City Center
(Hastings, Grand Island, Kearney)
- Open Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The
Self-Help Desk is located on the lower level of the Hall County Courthouse
(across from Courtroom #3) at 111 West First Street in Grand Island. No
appointments are needed and individuals are offered assistance on a first-come,
first-served basis.
Low-Income Legal Services
- Legal Aid of Nebraska
- http://www.legalaidofnebraska.com/directory
- Provides free civil legal services for low-income people. Offices are located in Omaha, Lincoln, Bancroft, Norfolk,Grand
Island, North Platte and Scottsbluff. Call the
AccessLine® to see if you qualify for assistance. You cannot apply online. To
complete an application, call:
- 402.348.1060 in the Douglas Co. area
- 1.877.250.2016 if you live outside the Douglas Co.
area
- 1.800.527.7249 if you are 60 and over
- 1.800.729.9908 if you are Native
American
- Legal Aid of Nebraska's Access to Justice (A2J) Center
- www.legalaidofnebraska.com
-
Self-help center in Douglas County where
low-income people can access legal resources including computers, forms, and
self-help clinics. 1904 Farnam Street, Omaha, Suite 1. Hours may vary. Call 402.348.1069, or toll-free 1.888.991.9921.
- Nebraska State Bar Association Volunteer
Lawyer's project
- http://www.nebar.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=84
- Lawyer referral service 800.742.3005. In Lincoln call 402.475.7091. Handles civil cases only. Works with private attorneys to place civil cases for free or low cost to
low-income individuals. Because there are
usually more requests for assistance than there are attorneys to accept
cases, civil legal problems are ranked by priority, with the most urgent
needs receiving attention first.
- Lincoln Area Agency on Aging
- Information and referral for Lancaster County residents 60+ years
old. Phone 402.441.7070 or 800.247.0938.
- Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law
- http://www.neappleseed.org/justice/
- Works with Legal Aid of Nebraska, Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers
Project.
- Nebraska State Bar Association pamphlets
- http://www.nebar.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=74
- in English and Spanish on
several topics.
Law School Legal Clinics
- Creighton Law School Clinics
- http://www.creighton.edu/law/clinics
- Call 402.280.3068. The Civil Law Clinic offers free legal assistance on
civil matters to low-income residents of Douglas County, Nebraska. The
Community Economic Development (CED) Law Clinic is committed to encouraging
economic growth and stability within under-served communities in Nebraska.
- University of Nebraska College of Law Civil Clinical Law Program
-
http://liferaydemo.unl.edu/web/law/academics/curriculum/clinics
- Call 402.472.3271. A limited number of cases are accepted by the UNL Civil Clinical Law Program. Clients are represented by students under the supervision of
College of Law faculty.
Libraries
- State Library
- http://www.supremecourt.ne.gov/state-library/index.shtml
- Offers access to legal resources including access to the internet to do legal research. Located in room 325 of the State Capitol Building in Lincoln. Call 402.471.3189.
- Public Libraries
- Your local public library may have some resources and public access to computers and the internet. To find your local library you can visit
Public Libraries.com at http://www.publiclibraries.com/nebraska.htm.
- Lincoln City Libraries
- http://www.lincolnlibraries.org
- Gale Database of Nebraska legal forms (must have library card.) plus other legal sites - currently under construction
http://www.lincolnlibraries.org/webliographies/Legal_Resources.htm.
- Nebraska Library Commission Ask A Librarian
- /ref/ask.asp
University Law Libraries
- University of Nebraska College of Law Library
- http://law.unl.edu/library/
- The UNL College of Law Library is located on the east campus of UNL. The Law library has one public access computer
for members of the public to conduct legal research. The general telephone number for the law school is 402.472.2161.
The library is open to the public and reference librarians are available 8-5. Expect to spend several hours there;
the library has a large diverse collection of Nebraska materials.
- Creighton University Law School Library
- http://www.creighton.edu/law/library/
- The Creighton Law School Library has public access computers available for legal research. Reference
assistance is also available. The general library telephone number is 402.280-2875. The Law Library is open
to the general public with legal research needs from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday while school
is in session. Hours may vary during breaks and over the summer. It is located in Omaha on the corner of 21st and
Cass Streets on the second floor of the Ahmanson Law Center.
Referral Services
- Referrals to private attorneys are available. Private attorneys may charge for their services.
- Nebraska State Bar Association Lawyer Referral
- The Lawyer Referral Service is provided by the NSBA for individuals who need a lawyer licensed to practice
in the State of Nebraska and are not familiar with the legal community. In Lincoln call 402.475.7091; Outside
Lincoln call toll-free at 1.800.742.3005.
- Omaha Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service
- http://omahabarassociation.com/lawyerreferral.asp
- The service refers callers to private practicing attorneys in Douglas and Sarpy counties.
Call 402.280.3603.
Mediation Centers
- Office of Dispute Resolution (ODR)
- http://www.supremecourt.ne.gov/mediation/public_info.shtml
- The ODR in the Administrative Office
of the Courts oversees the development of dispute resolution and
collaborative problem solving programs in Nebraska.
Services are available in centers in
Kearney, Omaha, Lincoln, Scottsbluff, Fremont and Beatrice.
Local Court Clerks
- District Court Clerks
- http://www.supremecourt.ne.gov/district-court/dist-clerks-addr.shtml?sub3
- Clerk Magistrates
- http://www.supremecourt.ne.gov/county-court/Coun-clerkmag-addr.shtml?sub4
Web Resources for Self-Help
- Working with Pro Se Litigants: A manual for Nebraska Court Employees
- nlc.nebraska.gov/epubs/S3000/H008-2008.pdf
- Nebraska Judicial Branch self-help web site
- http://www.supremecourt.ne.gov/self-help
- Citizen's Guide to Nebraska Courts (an Overview of the Nebraska Court System)
- http://supremecourt.ne.gov/brochures/guide.shtml
- Legal Terms Glossary
- http://www.supremecourt.ne.gov/press/glossary.shtml?sub1
- Forms
- http://www.supremecourt.ne.gov/forms/
- Internet Payment System
- https://www.nebraska.gov/courts/epayments/index.cgi
- Court Case one-time search
- https://www.nebraska.gov/justicecc/ccname.cgi
- Law/Legal pages in NebraskAccess
- Legal Aid resources
- http://nebraskaccess.ne.gov/legalaid.asp
- Nebraska legal forms on the web
- http://nebraskaccess.ne.gov/nebraskalegalforms.asp
- Nebraska statutes and regulations online
- http://nebraskaccess.ne.gov/searchstatelaws.asp
- Current set of statutes to have in your library
- http://nebraskaccess.ne.gov/currentstatutes.asp
- Municipal codes online
- http://nebraskaccess.ne.gov/municipalcodes.asp
Resources for Some Specific Subjects
- Liens against a business or property
- http://nebraskaccess.ne.gov/mechanics.asp
- Concealed weapons law in Nebraska
- http://statepatrol.nebraska.gov/ConcealCarry.aspx
- Refer to Nebraska statutes (but don't offer to interpret for them) at
http://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/laws.php
- Landlord/Tenant Rights
- http://nebraskaccess.ne.gov/landlord.asp
- Forms
-
- Living wills/durable power of attorney (Bar Association pamphlet)
- http://www.nebar.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=74
- City ordinances on noxious weed, junk cars, barking dogs, etc.
- http://nebraskaccess.ne.gov/municipalcodes.asp
- How do I appeal my case? Citizen's Guide to the Nebraska Appellate Courts
- http://www.supremecourt.ne.gov/press/pdf/citzguide.pdf
- Court cases
- http://nebraskaccess.ne.gov/court.asp
- Setting up trusts (Bar Association pamphlet)
- http://www.nebar.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=74
Library Broadband Builds Nebraska Communities
Training will be available in every county through the Nebraska Library Commission's partnership with the Nebraska Court Administrator's Office.