Advice from the Clerk’s Office
Clerk’s Office staff cannot give “legal advice” or “practice law” as they are prohibited under
Title 28 U.S.C. Section 955. Therefore, Clerk’s Office personnel cannot:
- Explain the meaning of a specific rule
- Make an interpretation of case law
- Explain the result of taking or not taking an action in a case
- Answer whether jurisdiction is proper in a case
- Answer whether a complaint properly presents a claim
- Provide advice on the best procedure to accomplish a particular objective
Clerk’s Office staff can provide information such as:
- Instructions on how to execute a task (e.g., number of copies, use of forms, etc)
- Provide information as to compliance with this Court’s policies
- Provide information that can be found on a case docket
