Filing a lawsuit on your own behalf where you will represent yourself throughout every phase of the lawsuit constitutes proceeding PRO SE. This section of our website includes tools that are intended to provide a general reference and should NOT be used as a substitute for the advice of professional legal counsel. These tools include a procedural guide and needed forms. Be advised that the Clerk and her employees are forbidden by law from giving you legal advice. Legal advice could be described, but is not limited to: offering interpretation of rules; recommending a course of action; predicting a judicial officer's decision and interpreting the meaning or effect of any court order or judgment. If you wish to receive electronic notices when documents are filed in your case, please submit our Agreement to Receive NEFs (Notices of Electronic Filing). A civil action is the only type of case you can start in federal court and is different from a criminal action which is started by government officials. You do not have the right to an attorney in a civil case and the Court only appoints attorneys in certain circumstances. Because you do not have the right to an attorney and may not be appointed one, you must be ready to pursue your case to completion.