Guideline for Tenet Seven

PROHIBITION AGAINST GIVING LEGAL ADVICE

Given the experience and visibility of court employees, it is natural for those who deal with the court, including attorneys and litigants as well as the general public, to ask questions such as: "Should I fight this?" "How do I fight this?" "To whom should I go for legal assistance?" "What does the law say?" Court employees can and should patiently explain how to file forms and pay fines, and should clarify legal language and the court's policies attendant to procedural due process. They must not, however, cross the line separating a court employee from a licensed legal practitioner by giving their opinion on the law or, worse, giving their opinion as the law. Court employees should cite this tenet when pressed by those seeking gratuitous legal advice.