Skip to Main Content

Resources for Self-Represented Litigants: Criminal

This guide offers helpful information to Louisiana self-represented litigants (people who represent themselves in court without an attorney) including help finding legal information, resources, and referrals.

Your Library

Your local library can help you with many of your legal information needs. Librarians can't provide legal advice. But they can help you find the information you need to make your own decisions about your legal situation. If they don't have the book you want, your librarian can find it at another library. All the books listed here can be found at the Law Library of Louisiana and at many local colleges like LSU. Libraries lend to each other, so you don't have to travel to New Orleans or Baton Rouge to get a book if you live somewhere else.

Some of the books listed are written for self-represented litigants, such as books by Nolo. Some are written as easy-to-read breakdowns of the law, such as the Nutshell series. The West books tend to be written for lawyers and judges, but they can be helpful for anyone. SRLs who want more detailed explanations of the law can learn from them. Your librarian can help you figure out which book is best for you.

Louisiana Criminal Law and Procedure

Criminal Law

Post-Conviction