United States District Court
Eastern District of North Carolina

PLEASE NOTE:

Public Notice Regarding Changes to Miscellaneous Court Fee Schedules Effective December 1, 2023.
The Judicial Conference approved inflationary adjustments to fees on the miscellaneous fee schedule will become effective December 1, 2023. Please review the District Court Fee Schedule under the "Public" tab at www.nced.uscourts.gov. Updated fees will be posted as of December 1, 2023.

The Wilmington Courthouse will be closed November 13 through November 17, 2023. Beginning November 20, 2023, court will resume in Wilmington at the Alton Lennon Federal Building and United States Courthouse located at 2 Princess Street, Wilmington, North Carolina 28401. Please be aware that audio/video technology in Wilmington's Courtroom 1 is on interim status pending necessary funding. Anyone anticipating the use of such technology for demonstrative purposes in Courtroom 1 should review available resources and proceed accordingly.
FY 2024 Pre-Lapse in Appropriations Notice to Contractors
Camp Lejuene Water Litigation Information.
Case Management Order 1, Camp Lejeune Water Litigation.

courthouses
VISITOR INFORMATION: Mobile devices and weapons are not permitted in the courthouse. Please bring a photo ID.
PRO SE LITIGANTS / REPRESENTING YOURSELF

The pro se information on the Court's website is specifically for individuals who are representing themselves in the Eastern District of North Carolina without the assistance of an attorney. It is intended as an informative and practical resource for pro se litigants, and is not a substitute for legal advice from an experienced attorney. The information is procedural in nature and should be read in conjunction with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Local Rules of this Court and the individual practices of the judge assigned to your case. Moreover, the links to other websites are for informational purposes only, and neither the United States District Court Clerk's Office nor any employee of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina is responsible for the accuracy of the information contained in other websites.

If you wish to start a civil action in federal court, but do not have an attorney to represent you, you may file your case yourself. This is called "proceeding pro se" which is a Latin term meaning “for yourself.” You will then be called a "pro se litigant." You need not worry if you have had little or no experience with the courts before. You are, however, expected to follow/abide by the rules that govern the practice of law in the Federal Court. Pro Se litigants should be familiar with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Local Rules of this court. Please visit the Rules section of this web site to review the rules in detail.

A civil case, which is the only type of case you can commence in federal court, is different from a criminal case, which can only be commenced by government officials. In a civil case, you do not have a constitutional right to appointed counsel. Therefore, if you start a civil case pro se, you should be prepared to pursue it to completion on your own.

guides and forms
Click here to view this pdf: Representing Yourself in a Civil Case - A Guide for the Pro Se Litigant
resources