Washington, DC—HALT, which publishes a line of legal self-help publications that empower citizens to handle their own simple legal affairs, has released two new guides answering legal consumers' most common and most critical questions. The recently-produced Citizens Legal Guides Where Do I Go for Legal Help and I Have a Problem with My Lawyer... What Can I Do Now are available for free on HALT's Web site and through HALT's Legal Information Clearinghouse.

According to the most recent statistics from the American Bar Association, 38 million low- and moderate-income Americans are closed out of the civil justice system simply because they cannot afford to hire a lawyer. With Where Do I Go for Legal Help, HALT addresses this grave situation by outlining non-traditional, low-cost alternatives to hiring a lawyer. "Just as every medical problem you face does not require a doctor, every legal matter does not require a lawyer," says Where Do I Go for Legal Help. "There is a range of options available to those needing legal help."

With I Have a Problem with My Lawyer, HALT addresses the unfortunate reality that many Americans who do hire lawyers end up as victims of negligence, incompetence and ethical indiscretions. In 2000, Americans filed 114,000 complaints against the nation's 1.2 million lawyers.

In its new guide, HALT addresses the thousands of citizens are victimized by identifying methods for resolving a conflict. In the event that a consumer is unable to settle a dispute, the guide goes on to distinguish between several avenues of recourse: attorney discipline complaints, fee arbitration, client compensation funds and malpractice lawsuits.

In addition to helping thousands of legal consumers frustrated or confused by the civil justice system, these Citizens Legal Guides complement HALT's central reform agenda of working to create a more accessible, accountable and affordable civil justice system. While informing consumers of the options available to them, the guides caution that the need for reform is great. For instance, nonlawyer alternatives, outlined in Where Do I Go For Legal Help, are threatened by unauthorized practice of law opinions and rules blocking multijurisdictional or multidisciplinary practice. And lawyer discipline systems, explained in I Have a Problem with My Lawyer, are hamstrung by self-regulation, administrative red-tape and over-leniency; many client compensation funds are nearly bankrupt; and the standard for proving legal malpractice is nearly insurmountable.

These 8-page Citizens Legal Guides are the newest additions to HALT's ever-growing selection of self-help publications. The new booklets supplement HALT's existing range of resources, which includes brief publications (tri-fold brochures and articles from HALT's Everyday Law Series, a compilation of succinct how-to articles on common legal topics) and HALT's Citizens Legal Manuals (full-length books that offer detailed information on a legal topic, such as legal research, probate or small claims court).

Because it receives thousands of letters, HALT is uniquely positioned to identify legal consumer needs and concerns. Each publication HALT creates fills a gap in the existing publications for legal consumers. All of HALT's articles, brochures and Citizens Legal Guides are offered to consumers for free on the Internet and by mail and HALT's Citizens Legal Manuals (full-length books) are kept to an affordable cost.

Founded in 1978, HALT-An Organization of Americans for Legal Reform is a nonpartisan, nonprofit public interest organization. HALT pursues an aggressive education and advocacy program that challenges the legal establishment to improve access and accountability and reduce costs in the civil justice system. Please visit www.halt.org for more information.