pro per
Law & Legal abbreviation · Latin Legal
| Stands for | In propria persona (in one's own person) |
|---|---|
| Categories | Law & Legal |
pro per stands for In propria persona (in one's own person), a Latin legal abbreviation.
Status of a party who represents himself or herself in court without a lawyer, used especially in California and some other western states. It is equivalent to "pro se", the more common term nationally.
Example: The defendant filed his answer pro per after his attorney withdrew from the case.
Usage notes
Clipped from "in propria persona" and sometimes written "in pro per". Courts hold self-represented litigants to the same procedural rules as lawyers, though their filings are often read liberally. Many California courthouses run self-help centers that assist pro per litigants with forms.
Related abbreviations
More Latin legal abbreviations
- c.t.a. – Cum testamento annexo (with the will annexed)
- cert. – Certiorari
- Cur. adv. vult – Curia advisari vult (the court wishes to consider)
- d.b.n. – De bonis non (of goods not administered)
- et ux. – Et uxor (and wife)
- ex p. – Ex parte (on the application of)
- ex rel. – Ex relatione (on the relation of)
- fi. fa. – Fieri facias (that you cause to be made)
- habeas – Habeas corpus (you should have the body)
- i.a. – Inter alia (among other things)
- IFP – In forma pauperis (in the manner of a pauper)
- JNOV – Judgment non obstante veredicto (judgment notwithstanding the verdict)
See all 22 Latin legal abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.