Guides
General information about Utah law. Not legal advice.
Where to get help
Organizations that take these cases, and what each one does.
It has to be you, or a lawyer licensed in Utah. You can, in general, handle your own case. Where the law draws the line is having a third party draft for or advise you on specifics without an attorney’s supervision. Utah tightened this in 2026: filings prepared by anyone other than you or a licensed attorney, including a friend or a paralegal working on their own, can be thrown out, and the person who wrote them can face criminal charges.
Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press
The Reporters Committee runs a free legal hotline for journalists and media lawyers covering press freedom and media law questions, including public records disputes and responding to legal threats. It is reachable on weekdays through an online form or by email, with a separate 24-hour line for emergencies such as an arrest or the imminent threat of one.
It does not handle intellectual property, labor and employment, or contract matters, and contacting the hotline does not create an attorney-client relationship. Its Local Legal Initiative, which places staff attorneys inside particular states, does not currently include Utah.
ACLU of Utah
Accepts civil liberties complaints through an online intake form. Intake priorities shift over time and review commonly takes six weeks or more, so it is worth submitting alongside other steps rather than instead of them.
Know of something that belongs here? If you run a clinic, a referral program, or a fund that helps Utahns facing these proceedings, email [email protected] and it will be added.