This article was co-authored by Clinton M. Sandvick, JD, PhD. Clinton M. Sandvick worked as a civil litigator in California for over 7 years. He received his JD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998 and his PhD in American History from the University of Oregon in 2013.
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If you're involved in a legal proceeding, you may need to subpoena documents to support your case. The first step is to hire an attorney to help you navigate the laws in your state and county. A subpoena duces tecum, the term for a subpoena of documents, requires that a witness produce a document relevant to your case. [1] X Research source In most cases, you will request a subpoena duces tecum from a court clerk. The court will issue the subpoena and the relevant documents must be served to the court.