(A) Qualifications for Admission to Practice
An attorney licensed to practice law in any state or in the District of Columbia may
apply for admission to practice in this Court through PACER by completing a
questionnaire and submitting a written motion for admission and a letter of good
standing, dated within six months of application, from the state in which the
attorney is licensed. The attorney may instead submit a motion for admission by a
Central District of Illinois member in good standing. An attorney employed full
time by a state, a county, or the United States may request the Court waive the
admission fee.
A law student of an accredited law school or a graduate of an accredited law school
awaiting bar results may, upon written motion by a Central District of Illinois
member in good standing, be provisionally admitted to practice and may appear in
this Court under the supervision and direction of the sponsoring attorney. The
student or graduate may conduct all pretrial, trial, and post-trial proceedings, and
the supervising member of the bar need not be present. The Court does not require
a fee for provisional admission.
(B) Oath
An attorney must complete the oath or affirmation as part of the attorney admission
process.
(C) Admission to Practice in All Divisions
Admission to practice in this Court includes all divisions.
(D) Reciprocal Admission
An attorney admitted to practice in the Northern or Southern District of Illinois may
apply for admission to practice in this Court through PACER. The attorney must
complete a questionnaire and submit an admission certificate from the district in
which the attorney is admitted and a letter of good standing, dated within six months
of the application, from the state in which the attorney is licensed.
(E) Fee Assessed Upon Admission
The Court shall advise by email that the application for admission has been
accepted and the admission fee is due. Once the fee is paid, the attorney is admitted
to the Central District of Illinois. The fee shall be established by the Court, in
conjunction with the fee prescribed by the Judicial Conference of the United States
pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1914.
(F) Admission Pro Hac Vice
The Court does not permit pro hac vice admissions generally. At the discretion of
the presiding judge, an attorney who is licensed to practice in any state or the
District of Columbia may file a motion seeking leave to participate in a case while
his or her application for admission to practice in the Central District of Illinois is
pending. The application for admission must be submitted contemporaneously
with the motion for leave.
(G) Unauthorized Practice
An attorney who appears in person or by filing a pleading in this Court must be
admitted to practice in accordance with this Rule. Any person who, before
admission to the Central District of Illinois or during a suspension or disbarment,
exercises any privileges of a member of this Court or who pretends to be entitled
to do so, may be subject to discipline pursuant to Civil Local Rule 83.6.
(H) Changes to Contact Information or Registration Status
An attorney must update contact information (name, address, phone number, email
address in PACER within 14 days of the change. A change in registration status
must be submitted to the Clerk within 14 days.
(I) Pro Bono Panel
The Pro Bono Panel of this Court consists of all attorneys admitted to practice in
this Court whose place of business is in the Central District of Illinois. Attorneys
employed full time by the United States, the State of Illinois or a county are exempt
from service on the panel. Statutory fees and expenses may be awarded to a pro
bono attorney as provided by law.
An attorney appointed to represent an indigent party in a civil proceeding before
this Court may petition the Court for reimbursement of expenses incurred in
preparation and presentation of the proceeding, subject to the procedures and
regulations contained in the Court’s current plan governing reimbursement of
expenses from the District Court Fund.
Revised 11/2021
