(a) Bar of the Court.
Effective December 1, 2025 Nebraska General Rules
The bar of this court consists of persons admitted to practice before the
court. See NEGenR 1.7(c).
(b) Ethical Standards.
An attorney who is admitted to practice in this court must comply with the
Nebraska Rules of Professional Conduct and this court's local rules. See
NEGenR 1.8.
(c) Admission to Practice.
An attorney admitted and licensed to practice before the highest court of
any state may apply for admission to practice in this court. The request must
be submitted through PACER at the following web address:
https://www.pacer.gov/. The attorney must read and acknowledge the oath
in subsection 1.7(d) of this section and pay the prescribed fee. Once the
clerk has verified the attorney's admission to the bar of the state identified
on the application, the clerk will issue a certificate of admission and add the
applicant's name to the attorney roll.
(1) Fee Waiver.
Attorneys employed with federal agencies are not required to pay the
admission fee, but must still apply for admission to the court's bar as
prescribed in subsection 1.7(c).
(d) Oath of Admission.
An applicant for admission to this court's bar must swear, affirm, or
acknowledge the following:
As an officer of the United States District Court for the District
of Nebraska I will demean myself faithfully, uprightly, and
according to law; and I will support, uphold, and defend the
Constitution of the United States of America.
(e) Admission for a Particular Case (Pro Hac Vice).
An attorney admitted and licensed to practice before the highest court of
any state may apply in writing to practice in this court for a particular case.
An initial request to proceed pro hac vice in this court must be submitted
through PACER at the following web address: https://www.pacer.gov/; then,
a motion filed in the applicable case. Unless directed otherwise, attorneys
making subsequent appearances pro hac vice in this court need only file a
Effective December 1, 2025 Nebraska General Rules
motion in the applicable case. The clerk will verify the attorney's admission
to the bar of the state identified on the motion. An attorney admitted pro hac
vice must read and acknowledge the oath in subsection 1.7(d) of this
section.
(f) Attorney Appointments.
A judge may appoint any member of this court's bar to represent indigent
litigants. Appointed attorneys may request authorization to incur expenses
under the Criminal Justice Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3006A, or the Amended Plans
for Administration of the Federal Practice Fund and the Federal Practice
Committee, https://www.ned.uscourts.gov/plans-and-policies. Appointed
attorneys may not, however, contract with the litigant for the payment of
attorney fees for professional services without the court's explicit prior
approval.
(g) Pro Hac Vice Admission Fee.
In civil cases the only source of funds available to reimburse appointed
attorneys for reasonable expenses incurred in representing an indigent
litigant is the Federal Practice Fund,
https://www.ned.uscourts.gov/internetDocs/pom/crtplans/fedpract.pdf. To
ensure that the fund will cover these expenses, the court charges a pro hac
vice fee to attorneys seeking to be admitted pro hac vice. The proceeds of
this fee are used to defray the cost of maintaining a roll of attorneys admitted
to practice before this court and for the Federal Practice Fund. Failure to
pay the pro hac vice fee is cause to deny an attorney admission to proceed
pro hac vice.
(h) Nonresident Attorneys.
A judge may require an attorney who is not a resident of this district to
associate with an attorney who is both a resident of this district and a
member of this court's bar. This resident attorney's name must be identified
on all documents filed thereafter and that attorney must continue in the case
unless another resident attorney makes an appearance. The resident
attorney need not be present in court during all proceedings unless the court
orders otherwise. The resident attorney must have full authority to act for
and on behalf of the client in all matters, including appearing at pretrial
conferences, trial, or any hearings.
(i) Clinical Legal Education.
Effective December 1, 2025 Nebraska General Rules
(1) Limited Admission.
(A) By Motion.
An eligible law student acting under a supervising attorney
may be admitted to the limited practice of law in this court on
the supervising attorney's motion.
(B) Representation.
(i) An eligible law student may represent the United
States in both civil and criminal matters.
(ii) If a supervising attorney and the client give written
consent, an eligible law student may represent the
client in any civil or criminal matter.
(C) Permitted Activities.
The eligible law student may, under the conditions stated
below, interview, advise, hold consultations, and prepare and
sign documents for filing. The eligible law student may
participate orally in contested and uncontested matters,
including trials.
(D) Application of Rules.
The eligible law student is bound by all of this court's rules
applicable to the supervising attorney in the case in which the
law student is participating.
(2) Eligibility.
To be eligible to appear and participate a law student must:
(A) be a student enrolled and in good standing in a law school
approved by the American Bar Association. A law student is
considered enrolled during the student's law school's summer
vacation after completion of the requirements of Nebraska
General Rule 1.7(i)(2)(B);
(B) have completed 4 semesters of legal study or the equivalent
if the law school is not on a semester basis;
Effective December 1, 2025 Nebraska General Rules
(C) file with the clerk:
(i) a law school dean's certificate stating that the student
is of good moral character, meets the requirements in
Nebraska General Rule 1.7(i)(2)(A) and (B), and is
qualified to serve as a legal intern. The certificate must
be in a court-approved form and is effective for 12
months after it is filed or until the student's graduation
from law school, whichever is earlier; and
(ii) a notice of appearance in each case in which the
student participates or appears as a law student intern.
The notice must be in a court-approved form and
signed by the supervising attorney, the student intern,
and the client or authorized representative;
(D) be introduced to the court in which the student appears by an
attorney admitted to practice in this court; and
(E) receive the court's affirmative consent for the student to
appear before it.
(3) Restrictions.
A law student admitted under these rules may not:
(A) request or receive compensation or remuneration of any kind
directly from the client. This restriction does not prevent the
supervising attorney or the attorney's law firm, a law school, a
public defender, or any government agency from
compensating the law student, or prevent any firm or agency
from charging for its services as it may otherwise properly
charge;
(B) appear in court without the supervising attorney; or
(C) file any documents the student prepared that were not read,
approved, and signed by the supervising attorney and
cosigned by the student.
(4) Notice.
A supervising attorney who intends to use a student attorney under
this rule in a contested matter must notify the court and opposing
Effective December 1, 2025 Nebraska General Rules
counsel before the matter is scheduled to begin. If the court decides
the student attorney's participation would be inappropriate, the court
will advise the supervising attorney and the student attorney may not
appear.
(5) Termination.
A student attorney's certification terminates if the student attorney
(A) does not take the first bar examination after graduation, (B) takes
the examination and fails it, or (C) is admitted to full practice before
this court. The student attorney's law school dean or the supervising
attorney may withdraw the certification at any time by submitting a
notice to the clerk. The notice need not state the cause for the
withdrawal. A judge may also terminate a student attorney's
admission to limited practice at any time without notice, hearing, or
showing of cause.
(6) Supervising Attorney.
Any person acting as a supervising attorney under this rule must be
admitted to practice in this court and must also:
(A) assume personal professional responsibility for the conduct of
the student being supervised;
(B) cosign all documents prepared by the student;
(C) advise the court of the student's participation under Nebraska
General Rule 1.7(i)(4), be present with the student at all times
in court, and be prepared to supplement oral or written work
of the student as the court requests or as necessary to ensure
the client's proper representation; and
(D) be available for client consultation.
