(a) An attorney who has been admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United
States, a United States Court of Appeals, a United States District Court, or the highest
court of a state, is eligible for admission to the bar of this court. He or she must be of good
moral and professional character and must be a member in good standing of the state and
federal bars in which he or she is licensed.
(b) Each applicant shall file an application on a form prescribed by the court. If the applicant
has previously been subject to disciplinary proceedings, full information about the
proceedings, the charges, and the result must be given.
(1) A motion for admission made by a member in good standing of the State Bar of
Texas or the bar of any United States District Court shall accompany the completed
admission form. The movant must state that the applicant is competent to practice
before this court and is of good personal and professional character.
(2) The applicant must state in the application that he or she has read Local Rule AT-
3, the “Standards of Practice to be Observed by Attorneys,” and the local rules of
this court and that he or she will comply with the standards of practice adopted in
Local Rule AT-3 and with the local rules.
(3) The applicant must provide with the application form an oath of admission signed
in the presence of a notary public on a form prescribed by the court. The completed
application for admission, motion for admission, and oath of admission shall be
submitted to the court, along with the admission fee required by law and any other
fee required by the court. Upon investigation of the fitness, competency, and
qualifications of the applicant, the completed application form may be granted or
denied by the clerk subject to the oversight of the chief judge.
(c) The clerk shall maintain a complete list of all attorneys who have been admitted to practice
before the court.
(d) An attorney who is not admitted to practice before this court may appear for or represent
a party in any case in this court only upon an approved application to appear pro hac vice.
When an attorney who is not a member of the bar of this court appears in any case before
this court, he or she shall first submit electronically an application to appear pro hac vice
with the clerk. The applicant must read and comply with Local Rule AT-3, the “Standards
of Practice to be Observed by Attorneys,” and the local rules of this court. The application
shall be made using the form that is available on the court’s website and must be signed
by the applicant personally. Detailed instructions on how to e-file the application appear
on the court’s website, located at txed.uscourts.gov. Such application also shall be
accompanied by a $100.00 local fee, which must be paid electronically. Any attachments
to pro hac vice applications will be handled as electronic sealed documents by the clerk’s
office. The application shall be acted upon with dispatch by the clerk on the court’s behalf.
The clerk shall notify the applicant as soon as possible after the application is acted upon.
(e) Federal Government Attorneys. No bar admission fees shall be charged to attorneys who
work for the United States government, including Assistant United States Attorneys,
Assistant Federal Public Defenders, CJA Panel attorneys, and current law clerks serving
this court. The clerk’s office has no authority to waive bar admission fees for attorneys
who work for state, county, or city governments.
