Circuit Rule 46: Attorneys
Circuit Rules and Operating Procedures of the Seventh Circuit — Title VII. General Provisions
(a) Admission to the Bar. Upon filing an appeal, if the lead attorney for a party is not admitted to the bar of this court, then the lead attorney must apply for admission. Attorneys from any federal government office or agency may appear before this court in connection with their official duties without being formally admitted to practice before the court.
(1) Timing. The lead attorney for each party represented by counsel must apply for admission to practice in this court by the later of:
(A) 30 days from the docketing of the matter in this court; or 15 days from being retained or appointed as counsel.
An attorney who intends to present oral argument must apply for admission to practice in this court before the filing of the appellee’s brief.
(2) Application. An applicant for admission to the bar of this court must file with the clerk an application on the form provided by the clerk. The oath or affirmation may be taken before any officer authorized by federal or state law to administer an oath.
(3) Fees. The prescribed fee for admission is a local fee as set forth in the Seventh Circuit Attorney Admission Local Fee Order, plus a national fee prescribed by the Court of Appeals Miscellaneous Fee Schedule. Local admission fees are segregated and retained in a designated Attorney Admission Fund administered by the custodian in accordance with the Seventh Circuit Attorney Admission Fund Plan.
(4) Procedures. When the application and motion have been filed and any applicable fee tendered, the clerk will present the papers to a judge for action in chambers unless the applicant requests admission in open court. For admission in chambers, the applicant and sponsor need not appear. For admission in open court, the applicant must appear in person and the sponsor must make an oral motion in support of the written application.
(b) Suspension or Disbarment. Whenever it is shown to this court that a member of its bar has been disbarred or suspended from practice in any state or the District of Columbia, that attorney will be suspended from practice before this court. The attorney will be afforded an opportunity to show cause, within 30 days, why the attorney should not be stricken from the roll of attorneys admitted to practice before this court.