Local Rule Rule 83.5: Admission of Attorneys to Practice in the Northern District of Ohio

Rule 83.5 Admission of Attorneys to Practice in the Northern District of Ohio

(a) Roll of Attorneys. The Bar of this United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio consists of those admitted to practice before this Court who have taken the oath prescribed by the Rules in force when they were admitted.

No person shall be permitted to practice in this Court or before any officer thereof as an attorney or to commence, conduct, prosecute, or defend any action, proceeding, or claim in which such person is not a party concerned, either by using or subscribing his or her own name or the name of any other person, unless he or she has been previously admitted to the Bar of this Court.

(b) Bar Admission. It shall be requisite to the admission of attorneys to practice in this Court that they shall have been admitted to practice in the highest court of any state, territory, the District of Columbia, an insular possession, or in any district court of the United States, that they are currently in good standing with such court and that their private and professional characters appear to be good. All attorneys admitted to practice in this Court shall be bound by the ethical standards of the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct adopted by the Supreme Court of Ohio, so far as they are not inconsistent with federal law.

(c) Local Office Requirement. Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, it shall not be necessary for any attorney entitled to practice before the District Court or permitted to appear and participate in a case or proceeding to associate with or to designate an attorney with an office in this district upon whom notices, rulings, and communications may be served.

(d) Admission by Clerk. Each applicant shall file with the Clerk (1) a certificate from the presiding Judge or Clerk of the proper court evidencing the applicant's admission to practice there and that he or she is presently in good standing, (2) the applicant's personal statement, on the form approved by the Court and furnished by the Clerk, which shall be endorsed by two members of the Bar of this Court who are not related to the applicant, (3) Oath or Affirmation of Admission, and (4) evidence of attendance at a Northern District of Ohio federal district court practice seminar.

If the documents submitted by the applicant demonstrate that he or she possesses the necessary qualifications, the Clerk shall so notify or advise the applicant, and he or she may be admitted without appearing in Court.

(e) Admission Upon Motion to the Court. If the applicant so elects, rather than filing with the Clerk the certificate and statement required by subsection (d), he or she may be admitted by the Court on oral motion by a member of the Bar, provided that it appears from the motion or the statement of the applicant to the Court that he or she has satisfied the requirements of admission.

(f) Oath or Affirmation. Each applicant shall subscribe or take the following oath or affirmation, viz.:

I, [Name] , do solemnly swear (or affirm) that as an attorney of this Court I will conduct myself uprightly, according to the law and the ethical standards of the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct adopted by the Supreme Court of Ohio, so far as they are not inconsistent with Federal Law, and that I will support the Constitution and laws of the United States.

(g) Admission and Fees. All attorneys admitted to practice in this Court under this Rule shall pay to the Clerk the admission fee prescribed by the Judicial Conference of the United States and such other fees as may from time to time be required by General Order of this Court (such as a library fee).

(h) Permission to Participate in Particular Case. The Court's strong preference is that attorneys seek permanent admission to the Bar of this Court, however, any member in good standing of the Bar of any court of the United States or of the highest court of any state may, upon written or oral motion and payment of the pro hac vice admission fee (which is $120.00), be permitted to appear and participate in a particular case, or in a group of related cases. An attorney must pay the pro hac vice admission fee each time he or she seeks pro hac vice status. A certificate of good standing not older than 30 days from the aforementioned court(s) or an affidavit (or declaration made under the penalty of perjury pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1746) swearing to applicant's current good standing must accompany the motion for admission pro hac vice along with a check for the pro hac vice admission fee payable to: Clerk, U.S. District Court. In addition to showing proof of current good standing, any attorney moving for admission pro hac vice must contemporaneously provide his or her typewritten name, address, telephone number, facsimile number, e-mail address, highest state court admitted, highest state court admission date, highest state court bar registration number, a statement, including specific details, indicating whether the attorney has ever been disbarred or suspended from practice before any court, department, bureau or commission of any State or the United States, or has ever received any reprimand from any such court, department, bureau or commission pertaining to conduct or fitness as a member of the bar.

(i) Change of Address. All attorneys admitted to practice in this Court are required to submit a written notice of a change of business address and/or email address to the Clerk upon the change in address.

(j) Continuing Maintenance of Good Standing. It shall be requisite to the continuing eligibility of attorneys to practice in this Court that they are currently in good standing with the highest court of any state, territory, the District of Columbia, an insular possession, or in any district court of the United States, and that their private and professional characters appear to be good. All attorneys admitted to practice in this Court are deemed by their signature on any pleading, written motion, and other paper to certify that they are currently in good standing of the Bar of a Court of the United States or of the highest court of any state. Should the status of an attorney change so that they are no longer in good standing in such court, they shall notify the Clerk of Court of this Court in writing no later than 10 days from the change in status.

(k) Attorneys Funded from Judiciary Appropriations and Attorneys for the United States of America. Attorneys funded from judiciary appropriations and attorneys for the United States are permitted to appear upon filing the applicant's personal statement, on the form approved by the Court and furnished by the Clerk, and the Oath or Affirmation of Admission. The admission fee required by subsection (g) is waived.

(l) Southern District of Ohio Reciprocity Agreement. The Northern District of Ohio has agreed, pursuant to General Order 2003-44, to waive the requirements that an attorney provide evidence of attendance at a federal district court seminar and that the applicant's personal statement be endorsed by two members of the bar of the Court, so long as the applicant submits a certificate of good standing from the Southern District of Ohio showing that the attorney has been admitted to practice for at least the past two years, or that this Court can readily verify the same, and the applicant complies with all other Northern Ohio admission requirements, including the payment of fees.

(m) Waiver of Attendance at a Northern District of Ohio Federal District Court Practice Seminar. Applicant may be granted reciprocity if applicant resides outside the State of Ohio and is admitted to the Bar of a U.S. District Court located outside the State of Ohio, and has taken a federal court practice seminar other than the Northern District of Ohio federal district court practice seminar. Applicant must also certify that he/she is familiar with the principles of the Civil Justice Reform Act of 1990, case management planning, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedures, the local rules of the Northern District of Ohio, in their entirety, with specific attention to Section 16.4, et seq. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and Section 16.1, et seq. Differentiated Case Management (DCM), the latter which includes the concepts of track assignment and case management conferences. Applicant must file with applicant's personal statement the Certificate of Applicant & Waiver of Attendance at a Northern District of Ohio Federal District Court Seminar along with a certificate of attendance at a federal district court practice seminar. Applicant shall comply with all other Northern Ohio admission requirements, including the payment of fees.

(See LCrR 57.5) Last revised 7/2/18. See Historical Notes for full revision history.