Local Counsel Requirements – Northern District Texas

The following sets forth the local counsel requirements – Northern District Texas along with an application to appear pro hac vice and attorney admission requirements.

Attorney Admission – Northern District Texas

The attorney admission requirement for the Northern District of Texas is set forth in Local Rule LR 83.7:

Rule 83.7 – Admission of Attorneys

Attorneys must fulfill the following requirements to be admitted to practice in this court:

a. Eligibility for Admission. Any attorney licensed to practice law by the Supreme Court of Texas, or by the highest court of any state or the District of Columbia, may be admitted to the bar of this court if the attorney is of good personal and professional character and is a member in good standing of the bar where the attorney is licensed.

b. Procedure for Admission. Attorneys desiring admission to the bar of this court must complete an application for admission, to be approved by a district judge, and except as provided in subsection (c) of this rule, be introduced by a member in good standing of the bar of this court, and take the required oath or affirmation before a judge
of this court. After the oath or affirmation is administered, and the applicant has paid the appropriate fee, the clerk shall issue a certificate stating that the attorney is admitted to practice before this court.

c. Admission Before Judges of Other Districts. Any nonresident attorney who has completed all requirements for admission to the bar of this court may, with the approval of a district judge of the division where the application is pending, have the oath of admission administered by a judge in another district. The nonresident attorney must file the oath with the clerk and pay the appropriate fee before the attorney’s name will be added to the roll of attorneys for this district.

d. Admission is Discretionary. All admissions to practice before this court shall be discretionary with the district judge reviewing the application for admission.

Pro Hac Vice Application

You can find a PDF of the Northern District of Texas’s Pro Hac Vice application below as well as by using this link to the court’s website.

Pro Hac App – Northern District of Texas

Note that all attorneys seeking admission before the Northern District of Texas must read and be familiar with the requirements of the Dondi opinion.

Local Counsel Requirements – Northern District Texas

The local counsel requirement for the Northern District of Texas for civil cases is set forth in Local Rule LR 83.10:

Rule 83.10 – Requirement of Local Counsel

a. Local Counsel Required. Unless exempted by LR 83.11, local counsel is required in all cases where an attorney appearing in a case does not reside or maintain the attorney’s principal office in this district. “Local counsel” means a member of the bar of this court who resides or maintains the attorney’s principal office in this district and whose residence or principal office is located within 50 miles of the courthouse in the division in which the case is pending. Attorneys desiring to proceed without local counsel must obtain leave from the presiding judge. If the request for leave is denied, written designation of local counsel must be filed within 14 days of the denial.

b. Duties of Local Counsel. Local counsel must be authorized to present and argue a party’s position at any hearing called by the presiding judge. Local counsel must also be able to perform, on behalf of the party represented, any other duty required by the presiding judge or the local rules of this court.

Read more on the Northern District of Texas website. See also Northern District Texas Local Counsel Requirement Clarified for an update on the definition of “office” for the local counsel requirement.