Forms - Bar Membership

Admission to Practice in the Northern District of Texas

Please refer to LR 83.7 and LCrR 57.7. You are required to file most documents electronically and register for electronic filing within ten days of your first appearance in a case.

If you wish to seek admission for one case only, please see the Pro Hac Vice instructions below.

The procedure to seek full admission to the bar of this court is determined by who will administer the oath of admission once your application has been approved:

Procedure for Oath of Admission to the Northern District of Texas (NDTX) to be Administered by a Judge of the NDTX

Complete the Application for Admission. Be sure to list your name as it will appear on all documents you will file with the Court. Do not retype the form. You must have your signature notarized. In lieu of notarization, you may request that a deputy clerk certify the application before you present it to the district judge for approval. (There is an additional "deputy clerk certification fee," which will be collected with the application fee after you have been sworn in.)

Your application must be approved by a district judge, and then you must be sworn in by a district judge, magistrate judge, or bankruptcy judge. If you wish for a district judge to administer the oath, it may be administered during the same appointment in which you present your application for approval. (The district judges' swearing-in schedule is below.) However, if you wish for either a magistrate judge or bankruptcy judge to administer the oath, you must make appointments with a district judge to present your application for approval, and a magistrate judge or bankruptcy judge to be sworn in. A "sponsor," who is a member of the bar of the Northern District of Texas willing to speak on your behalf, must accompany you to the swearing-in. Please note that the district judge may also require that the sponsor be present when an applicant who wishes to be sworn in by a magistrate judge or a bankruptcy judge presents the application for approval to the district judge. If you wish to be sworn in by a magistrate judge or a bankruptcy judge, contact the office of the district judge who will be considering your application to determine if your sponsor must be present when you present your application. Your sponsor must be present when you are sworn in by any judge.

After you have been sworn in, deliver the approved application and fee(s) to the clerk's office, so we may prepare your Certificate of Admission.

Procedure for Oath of Admission to the Northern District of Texas to be Administered by a Judge of Another District

If you do not live within the Northern District of Texas, you may, with the permission of a district judge of this court, have the oath of admission administered by a district judge or magistrate judge in another district. Complete the Application for Admission (Oath to be Taken in Another District). Be sure to list your name as it will appear on all documents you will file with the Court. Do not retype the form. You must have your signature notarized. Return it to the clerk's office in the appropriate division, but do NOT send the admission fee.

After the district judge approves your application, he or she will sign an order allowing you to be sworn in by a judge of another district. The clerk's office will mail you this order and an oath of admission to the Northern District of Texas to be administered by a judge in another district. You must make arrangements to be sworn in by a judge in another district. You must return the executed oath and the attorney admission fee within 90 days of the NDTX judge's order allowing you to be sworn in, so we may send you your Certificate of Admission. Please note, if you fail to return the executed oath fee within 90 days, unfortunately, the process must be repeated.

Procedure for Having a NDTX Judge Administer an Oath of Admissions to Another District

If you are seeking admission to practice in another district, follow the admission procedures of that district. If you wish for a NDTX judge to administer the oath of admission for the other district, make an appointment through the judge's chambers to be sworn in.

Pro Hac Vice Instructions

If you are not admitted to practice in the Northern District, you may represent a party in proceedings in this district only by permission of the presiding judge (see LR 83.9 and LCrR 57.9). An exception has been granted for an attorney appearing on behalf of the United States or the Attorney General for the State of Texas (see LR 83.11 and LCrR 57.11).

To seek permission of the presiding judge, complete the court approved Application for Admission Pro Hac Vice. Submit the form to the Clerk's Office in the division where the case is pending along with the required pro hac vice fee.

The presiding judge will decide whether to grant permission to proceed pro hac vice. If permission is granted, it will be for one case only. You must apply, pay the fee, and obtain permission from the presiding judge for each case in which you want to represent a party pro hac vice. You become subject to the rules of the Northern District of Texas.

Requirement of Local Counsel

LR 83.10 and LCrR 57.10 require an attorney not residing or maintaining an office in the Northern District of Texas to designate local counsel (unless exempt by LR 83.11 or LCrR 57.11). A member of the bar of the Northern District of Texas who resides or maintains an office in the division where the suit is pending (or within 50 miles thereof) may serve as local counsel. Local counsel must be authorized to present and argue the client's position at any hearing called by the Court and to perform any duty required by the local rules of the Northern District of Texas.

Certificate of Good Standing

The Certificate of Good Standing verifies that an attorney is a member in good standing with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. To obtain a Certificate of Good Standing, submit the required fee, a written request to the clerk's office that states your full name, state bar number, and the date you were admitted to practice in the Northern District of Texas, and a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Change of Address

If you change your name, business name, address, phone or fax number, or e-mail address, you must promptly update this information with the court. The method you must use to update the information depends on whether or not you are a registered user of ECF (see LR 83.13 and LCrR 57.13). To update it electronically, use the Maintaining Your Account instructions. To update it on paper, submit the Federal Bar Membership Update form.

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