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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

Northern District of Texas

David C. Godbey, Chief Judge
Karen Mitchell, Clerk of Court

Admission Requirements and Application

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Admission Requirements

LR 83.7 and LCrR 57.7 identify the requirements for admission to practice in the Northern District of Texas. These procedures explain the process for becoming admitted to the bar of this court. If you seek permission to appear for one case only, please see the Pro Hac Vice Appearance instructions.

Admission to the bar of the Northern District of Texas, which is granted through the district court only but allows an attorney to practice in both district and bankruptcy courts, does not require renewal. To confirm an attorney's admission status, please view the Attorney Admission / ECF Status Report.

 

Admission Procedure

If you are a resident attorney or will travel to the Northern District of Texas to be sworn in:

  1. Obtain a valid Certificate of Good Standing (COGS). 
    1. The COGS must be obtained from the state bar or highest court of the state or District of Columbia in which you are licensed to practice. Electronic or emailed certificates are also acceptable. (If you are admitted in multiple states, only one COGS is required, but a COGS from another federal district court is not acceptable.)
    2. The COGS must have been issued within the last 90 days. (Note: If the COGS states that it is valid for a shorter period, the presiding judge may require your certificate to be presented within the valid period.)
  2. Complete the Application for Admission, remembering to:
    1. Have your sponsor sign the application and have your signature notarized (No electronic signatures accepted. This includes attorney, notary and sponsor signatures.)
      • In lieu of a notary, the clerk may witness your signature before your appointment for an $11 fee.
    2. Discard "Optional Page" 3, unless you wish to be sworn in by a circuit, bankruptcy, or magistrate judge of this court; and
    3. Attach the original Certificate of Good Standing described in Step 1.
  3. Make an appointment to present your application to a U.S. District Judge (see the schedule for usual appointment days.)
    1. If approved, the district judge will swear you in at that time. 
    2. If you prefer to be sworn in by a circuit judge, bankruptcy judge, or magistrate judge of this court, a district judge must approve your application on the "Optional Page" 3, before you can be sworn in by the other judge. 
    3. Your sponsor must be present to introduce you when you are sworn in by any judge of this court.
  4. Pay the admission fee.
    1. After you have been sworn in, present your approved application to the clerk's office and pay the admission fee. (Payment methods: Checks and money orders, made payable to Clerk, U.S. District Court, and the following credit cards: American Express, Diner's Club, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa, are accepted in all divisions.) The clerk will prepare your Certificate of Admission while you wait.

 

If you are a nonresident attorney who will be sworn in by a judge of another district:

  1. Obtain a valid Certificate of Good Standing (COGS). 
    1. The COGS must be obtained from the state bar or highest court of the state or District of Columbia in which you are licensed to practice. Electronic or emailed certificates are also acceptable. (If you are admitted in multiple states, only one COGS is required, but a COGS from another federal district court is not acceptable.)
    2. The COGS must have been issued within the last 90 days. (Note: If the COGS states that it is valid for a shorter period, the presiding judge may require your certificate to be presented within the valid period.)
  2. Complete the Application for Admission, remembering to:
    1. Have your sponsor sign the application and have your signature notarized (No electronic signatures accepted. This includes attorney, notary and sponsor signatures.);
      • In lieu of a notary, the clerk may witness your signature for an $11 fee. 
    2. Leave the "Optional Page" 3 attached (NOTE: Your application MUST be approved by a Texas Northern judge PRIOR to you taking the oath); and
    3. Scan the application and the Certificate of Good Standing described in Step 1 into a SINGLE PDF. (The application should be first, followed by the COGS.) All pages must be present, legible, and straight or the clerk will ask you to rescan.
  3. Email the scanned SINGLE document to attorney_txnd@txnd.uscourts.gov
    1. Only submit one admission application per email.
  4. Register for Electronic Case Filing (ECF):
    1. If you are not already registered for ECF, submit an ECF Registration Request via the Manage My Account screen on the PACER website. Select the Maintenance tab and then Attorney Admissions/E-File Registration.
    2. If you do not have a PACER account yet, use the appropriate link to register.
  5. If approved, take the Oath.
    1. The attorney admissions clerk will process your application and may contact you to request additional information or give you further instructions.
    2. If the presiding judge elects to approve your application, the clerk will return your application via email. 
    3. Please take the application (including “Optional Page” 3) to be sworn in by one of the following judges in your home district: U.S. Circuit Judge, U.S. District Judge, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge, or a U.S. Magistrate Judge.
  6. Return the completed application.
    1. Scan and return the completed application (including the signed "Optional Page" 3 and the Certificate of Good Standing). Email the scanned SINGLE document with pages in numeric order to attorney_txnd@txnd.uscourts.gov.
  7. Pay the admission fee.
    1. Use ECF to pay your admission fee. (The Attorney Admission Fee event is located under the Other Filings category in the Civil menu.) If you are unable to pay the fee online, mail the completed application, the Certificate of Good Standing, and required fee to U.S. District Court, 1100 Commerce St., Rm. 1452, Dallas, TX 75242.
    2. Once your payment has been made, the clerk will mail your Certificate of Admission to you.

 

If You Are Requesting a Judge to Deliver Your Oath of Admission 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.

 

Notice to attorneys who are employed by the federal government:

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas has waived the $25 local attorney admission fee and the $100 pro hac vice fee for attorneys employed by the federal government at the time of application. However, any attorney who wishes to be admitted to the bar of the Northern District of Texas must pay the mandatory Judicial Conference fee for attorney admission. Bar membership is for an attorney, not for the government, and the fee charged for admission to the bar is not a fee for a service that the clerk's office renders on behalf of the government. Bar membership stays with an attorney, regardless of whether the attorney continues employment with the government. The Northern District of Texas does not charge a renewal fee for admission to the bar.