(a)   Qualifications. An applicant for admission to the bar of this Court must be a member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of any state of the United States or of the District of Columbia.  The applicant must be honest and of good moral character, and shall exhibit general fitness to practice law.

(b)   Petition Form. The Executive Committee will approve a form of petition to be used by anyone applying for admission to practice. Copies of the approved form will be provided on request by the Clerk.

(c)   Filing Petition. Each person applying for admission to practice shall electronically file with the Clerk a completed petition for admission on the approved form.

The petitioner must electronically file with the petition the following attachments in pdf format:

(1)   a certificate from the highest court of a state of the United States or of the District of Columbia that the petitioner is a member in good standing of the bar of that court; and

(2)   the affidavits of two attorneys who are currently and for at least two years have been members in good standing of the bar of the highest court of any state of the United States or of the District of Columbia and who have known the applicant for at least one year, and

 
(3)  an Oath of Office form signed by the petitioner declaring under penalty of perjury that the information provided is true and correct.

 

(d)  Screening the Petition. The Clerk, under the supervision of the Executive Committee, will screen each petition to assure that it is filed on the correct form, has been completed, and contains  sufficient information to establish that the petitioner meets the qualifications required for the  general bar, and is accompanied by the required affidavits of sponsors, the Oath of Office form,  and a current indication of good standing. Where these requirements are met, an indication to  that effect will be placed on the petition and the petitioner will be notified that the petition is  approved. Where the requirements are not met, the petition will be returned to the applicant with  appropriate instructions.

(e)  Taking the Oath. The petitioner’s signature on the "Oath of Office" must be a sworn declaration.

(f)  Admission Fee. Each petitioner shall pay an admission fee upon the filing of the petition, subject to refund should the petitioner not be admitted. The amount of the fee shall be established by the court in conjunction with the fee prescribed by the Judicial Conference of the United States pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §1914.

(g)  Certificate of Admission. On receipt of either (1) the petition form reflecting that the petitioner has taken the oath of office, or (2) the petitioner’s own motion, accompanied by a letter or certificate of good standing (not more than 30 days old at the time of application) to Practice in another District of Illinois, and  by the attorney’s certification that his or her right to practice law is not suspended by order of court in any jurisdiction, the Clerk shall promptly issue a certificate indicating that petitioner has been admitted to the general bar of this Court and shall add petitioner’s name to the list of attorneys admitted to that bar.

Amended November 2, 2010, January 26,  2016, December 23, 2016, and July 27, 2018