(a)   Who May Appear. Except as provided in LR 83.14 and as otherwise  provided in this rule, only members in good standing of the general bar of this Court may enter an appearance on behalf of a party; file pleadings, motions or other documents; sign stipulations; or receive payments upon judgments, decrees or orders. Attorneys admitted to the trial bar may appear alone in all matters and serve as the lead attorney should a case go to trial.  Attorneys admitted to the general bar, but not to the trial bar, may appear alone in proceedings that are not testimonial proceedings or criminal proceedings, but may not appear as the lead attorney at trial. The following officers appearing in their official capacity shall be entitled to appear in all matters before the court without admission to the trial bar of this Court: the Attorney General of  the United States, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, the Executive Director of the Federal Defender Program of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the Attorney  General or other highest legal officer of any state, and the State’s Attorney of any county in the  State of Illinois. This exception to membership in the trial bar shall apply to such persons as hold the above-described offices during their terms of office, and to their assistants. 

(b)   Testimonial Proceedings. An attorney who is a member of the trial bar may appear alone during testimonial proceedings. An attorney who is a member of the general bar, but not of the trial bar,  may appear during testimonial proceedings only if accompanied by a member of the trial bar  who is serving as advisor. For the purposes of this rule the definition of the term "testimonial proceedings" is the same as in LR 83.11(a)(1). 

(c)   Criminal Proceedings. An attorney who is a member of the trial bar may appear alone on behalf of a defendant in a criminal proceeding. An attorney who is a member of the general bar, but not a member of the trial bar, may (1) appear as lead counsel for a defendant in a criminal proceeding only if accompanied by a member of the trial bar who is serving as advisor and (2)  sign pleadings, motions or other documents filed on behalf of the defendant only if such documents are co-signed by a member of the trial bar. 

(d)   Waiver. A judge may permit an attorney admitted to the general bar, but not the trial bar, to appear alone in a manner not otherwise authorized by this Rule only upon written request by the client and a showing that the interests of justice are best served by a waiver of these rules. Such permission shall apply only to the proceeding in which it was granted and shall be limited to exceptional circumstances. 

Amended June 24, 2009, December 23, 2016, November 20, 2020, and June 29, 2023