United States District Court
Northern District Of Illinois
Local Rules
LR83.12. Appearance of Attorneys Generally
(a) Who May Appear. Except as provided in LR83.14 and LR83.15 and as otherwise provided in this
rule, only members in good standing of the general bar of this Court may enter
appearance of parties, 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. Attorneys admitted to the
general bar, but not to the trial bar, may appear in association with a member of
the trial bar in all matters and may appear alone except as otherwise provided
by this rule. 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 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, not 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 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 LR83.11(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 they are co-signed by a member of the
trial bar.
(d) Waiver. A judge may grant permission in a civil or criminal proceeding pending before
that judge to an attorney admitted to the general bar, but not to the trial
bar, to appear alone in any aspect of the matter only upon written request by the
client and a showing that the interests of justice are best served by waiving
the experience requirements otherwise required by these rules. Such permission
shall apply only to the proceeding in which it was granted. Granting of such
permission shall be limited to exceptional circumstances.