United States District Court
Northern District Of Illinois
Local Rules
LR83.15. Local Counsel: Designation for Service
(a) Designation. An attorney not having an office within this District (“nonresident attorney”) shall appear before this Court only upon having designated as local counsel
a member of the bar of this Court having an office within this District upon
whom service of papers may be made. Such designation shall be made at the time
the initial notice or pleading is filed by the nonresident attorney. Local
counsel shall not file a separate appearance unless that attorney is to participate
in the case beyond the extent required of an attorney designated pursuant to
this rule.
(b) Penalties. Where the nonresident attorney tenders documents without the required
designation of local counsel, the clerk shall process them as if the designation were
filed and shall promptly notify the attorney in writing that the designation
must be made within 30 days. If the attorney fails to file the designation within
that time, the documents filed by the attorney may be stricken by the court.
(c) Duties of Local Counsel. Local counsel shall be responsible for receiving service of notices,
pleadings, and other documents and promptly notifying the nonresident attorney of their
receipt and contents. In emergencies, local counsel may appear on behalf of the
nonresident attorney. This rule does not require local counsel to handle any
substantive aspects of the litigation. Such matters may be handled by the
nonresident attorney under LR83.12 or LR83.14. Nor does the rule require local
counsel to sign any pleading, motion or other paper (See Fed.R.Civ.P. 11).