United States District Court - Northern District of Illinois

General Rules

General Rules 3.00 To 3.09 Rules Relating To Admission To Practice

Rule 3.01 Procedures For Admission To Practice

A. Petition for Admission

The Executive Committee will approve a form of petition to be used by persons applying for admission to practice. Copies of the approved form will be provided on request by the Clerk. Each person applying for admission to practice shall complete and verify a petition for admission on the approved form. Persons wishing to apply for admission to the trial bar who are not members of the bar of this Court may apply for admission to both bars simultaneously.

B. Certificate of Good Standing

The petitioner must attach to the application for admission to the bar of this Court 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.

C. Affidavits of Sponsors

The petition shall be accompanied by 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. The form of the affidavit shall be approved by the Executive Committee and shall be included in the petition form required by section (a) of this rule.

D. Screening of the Petition

The petition shall be filed with the Clerk. The Clerk, under the supervision of the Executive Committee and in cooperation with the Committees on Admissions and on Performance Review, will screen each petition to assure that it is (1) filed on the correct form, (2) completed, (3) verified, (4) sufficient to establish that the petitioner meets the qualifications required for the bar or bars to which he/she is asking admission and (5) accompanied by a current indication of good standing. Where these requirements are met, an indication to that effect will be placed on the petition and the petition will be returned to the applicant. Where the requirements are not met, the petition will be returned to the applicant with appropriate instructions.

E. Presentation of the Petition in Open Court

Within thirty days of the petition being approved pursuant to section D of this Rule, the petitioner will appear before a judge of this Court together with an attorney who is a member in good standing of the bar of this Court. The attorney will move the admission of the petitioner. The judge shall thereupon cause the petitioner to take an oath or affirmation appropriate to the bar or bars for which he/she is petitioning for admission.