United States District Court - Northern District of Illinois

General Rules

Rules 3.10 To 3.19 Appearance Of Attorneys

Rule 3.14 Appearance Forms

A. General

Appearance forms filed pursuant to this Rule shall include (1) the caption identifying the proceedings, (2) the name(s) of the party (parties) represented, (3) the name of the attorney filing the appearance, (4) an indication of whether the attorney is a member of the bar or the trial bar or admitted pursuant to General Rules 3.11 or 3.12, (5) the name of the accompanying attorney where the attorney filing the appearance is not a member of the trial bar, (6) the identification number of the attorney filing the appearance as defined by section G of this Rule, (7) the name of the supervising attorney where the person filing the appearance is a senior student admitted to practice under General Rule 3.11, (8) the name of the associated member of the trial bar if the attorney filing the appearance is a member of the bar but not of the trial bar and (9) the name of the trial attorney if the person filing the appearance is not the attorney who will try the case on behalf of the person represented. The Executive Committee will approve the format of the appearance form to be used. The Clerk shall provide copies of the forms on request.

B. Who Must File Appearance Forms

Except as otherwise provided in these Rules, an appearance form shall be filed by every attorney, including senior students admitted pursuant to General Rule 3.11 and attorneys admitted pursuant to General Rule 3.12, who represents a party in any proceeding brought in this Court, whether before a judge or magistrate, except that no appearance form need be filed by the United States Attorney or any of his/her assistants where the appearance is on behalf of the United States or one of its officials. Where more than one attorney represents the same party or parties, only one appearance form shall be filed. The form shall indicate which of the attorneys is lead counsel and which is designated on behalf of all for purposes of service.

C. Appearance Forms Listing Firms Prohibited

Appearance forms are to list only the name or names of an individual attorney or attorneys. The Clerk is directed not to accept for filing any appearance form listing a firm of attorneys rather than an individual attorney. For the purposes of this Rule, an individual attorney who practices as a professional corporation may file the appearance as the professional corporation.

D. When Appearance Forms Are To Be Filed

An attorney required by these Rules to file an appearance form shall file it prior to or simultaneously with the filing of any motion, brief or other document in a proceeding before a judge or magistrate of this Court, or at his/her initial appearance before a judge or magistrate of this Court, whichever occurs first.

Where the appearance is filed by an attorney representing a criminal defendant in a proceeding before a judge or magistrate, the attorney shall serve a copy of the appearance on the United States Attorney.

E. Penalties for Failing To File Appearance Form

If it is brought to the attention of the Clerk that an attorney who has filed documents and/or appeared in court has not filed the appearance form required by this Rule, the Clerk will notify the judge or magistrate before whom the proceedings are pending. An attorney who fails to file an appearance form where required to do so by this Rule will be found to be in contempt of this Court and may be fined an amount not to exceed fifty dollars ($50).

F. Emergency Appearances

An attorney may appear before a judge or magistrate without filing an appearance form as required by this Rule where the purpose of the appearance is to stand in for an attorney who has filed or is required to file such a form and the latter attorney is unable to appear because of an emergency.

G. Attorney Identification Numbers

The number issued to members of the Illinois bar by the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, or such other number as may be approved by the Executive Committee, shall serve as the identification number required by section A above and by Rule 9B of these Rules. The Clerk of Court shall be responsible for issuing identification numbers to attorneys who are not members of the Illinois bar.