Under Local Rule 701, attorneys may apply for admission to the bar of this Court.  Please visit this link to submit your admission application.  Detailed information concerning the admission process can be found below.

Admission Fees

Form of Payment

• Applications for Admission, Renewal, and Admission Pro Hac Vice: Payment must be paid online through CM/ECF or Pay.gov using a major credit card or ACH/direct debit from a checking or savings account. The Clerk’s Office no longer accepts cash, checks or money orders for these documents
•  Applications for Admission Pro Hac Vice (Sealed Cases) and Requests for Reactivation: Payment may be made by check or money order payable to “Clerk, U.S. District Court.”  If you are submitting your application in person, you may pay by major credit card.

Fee Waiver

• Fees are automatically waived for members of the judiciary, excluding masters and administrative law judges.
• The pro hac vice fee is waived for federal government attorneys appearing in their official capacity, representing a federal agency or official.
• Fee waivers are not available to either (1) federal government attorneys who choose to become members of this Court’s bar or (2) state or local government attorneys appearing on behalf of a state or local government.

Requirements for Admissions

•  Refer to Local Rule 701 in the Local Rules.

Sponsor Requirement

• Each applicant to the bar must be sponsored by an active member of this Court’s bar. The sponsor must know the applicant for at least one year. See Local Rule 701.2.a.
• If a sponsor has not known the applicant for at least one year, the applicant must also include (1) the applicant’s resume and (2) the contact information for two references who are attorneys but not necessarily members of this Court’s bar. The sponsor must confirm with the two references that the applicant possess the appropriate knowledge, skills, and abilities as an attorney to satisfy the requirements of membership in this Court’s bar.

Admission Exceptions to Practice

The following categories of attorneys do not need to be admitted to the bar to practice in this Court:

• Attorneys appearing in multi-district litigation cases. See Local Rule 101.1.b.iv (special pro hac vice admission procedure in MDL cases); see also Instructions for Admission Pro Hac Vice in MDL Cases; Motion for Admission Pro Hac Vice in MDL Cases.
• Attorneys seeking to “participate in proceedings to enforce or quash any subpoena as provided by Fed. R. Civ. P. 45.” See Local Rule 101.1.c.
• Attorneys representing the federal government who are not admitted to the bar should complete and submit the following form each time when entering an appearance in a new case in which the United States is a party: Entry of Appearance on Behalf of a Federal Government Agency.
• Assistant U.S. Attorneys (including Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys) and Assistant Federal Public Defenders for the District of Maryland should complete this form when they are first appointed: Request for Special Appearance and CM/ECF Access.