District of Massachusetts (D. Mass.)
Common questions
Who can be admitted to the bar of the District of Massachusetts (D. Mass.)?
Member of Mass. bar in good standing; good standing in all jurisdictions; no pending discipline. Rule: LR 83.5.1.
What is the admission fee for the District of Massachusetts (D. Mass.)?
$261. Payment: Payments are collected through Pay.gov.
Does the District of Massachusetts (D. Mass.) allow pro hac vice admission, and what does it cost?
Pro hac vice available: yes. Local counsel: Yes -> member of bar of this court files motion, appears, attends all proceedings unless excused. Fee: $125 per attorney.
General admission
- Who qualifies
- Member of Mass. bar in good standing; good standing in all jurisdictions; no pending discipline
- Rule
- LR 83.5.1
- Exam or course
- No exam
- Good standing cert.
- Cert. of good standing from Mass. SJC
- Oath
- Placed on list for first available admission ceremony
- Fee
- $261
- Fee payment
- Payments are collected through Pay.gov
4 not found in the pulled documents
- Sponsor
- Not in the pulled documents
- Swearing-in
- Not in the pulled documents
- Certificate age
- Not in the pulled documents
- Apply
- Not in the pulled documents
Pro hac vice
- Available
- yes
- Who qualifies
- Non-member of this court's bar; good standing in every jurisdiction admitted
- Rule
- LR 83.5.3
- Local counsel
- Yes -> member of bar of this court files motion, appears, attends all proceedings unless excused
- Residency limits
- None stated
- Limits
- None stated
- Certifications
- Good standing in every jurisdiction; no pending discipline; familiar with Local Rules; address/phone
- Fee
- $125 per attorney
- Fee covers
- per attorney
2 not found in the pulled documents
- Form
- Not in the pulled documents
- E-filing
- Not in the pulled documents
Ongoing and other
- Renewal
- Biennial re-registration, $50, effective 9/1/2023; Mass. SJC status must be active; fed gov attorneys exempt; no penalty for late payment but e-filing lost
- CLE or course
- No CLE mentioned
- Bankruptcy court
- Active status in the District Court is required for practice in both the U.S. District Court and in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts.
- Pending changes
- None found as of Oct. 5, 2026. Rules amendments effective through Aug. 7, 2020.
- Rules dated
- December 1, 2023
Language from the source documents
12 quoted passages
Who qualifies
Attorneys applying for admission to the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts must be a member of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.mad.uscourts.gov
Admission rule
Prospective applicants seeking admission to this Court, should refer to Local Rule 83.5.1 for all the admission requirements.mad.uscourts.gov
Good standing certificate
Attorneys must submit a Certificate of Good Standing from Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.mad.uscourts.gov
Oath
If the application is in order and the fee has been paid, the clerk shall place the name of the applicant on the list for the first available admission ceremony.mad.uscourts.gov
Admission fee
Admission of an attorney to practice .................................................................... $261.00**mad.uscourts.gov
Pro hac vice available
An attorney who is not a member of the bar of this Court may appear and practice before this Court pro hac vice.mad.uscourts.gov
Pro hac vice: who qualifies
The motion must be accompanied by a Certification stating that the attorney seeking pro hac vice: is a member of the bar in good standing in every jurisdiction where admitted to practice. has no disciplinary proceedings pending against them. is familiar with the Local Rules of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.mad.uscourts.gov
Local counsel
The attorney seeking to practice pro hac vice before this Court, must have local counsel who is a member of the Court’s bar:mad.uscourts.gov
Pro hac vice fee
Motion for leave to appear pro hac vice (per attorney) ........................................ $125.00mad.uscourts.gov
Renewal
Beginning on that date, admitted attorneys will be required to re-register biennially to continue as active members of our bar. A fee of $50 will be charged at the time of re-registration.mad.uscourts.gov
Fee payment
A payment method to pay the admission fee (see fee schedule for current price). Payments are collected through Pay.gov .mad.uscourts.gov
Bankruptcy court admission
Active status in the District Court is required for practice in both the U.S. District Court and in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts.mad.uscourts.gov