Pro Hac Vice Admission / Massachusetts Local Counsel Firm
We have experience serving as local counsel for complex civil and criminal cases in the Massachusetts state and federal courts.
Our attorneys are knowledgeable about the statutes, local rules, and court procedures governing pro hac vice admission in Massachusetts. It is important to find the right balance between primary and local counsel. Whether you need help simply working through the pro hac vice process, a true partner for the case, or anything in between, we can help. In addition to serving as local counsel, our attorneys have significant litigation experience in the state and federal courts of Massachusetts, including contested evidentiary motions, jury trials, and appeals.
If you’re seeking admission pro hac vice in Massachusetts and need local counsel, call us at 781-797-0555 today.
How to get admitted to Massachusetts pro hac vice
State courts
While the courts have wide discretion in deciding a pro hac vice motion, they are rarely denied as long as the requirements are met.
In order to apply for pro hac vice admission in Massachusetts, the attorney seeking such admission must pay a non-refundable registration fee of $355 per case to the Board of Bar Overseers (“BBO”). In addition to the payment, the application must include the following information:
(1) The name, business address, telephone number, email address and attorney license number and states in which the attorney is licensed;
(2) The court in which the motion for pro hac vice admission is to be made, the name of the party to be represented, and the docket number if it is known; and
(3) a statement, made under the penalties of perjury, that the attorney is admitted to practice and in good standing in every jurisdiction where the attorney is admitted, and an acknowledgment that the attorney is subject to discipline by the Supreme Judicial Court and the Board.
Within seven days of receipt of a pro hac vice registration fee, the BBO will send an acknowledgment to the attorney seeking admission.
Local counsel must file a motion with the court in which pro hac vice admission is sought. The motion must include an averment that the registration fee has been paid or include, as an attachment, a copy of the Board acknowledgment.
Federal court
An attorney who is a member of the bar of any United States District Court or the bar of the highest court of any state may appear and practice in this court in a particular case by leave of court. Local counsel must file a notice of appearance on the case, and then a motion seeking admission of the out-of-state attorney to appear pro hac vice. The sponsoring attorney must submit a certification that the attorney seeking admission is
(A) is a member of the bar in good standing in every jurisdiction in which the attorney has been admitted to practice;
(B) is not the subject of disciplinary proceedings pending in any jurisdiction in which the attorney is a member of the bar;
(C) has not previously had a pro hac vice admission to this court (or other admission for a limited purpose under this rule) revoked for misconduct; and
(D) has read and agrees to comply with the Local Rules of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, including Local Rule 83.5.3.
There is a fee of $100 per pro hac vice application in the U.S. District Court in Boston.