An attorney who is not a Bar member but is admitted to practice law in another state or in any court in the United States must apply to be admitted pro hac vice before appearing as counsel before any state or local court or government body.
We are excited to announce that pro hac vice is now online! Attorneys may access the pro hac vice portal here in the Admissions section of the Bar’s website. If you are already admitted Pro Hac Vice and do not have an online account, please follow this link for instructions on how to claim your account. Payments may be made by credit card or ACH payment. Due to a rise in check fraud, the Bar will no longer accept checks for pro hac vice admission
Additionally, now that pro hac vice applications are online, certificates
of good standing will now be submitted electronically, meaning paper copies
are not required.
*See RULE 4-806(G)(7)
*As of April 1, 2023
The “Acknowledgement of Supporting Documentation and Receipt of Filing Fee” (“Acknowledgement”) is not a simple receipt evidencing that you have merely paid the necessary fee. The materials you are required to submit must be complete, accurate, and up-to-date. If not, the application will be rejected and the “Acknowledgement” will be not be issued.
Please allow sufficient time to process your application. Once all appropriate paperwork is received, an Acknowledgement Receipt is issued within five (5) to seven (7) working days.
In order to process your application, the Bar needs: (1) a copy of the motion that you will be filing with the court; (2) the signed application; (3) the certificate(s) of good standing (issued within 60 days of the date of application); and (4) a payment by credit card or ACH in the proper amount of $425.00 per applicant, per case. Fee exemptions are available for certain and limited circumstances; see “Additional Information” below.
The pro hac vice application is now online. Please go to this link to complete the application.
If your documents are in proper order (e.g., correct amount of fee, applicant not suspended from the practice of law, etc.) and complete, the Bar will issue an Acknowledgement. An email will be sent from the portal to the applicant attorney stating that there is a new document that has been added to their profile that is available for download. This is the “Acknowledgment”. The applicant attorney should then log in to their profile and download the Acknowledgment. The applicant attorney should then forward Acknowledgment to local sponsoring counsel for filing.
Sponsoring Local Counsel should then file with the court (or adjudicative body): (1) a motion with attached copies of the application and certificate of good standing; (2) the Acknowledgement; and (3) a proposed order.
Motions must be signed by a sponsoring Utah attorney in good standing. Until an out-of-state licensed applicant is admitted, she or he is not permitted to sign pleadings.
Sponsoring Local Counsel: If you need to locate a local sponsoring attorney who is on active status and in good standing (and who also resides in Utah), you may want to search: (1) the Bar’s membership database at www.licensedlawyer.org. (2) Utah law firms registered with www.martindale.com. Utah has eight judicial districts in which your case can be heard. Click here for a map of Utah reflecting these judicial district court boundaries.
Board Fees:
Rule 4-806 of the Utah Supreme Court’s Rules of Professional Practice in the Utah Code of Judicial Administration requires a $425.00 fee per pro hac vice applicant per case. If you have a class action lawsuit or multiple-related cases which will be consolidated, please contact the Bar’s General Counsel. Fee exemptions are available for: (1) attorneys who are employees of and representing the United States of America or any of its departments or agencies; and (2) attorneys representing indigent clients on a pro bono basis. (For the latter category, click here for an affidavit which the applicant needs to complete, sign, have signature notarized and attach to original application.)
Residence: Rule 4-806 of the Utah Supreme Court’s Rules of Professional Practice in the Utah Code of Judicial Administration does not permit pro hac vice appearances by attorneys licensed elsewhere, but who reside in the State of Utah. The rule also does not permit Utah licensed attorneys who reside out of state to sponsor other out-of-state licensed attorneys.
As of May 1, 2019, Rule 4-806(n) requires lawyers admitted pro hac vice in Utah to pay an annual fee of $425 on or before the anniversary month of the filing of the lawyer’s initial pro hac vice application with the Bar. Failure to renew may result in suspension of pro hac vice admission and a $50 late fee being assessed.
In order to renew please use the renewal feature in your online portal. If you are unsure if you have an online account, please follow these instructions on the PDF below.
Please contact Connor Hess, Assistant to General Counsel with any questions you may have and we will be happy to assist you.
The U.S. District Court in Utah and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Utah have their own requirements governing pro hac vice appearances; please contact them at:
