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Attorney FAQs

  • How does an attorney obtain a certificate of good standing?

    Certificates of good standing are issued to members of the bar of the United States District Court for the District of Kansas who are active and in good standing.  To request a Certificate of Good Standing:

    • login to the District of Kansas CM/ECF system using individual PACER user name and password
    • select “utilities” on the menu bar
    • select “request Certificate of Good Standing” and follow the prompts
    • pay fee of $21 (per certificate) with a credit card

    A Statement of Discipline can also be ordered and will be issued together with a Certificate of Good Standing request.

  • Will attorneys who are admitted pro hac vice be given e-filing privileges?

    No.  Pro hac vice attorneys are required to register to receive electronic noticing, but will not be given e-filing privileges in the U.S. District Court, District of Kansas.  All filings will be signed and e-filed by local counsel.

  • How can a pro hac vice attorney add or remove a secondary e-mail address regarding e-noticing?

    These changes can be made by sending an e-mail to our attorney registration e-mail address.  Please include the pro hac vice attorney’s name, as well as the changes to be made to:  ksd_attorney-registration@ksd.uscourts.gov.

  • Is there a fee for admission to the bar of the U.S. District Court, District of Kansas?

    Yes.  The current fee for full admission is $199.00.  Pro hac vice attorney fee is $50 per attorney, per case.

  • Who can practice in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas?

    You may practice in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas if you are 1) admitted to practice in the courts of the state of Kansas and/or the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri and are in good standing (see D. Kan. Rule 83.5.2(a)); or, 2) duly admitted pro hac vice (see D. Kan. Rule 83.5.1(c)). An attorney being admitted pro hac vice must obtain local counsel and remit a registration fee of $50.00 per case (D. Kan. Rule 83.5.4).

  • If a lawyer from a firm is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court, are all other members of his/her firm admitted as well?

    No. Law firms, law partnerships and corporations may not be members of the bar of this court. No attorney shall be permitted to appear in any action or proceeding merely because he/she is associated in a firm, partnership or corporation, one or more members of which are admitted to practice in this Court (see D. Kan. Rule 83.5.1).

  • Is there an annual registration fee to maintain active status in the bar of the U.S. District Court?

    Yes. Pursuant to D. Kan. Rule 83.5.3, all attorneys duly admitted to practice before this court shall annually, on or before the first day of July, register with the Clerk. At the time of each registration the registrant, if not excused by the local rules of this Court from payment, shall pay an annual fee in such an amount as the Court shall have ordered for the ensuing 12-month period. The Clerk shall issue to each registered attorney a registration card on a form approved by the Court.

  • How does one make a complaint against an attorney for a violation of ethics or professional conduct?

    Any person seeking to make a complaint against an attorney practicing in this Court for any cause or conduct which may justify disciplinary action shall do so in writing and under oath, except that a complaint by a judge or magistrate judge of this Court need not be verified. All complaints shall be filed in the record office of the Clerk at Kansas City and shall be referred by the Clerk to the Disciplinary Panel for such action as may be required or authorized by these rules. (See D. Kan. Rule 83.6.3(b)).

  • How do I file a complaint against a judge?

    The complaint process is not intended to address complaints related to the merits of a case or a court’s decision. Any person alleging that a judge of the United States has engaged in conduct prejudicial to the effective and expeditious administration of the business of the courts, or that such officer cannot discharge all the duties of the office because of physical or mental disability, may file a complaint with the clerk of the court of appeals for that circuit or applicable national court. The statute governing this complaint mechanism is set out at Title 28, U.S. Code, Section 351(a). For more information review the Judicial Conference of the United States and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals Rules for Judicial-Conduct and Judicial-Disability Proceedings.

  • Renewal - Can I pay for a group of attorney renewals?

    No.  Group pay is not available.  Each renewal must be paid for separately.

  • Renewal - I paid for my renewal twice. How do I request a refund?

    Please send your request for refund, along with your Pay.gov receipt to KSD_Refunds@ksd.uscourts.gov.

     

  • Renewal - I forgot my PACER password. How do I reset it?

    Go to PACER.gov to retrieve your username and/or reset your password.  Kansas is a NextGen CM/ECF court. KSD staff cannot reset PACER passwords or retrieve your PACER account information. 

  • Renewal - I forgot my CM/ECF password? How do I reset it?

    Contact KSD_Attorney_Registration@ksd.uscourts.gov to obtain a new password.

  • Renewal - How can I check that my renewal processed successfully?

    Check our Bar Membership Lookup Tool the day after you renew. The system requires 24 hours to update overnight. 

  • Renewal - How do I renew my bar membership?

    Go to Annual Bar Membership Renewal for instructions. 

  • Renewal -I am in terminated status. How do I return to active status?

    Once you are in terminated status, you no longer have CM/ECF filing access.  You only have access to a Reinstatement event, to help you return to active status.    
    To return to active status from terminated status, follow the instructions in CM/ECF and pay the $125 reinstatement fee.

  • Renewal - Is there a fee for taking inactive status in the bar of the U.S. District Court?

    No, there is no fee to go from active to inactive status.  You must request inactive status in writing by sending an email to KSD_Attorney_Registration@ksd.uscourts.gov with an effective date for your inactive status.  If you wish to return to active status after being inactive, you may contact KSD Attorney Registration to change your status and pay the $25 fee.