Five Things to Know About Practicing Before the Sixth Circuit

Here at FindLaw, we understand the pressures of being a legal professional - most of us are recovering lawyers - so we want to help by tossing you that preferred life preserver of the legal profession, the short list.

Today's offering: five things to know about practicing before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

1. You must be a member. Attorneys must be admitted to the bar of the Sixth Circuit before they will be permitted to file pleadings or briefs on behalf of a party or participate in oral argument. The exception? Any attorney representing the United States or any officer or agency thereof in an appeal will be permitted to participate in that case without being admitted to the Bar of the Sixth Circuit, but the attorney must pay a fee.
2. Yes, there's a fee. Attorneys appointed by the court to represent clients in forma pauperis and who qualify under the standards of Fed. R. App. P. 46 and attorneys employed by a Federal Defender organization created pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3006A shall be admitted to practice in this court without a fee. All other qualified counsel must pay a $200.00 fee. Payment may be made by cash, check or money order made payable to the "Clerk of the United States Court."
3. And an application. Admissions are made upon the motion of a member of the Bar of the Sixth Circuit. Application for admission is made by filing form 6CA- 14 in person or by mail, with the Office of the Clerk of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
4. Did we mention that it's a high tech court? As of June 1, 2008, Case Management-Electronic Case Files (CM-ECF) filing is mandatory for attorneys, with limited exceptions. Attorneys can register online with PACER to file documents electronically.
5. What time is it in the Sixth Circuit? The answer varies. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals covers Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. Ohio, where the Sixth Circuit office is located, is in the Eastern time zone, but Kentucky, Tennessee, and Michigan are each split between Central and Eastern time zones. Documents may be filed between 8:30 a.m. EST and 5:00 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, excluding Federal Holidays.

To learn more about the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, or to read opinions issued by the court, check out the wealth of information on the Sixth Circuit website.

Related Resources:

• FindLaw's Sixth Circuit Blog (FindLaw)
• Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Profile: Alice Batchelder (FindLaw's Sixth Circuit blog)
• United States Sixth Circuit Cases (FindLaw's Case Law)