The U..S. District Court, Middle District of Florida consists of several Divisions, which are located in Ft. Myers, Jacksonville, Ocala, Orlando, and Tampa. Joel Ewusiak frequently serves as local counsel and co-counsel for lawsuits pending in all federal courts in and for the Middle District of Florida. To discuss your lawsuit, please contact Joel at joel@ewusiaklaw.com or 727.286.3559. The Middle District local rule for pro hac vice admission is set forth below. Effective February 1, 2021, the new Local Rules have eliminated the requirement for out-of-state counsel to retain local counsel. According to the Court’s video presentation on the new local rules (starting at 10:03 of the video), “it will often be important and best practices to retain local counsel to guide counsel who is outside the district or not a member of the district’s bar with local practice and custom, but it’s not required in every case and the elimination of this rule recognizes that.” Local Rule 2.01 (c)(Special Admission of a Non-Resident Lawyer) is set forth below, as well.
M.D. Fla. Local Rule 2.02. Special Admission to Practice (Effective until January 31, 2021)
(a) An attorney who is not a resident of Florida but who is a member in good standing of the bar of any District Court of the United States outside Florida may appear specially as counsel of record without formal or general admission; provided, however, such privilege is not abused by appearances in separate cases to such a degree as to constitute the maintenance of a regular practice of law in Florida; and provided further that whenever appearing as counsel by filing any pleading or paper in any case pending in this Court, a non-resident attorney shall file within fourteen (14) days a written designation and consent-to-act on the part of some member of the bar of this Court, resident in Florida, upon whom all notices and papers may be served and who will be responsible for the progress of the case, including the trial in default of the non-resident attorney. In addition to filing the written designation, the non-resident attorney shall comply with both the fee and e-mail registration requirements of Rule 2.01(d), and the written designation shall certify the non-resident attorney's compliance.
(b) An attorney employed full-time by either the United States, an agency of the United States, or a public entity established under the laws of the United States may appear within the course and scope of the attorney's employment as counsel without general or other formal admission.
(c) Any attorney who appears specially in this Court pursuant to subsections (a) or (b) of this rule shall be deemed to be familiar with, and shall be governed by, these rules in general, including Rule 2.04 hereof in particular; and shall also be deemed to be familiar with and governed by the Code of Professional Responsibility and other ethical limitations or requirements then governing the professional behavior of members of The Florida Bar.
(d) In an extraordinary circumstance (such as the hearing of an emergency matter) a lawyer who is not a member of the Middle District bar may move instanter for temporary admission provided the lawyer appears eligible for membership in the Middle District bar and simultaneously initiates proceedings for general or special admission to the Middle District bar. Temporary admission expires in thirty days or upon determination of the application for general or special admission, whichever is earlier.
M.D. Fla. Local Rule 2.01 (c). SPECIAL ADMISSION OF A NON-RESIDENT LAWYER. (effective February 1, 2021). A lawyer can move for special admission in an action in the Middle District if the lawyer: (1) is not a Florida resident and is not a member in good standing of The Florida Bar, (2) is a member in good standing of the bar of a United States district court, (3) has not abused the privilege of special admission by maintaining a regular practice of law in Florida, (4) lists each case in state or federal court in Florida in which the lawyer has initially appeared in the last thirty-six months, and (5) satisfies the requirements for obtaining and maintaining general admission, except the requirements of membership in The Florida Bar, submission of an application, and payment of a periodic fee.