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Attorney Admissions

Attorneys of good moral character who are active members of the State Bar of Montana and not subject to any pending administrative, disciplinary, suspension, or disbarment orders in any jurisdiction may be admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the District of Montana. Questions about this process, or any admissions related questions, should be directed to the attorney admission clerk, Sarah Nagy, at mtd_registration@mtd.uscourts.gov.

Note: Attorneys wishing to be admitted to Montana District (MTD) or Montana Bankruptcy (MTB) Court will need to apply for admission in the District of Montana District Court (MTD) before registering to e-file with Montana District or Bankruptcy Court. 

Procedure for Admission (for both MTD & MTB)

  • Register for a PACER-Case Search Only account at pacer.gov (if you do not already have an account).

  • Request admission and e-filing privileges to the District of Montana District Court via PACER and upload the REQUIRED Character Certificate.  Please do not submit a certificate of good standing or any other document as other documents will not be accepted in place of the Character Certificate and your admission will be delayed.

  • If your Attorney Admission and E-File Registration is complete and correct, you will receive an email requesting payment of the admission fee. (See current fee schedule)

  • Once payment is received, your Certificate of Admission will be emailed to you. If you have chosen to participate in an optional attorney admission ceremony, your Certificate of Admission will be emailed to you after the ceremony.

  • Once you receive your Certificate of Admission, you will also receive notification that you have been granted e-filing privileges to the CM/ECF database.

For step-by-step instructions, review the Attorney Admissions Instructions.
For attorneys that are already admitted in the District of Montana but have never had a CM/ECF account with our court, click here for instructions.
For instructions on paying the admission fee, click here.

Ordering Certificates

Attorneys may order two types of certificates from this court by contacting the Admissions Clerk at mtd_registration@mtd.uscourts.gov:

  • Duplicate Certificate of Admission ($20.00 each)

  • Certificate of Good Standing ($20.00 each)

Other Admission Types

  • Pro Hac Vice Admissions
    Obtain approval to appear in a specific case if you are not a member admitted to practice in this district.

  • Federal Attorneys
    For USA & Federal Defender attorneys who need to practice in this district.

  • CJA E-Filing Registration
    How to correctly register via PACER with a CJA appointment in order to view documents and docket sheets in the cases to which they are appointed without charge.