Submit Bar Application

The Application for Admission to Practice may be submitted electronically or mailed to the clerk's office. To submit an application electronically, counsel must register for an ECF account. Current members of the bar cannot utilize their ECF account to submit an application on behalf of another attorney. Applications for Admission must be submitted using the ECF account of the individual seeking admission. See Register for eFiling for information on obtaining an account.

Non-bar ECF accounts are activated with limited functionality. Non-bar members may submit an Application for Admission to the Bar through the CM/ECF utilities menu but do not have access to case document filing. Once a user is admitted to the bar, the File a Document menu option will be made available on the ECF menu. Counsel will be notified once they have been admitted and case document filing has been activated for their account.

Please contact the Fourth Circuit ECF Helpdesk at 804-916-2767 if you have any questions or need assistance completing a transactions.

Instructions for Submitting Bar Application Electronically

1. Turn off pop-up blockers in your browser.
2. Log in to CM/ECF (eFiler account required.  See Register for eFiling instructions).
3. Once the CM/ECF Startup Page appears, select Utilities.
4. Select Bar Admission.
5. The Bar Admission window will appear.
6. Read the instructional text.
7. If applicable, select a Reason for Fee Waiver.
8. Select State of Residence.
9. Select Browse to upload the application for admission.
10. The Select PDF document dialog box will appear.
11. Locate and select the application PDF file.
12. Select Open.
13. The file path will appear in the Document text box.
14. Enter a description of the document.
15. If you have additional admission related documents to upload, select Browse to add another document.
16. Once all documents have been uploaded, select Pay Fee and Submit Application OR if you selected a fee waiver reason, select Submit Application and skip the remaining steps. NOTE: If your pop-up blockers are turned on, the next screen will not appear. You will have to cancel and start over once you have turned off your browser pop-up blockers.
17. The Initiate Payment window will open in PACER (Note:  You might have to log into PACER before this screen appears).
18. Review the payment amount and Select a Payment Method.
19. Select Next.
20. Complete the Court Specific information. 
21. Enter your email address for an email confirmation of the payment if it's not already populated.
22. Check the Authorization box.
23. Select Submit.
    
    
    
24. The System will process your request.
25. The Payment Successful window will appear.  NOTE:  Only click Submit if you are not redirected to CM/ECF.
26. The redirect page will return to CMECF and provide the receipt.  Select Print to print the receipt.