Effective January 1, 2015 - Rule 8 of the Rules for Admission to the Practice of Law in West Virginia requires all out-of-state lawyers to pay an annual fee if they have one or more open cases in West Virginia. In order to complete the process you must register with the West Virginia State Bar. Cases filed between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2014 are also subject to the annual fee.
The West Virginia State Bar is authorized to contact local counsel for all out-of-state attorneys admitted pro hac vice between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2014, and require local counsel to:
(1) report whether the matters in which the out-of-state attorney was admitted are pending or are closed;
(2) to provide an order that confirms case closure, if applicable; and
(3) to contact out-of-state attorneys in cases that are pending and arrange for the out-of-state attorney to register with the West Virginia State Bar and pay the annual fee by March 31, 2015.
If the reporting is not completed or the annual fee is not paid by March 31, 2015, the pro hac vice admission will be terminated. Instances in which pro hac vice admission is terminated will be reviewed by the Court for possible referral to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel or other sanctions, if appropriate. Thereafter, beginning in 2016, March 1 is hereby established as the anniversary date for all out-of-state lawyers admitted pro hac vice between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2014 for purposes of all future annual statements of fees due as required by Rule 8(e).
Click here for a copy of the Order