Are all lawyers qualified or permitted to represent clients facing federal charges?
Answer: No, they’re not. They have to be admitted in that particular federal district, and some states or some federal districts require admission into that particular state bar as well. But you do have to be admitted into that federal district to practice there. And in order to be admitted you need to be sworn in, and you also have to be familiar with the federal rules—that’s the federal rules of evidence and also the rules of procedure for federal court.