Judicial independence exhibit in the James A. Byrne U.S. Courthouse lobby

Upcoming Events

2020 Third Circuit Judicial Conference
May 13 - 15, 2023
Hilton Philadelphia at Penn's Landing
Click for more information

Notice from the Court

Tentative selection of Stacey L. Meisel
Download the Notice (PDF)
Tentative selection of Jerrold N. Poslusny, Jr.
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Tentative selection of Laurie Selber Silverstein
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Tentative selection of Vincent F. Papalia
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Tentative Selection of Ashely M. Chan
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Welcome to the Bar Association
of the Third Federal Circuit

Welcome to the Bar Association of the Third Federal Circuit (3CBA) web site, the Association for lawyers who practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Federal Circuit. With hundreds of members, including 98 Founding Members and 18 Founding Firms, the 3CBA’s mission is to work with the Court to:

  • Improve the standards of federal practice
  • Develop improved rules of practice
  • Promote events and educational programs to aid the Court in the administration of justice
  • Facilitate Bench/Bar relations with the Third Circuit

We hope that you will join us and become an active member of our growing association. Click here for information about how to join the 3CBA. Since our formation in 2007, the 3CBA has presented state of the art appellate programs in every corner of the Circuit – from Pennsylvania to the Virgin Islands – covering topics such as electronic filing, appellate motions practice, brief writing, and effective oral argument. Most recently, we are providing CLE presentations for the 2017 Third Circuit Judicial Conference on "Professional Ethics in Appellate Advocacy" and "What Attorneys Hope Judges Know and Vice Versa." We have also developed the Third Circuit Practice Guide and publish "On Appeal," a periodic newsletter keeping our members informed of recent developments. Please feel free to contact any of our officers or Board of Governors, who welcome your input. We look forward to working with you, to getting to know you, and to your active involvement in our Association.

Welcome to the Bar Association of the Third Federal Circuit (3CBA)

The Bar Association of the Third Federal Circuit (3CBA) is the association for lawyers who practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. With hundreds of members, including 98 Founding Members and 18 Founding Firms, the Third Circuit Bar Association’s mission is to work with the Court and the Circuit to:

  • Improve and facilitate the administration of justice;
  • Raise the standards of proficiency and integrity in federal appellate practice by promoting excellence and encouraging respectful, cordial relations between the bench and bar;
  • Develop and implement effective, efficient, and uniform rules of appellate practice and procedure; and
  • Assist the Court in the holding of periodic Circuit Conferences and in other ways as may be requested. 
Chief Judge Chagares with attorneys receiving pens at oral argument

Membership is open to attorneys in good standing of the Court of Appeals or any District Court within the Circuit, as well as the Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States assigned to the Court of Appeals and all federal judges, magistrate judges, law clerks, and judicial staff within the Circuit. We hope that you will join us and become an active member of our Association. Click here for information about how to join the 3CBA.

Formed in 2007, the 3CBA supports the Court and the Circuit in important ways:

We present state-of-the-art appellate programs in every part of the Circuit from Pennsylvania to the Virgin Islands covering topics such as electronic filing, motions practice, waiver, brief writing, and effective oral argument. We also develop CLE programs for the Third Circuit Judicial Conferences and will be doing so again for the 2023 Third Circuit Bench and Bar Conference.

We regularly publish our newsletter On Appeal to keep our members informed of recent news and developments within the Circuit. We also have published multiple editions of our Third Circuit Practice Guide, a general reference guide to practice before the Court, and are preparing a new edition now.

We comment on proposed changes to the Court’s rules of practice and procedure, and also suggest other areas that we believe as practitioners might merit further consideration.

And we endeavor to foster collegiality between the bench and the bar by sponsoring receptions offering attorneys and judges the opportunity to speak informally with one another, and most recently by providing the Court with pens that are being distributed to attorneys arguing before it. 

Our Board of Governors includes representatives from each district within the Third Circuit as well as four at-large members. Committees that spearhead our work on programming, publications, rules, and other initiatives offer members an easy way to get involved. Please feel free to contact any of our officers or other Board members with suggestions or questions. We welcome your input and look forward to working with you, to getting to know you, and to your active participation in our Association.

Click here to join the 3CBA or renew your membership.
Online enrollment and payment
are now available.

register now!

UpCOMING CLE OPPORTUNITY

The Clerk's Office of the Third Circuit:
What's Going on in There?

March 20, 2024
12:00 p.m.
Live Online Webinar
Click here to learn more.

PAST EVENTS

Meet the New Third Circuit Judges
september 28, 2023
U.S. Courthouse
Philadelphia, PA
Click here to learn more.

News & Announcements
FROM THE COURT


Updates Regarding Local Rules and Procedures
The grace period for the revised Third Circuit L.A.R. 26 ended on December 31, 2023. Starting January 1, 2024, documents received after 5:00 p.m. ET on the final day for filing will not be considered timely with limited exceptions and a motion to file out of time will be required.

The Court of Appeals has adopted format standards and procedures for the submission of audio and video files.

Statement

Third Circuit Practice Guide

We are pleased to publish a reference guide to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The guide provides concise and straightforward answers to some of the more common questions we hear from lawyers whose practices may not take them to the Court on a regular basis, and is also useful to attorneys familiar with Third Circuit practice. We are in the process of creating a new updated edition and will post it here when it is completed.

Download the Guide