28 U.S.C. § 955
Section 955 · Practice of law restricted
Amended 1 time on record
Applied in 6 court decisions — leading case Audett v. United States (1959)
Most recently applied in 576 F. App'x 704 - Webster Dawkins v. Wells Fargo Bank N.A. (May 2014)
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
The clerk of each court and his deputies and assistants shall not practice law in any court of the United States.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§395 and 396 (Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, §§273, 274, 36 Stat. 1164).
Section consolidates parts of sections 395 and 396 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed. The remainder, relating to United States marshals and their deputies, is incorporated in section 556 of this title.
Sections 395 and 396 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., have been extended to include all clerks, deputies, and assistants.
The revised section substitutes as simpler and more appropriate, the prohibition against practice of law “in any court of the United States.” (See reviser's note under section 556 of this title.)
For explanation of provisions omitted from sections 395 and 396 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., also see reviser's note under section 556 of this title.
Changes in phraseology were made.