I can’t take judicial watch seriously, with all the errors and oversights in its submission. The United States Supreme Court governs admissions to the Supreme Court Bar and who can practice before the Court — and not the Supreme Court of the State of Rhode Island. The primarily requirement for admission to practice before the SCOTUS is as follows:
“To qualify for admission to the Bar of this Court, an applicant must have been admitted to practice in the highest court of a State, Commonwealth, Territory or possession, or the District of Columbia for a period of at least three years immediately before the date of application; must not have been the subject of any adverse disciplinary action pronounced or in effect during that 3-year period; and must appear to the Court to be of good moral and professional character.”
Although an applicant has to be admitted in good standing to the highest court of the state where the applicant practices for at least three years immediately before the SCOTUS application date, once admitted to practice before the SCOTUS, the applicant has no obligation to remain active in the states where admitted to practice law. Indeed, I know several attorneys who practice exclusively within the federal court system and no longer maintain a membership in a state bar.
So was whitehorse admitted to practice before the supreme court? If not, your argument on his behalf fails.
Is Senator Whitehouse admitted to practice before the SCOTUS? If he is not admitted to the SCOTUS Bar, this complaint seems pretty damn valid.