What is Pro Hac Vice in Federal Court Law? . Ever wondered how lawyers from different states or the state can team up on a big federal case without jumping through endless hoops? Enter “pro hac vice” – a key legal term that refers to the temporary admission of an attorney to appear in a specific federal court case. . In federal court law, pro hac vice (Latin for “for this occasion”) allows an attorney licensed in one jurisdiction to practice in a U.S. district court for one particular matter. Th