Virginia Beach & Norfolk Court Appearance Attorneys: Coverage Counsel for Hampton Roads Courts & the Eastern District of Virginia

Hampton Roads: America's Most Consequential Military-Legal Market

Hampton Roads is one of America's most consequential military-legal markets — and one of the most underestimated by out-of-state law firms. The metropolitan area anchored by Virginia Beach and Norfolk contains the world's largest naval station (Norfolk Naval Station, more than 8,000 acres), Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding — the only U.S. facility capable of building nuclear-powered aircraft carriers — and the Eastern District of Virginia's Norfolk Division, universally known among litigators as the "rocket docket."

The EDVA is the fastest federal trial court in the United States: the median time from case filing to trial is roughly five to six months, compared to a national median exceeding twenty-six months. That pace advantage attracts patent litigants, trademark holders, and commercial plaintiffs who want fast resolutions — but it also demands appearance counsel who can show up on short notice when scheduling orders issue and deadlines compress within days of each other. For firms managing EDVA matters remotely, the question is never whether to retain local appearance counsel, only how quickly they can be confirmed.

Virginia Beach is technically the largest city in Virginia by population — a counterintuitive fact given how many practitioners think of Richmond or Northern Virginia as the state's dominant legal centers. Norfolk houses the federal courts, most state appellate infrastructure, and the Fourth Circuit's satellite presence, functioning as the region's legal capital even as Virginia Beach dominates by population. The two cities together form the core of a metro area that includes Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Newport News, Hampton, and Suffolk — each with its own independent circuit court under Virginia's unique independent-city governmental structure.

Understanding Hampton Roads' legal geography matters because the independent-city structure creates six separate state circuit courts across the metro, each with its own clerk's office, judges, and local docket practices. A matter arising from a Newport News shipyard employment dispute lands in a different court than a Virginia Beach insurance coverage dispute — and both differ from EDVA proceedings across the Elizabeth River in Norfolk. Firms with multi-jurisdictional Hampton Roads matters need appearance counsel who are familiar with the specific court, not just the metro area.

This guide walks through every significant Hampton Roads court, the specific bar admission requirements, the industries generating recurring appearance work, the EDVA rocket docket's unique demands, and how CourtCounsel matches verified local counsel to your specific docket across the region.

Virginia's Independent-City Structure: Why Hampton Roads Has Six Circuit Courts

Before diving into individual courts, it is worth understanding a structural feature of Virginia law that surprises many out-of-state practitioners. Virginia is one of only two states (along with Nevada, in limited respects) where cities are fully independent of surrounding counties. In Virginia, a city is not part of any county — it is its own independent governmental unit, with its own circuit court, its own clerk, and its own docket.

This means the Hampton Roads metro has no single dominant circuit court the way, say, Cook County Circuit Court dominates Chicagoland. Instead, there are six separate circuit courts: Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Newport News, and Hampton — each handling only cases arising within that independent city's limits. Suffolk also has its own circuit court to the west. A commercial dispute between a Norfolk company and a Virginia Beach contractor may require determining which city the cause of action arose in before even identifying which circuit court has jurisdiction.

For appearance attorneys, this structure means familiarity with multiple clerks' offices, filing systems, judge preferences, and local rule nuances — knowledge that comes from regular practice in the market rather than occasional visits. When you post a Hampton Roads appearance request through CourtCounsel, you specify the exact court and we match attorneys who practice there regularly.

Virginia Beach Circuit Court (23rd Judicial Circuit)

Address: Virginia Beach Judicial Center, 2425 Nimmo Pkwy, Virginia Beach, VA 23456

The 23rd Judicial Circuit encompasses Virginia Beach only — a reflection of its independent-city status. Virginia Beach Circuit Court handles civil disputes exceeding $25,000, felony criminal matters, domestic relations, equity proceedings, and probate. Virginia Beach is the Commonwealth's most populous city, and its civil docket reflects the legal needs of a large, diverse, military-influenced population.

Insurance disputes are among the most common civil matters in Virginia Beach Circuit Court. The city's enormous active-duty and veteran population generates recurring insurance coverage litigation — homeowner claims from hurricane and coastal storm damage, auto liability cases arising from military commuter routes, and life insurance beneficiary disputes involving military death benefits. Construction disputes are the second major category: Virginia Beach is one of the most actively developed Atlantic Coast markets, with ongoing resort district redevelopment, mixed-use projects along the oceanfront and Town Center, and large-scale residential development in Sandbridge and the south-side corridors. Mechanic's lien enforcement and construction defect litigation are staples of the Virginia Beach Circuit docket.

The Virginia Beach Judicial Center is a modern, purpose-built facility with multiple courtrooms and electronic filing capabilities through the Virginia eCourts system. Appearance attorneys should plan for extended security screening during peak morning hours, particularly on days with busy civil motion calendars.

Virginia State Bar (VSB) admission is required for all appearances. Typical rate ranges for Virginia Beach Circuit appearances through CourtCounsel:

Norfolk Circuit Court (4th Judicial Circuit)

Address: Norfolk Civil Courts Building, 100 St. Paul's Blvd, Norfolk, VA 23510

Norfolk's circuit court is the legal hub of Hampton Roads by reputation, even if Virginia Beach exceeds it in population. Norfolk houses the federal courthouse, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the concentration of major law firms, and most of the region's appellate bar. The Norfolk Circuit handles significant commercial litigation, maritime-adjacent civil matters, and the broader commercial docket of the region's historic business and cultural center.

Norfolk's docket is shaped by its role as a port city and military headquarters. Insurance subrogation disputes arising from cargo damage, commercial real estate litigation tied to the ongoing revitalization of downtown Norfolk and the Waterside District, and employment disputes stemming from the dense concentration of defense contractors near the naval station are recurring matter types. Norfolk also handles a significant volume of civil forfeitures and matters arising from the city's substantial public-housing portfolio — a legacy of mid-century urban renewal that generated complex landlord-tenant law in the Virginia General Assembly.

The Norfolk Civil Courts Building on St. Paul's Boulevard is directly adjacent to MacArthur Center, making it one of the more accessible downtown courthouses in Virginia. Parking is available in adjacent municipal garages, though space compresses on heavy docket days.

Chesapeake Circuit Court (1st Judicial Circuit)

Address: Chesapeake Courts Building, 307 Albemarle Dr, Chesapeake, VA 23322

Chesapeake is the southernmost Hampton Roads city — bordering North Carolina along the Dismal Swamp corridor — and one of Virginia's fastest-growing jurisdictions by land area and population. The 1st Judicial Circuit encompasses Chesapeake only, but the city's sprawling geography means its docket captures legal disputes from diverse communities ranging from the dense suburban neighborhoods of Great Bridge and Greenbrier to the rural agricultural areas of Deep Creek and South Norfolk.

Large residential and commercial construction disputes are among the most frequent matters in Chesapeake Circuit Court. The Interstate 64 and Chesapeake Expressway corridors have attracted substantial warehouse, distribution, and light industrial development in recent years, generating construction contract disputes, mechanic's lien proceedings, and zoning litigation. Domestic relations and probate proceedings are also heavy categories given Chesapeake's large residential population. The court uses Virginia eCourts for electronic filing and maintains a relatively efficient docket compared to some larger Virginia urban circuits.

Portsmouth Circuit Court (5th Judicial Circuit)

Address: Portsmouth Courthouse, 601 Crawford St, Portsmouth, VA 23704

Portsmouth sits directly across the Elizabeth River from Norfolk, connected by the Downtown Tunnel and High Street Landing ferry. The 5th Judicial Circuit encompasses Portsmouth only. Portsmouth's legal identity is shaped by its maritime heritage and its role as a shipyard city: Huntington Ingalls Industries maintains a significant dry-dock and repair facility in Portsmouth's port district, and the NASSCO and BAE Systems repair yards employ thousands of workers whose employment disputes, workers' compensation claims, and LHWCA (Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act) matters appear on the Portsmouth state court docket when they do not go directly to federal court.

Portsmouth Circuit Court handles maritime-adjacent employment matters, personal injury cases arising from port and industrial facilities, and a substantial domestic relations docket serving a community with significant economic challenges. The courthouse on Crawford Street is a historically significant building — Portsmouth's legal community is tight-knit and appearance attorneys who work this circuit regularly know the judges and clerk staff personally.

Newport News Circuit Court (7th Judicial Circuit)

Address: Newport News Courthouse, 2500 Washington Ave, Newport News, VA 23607

Newport News is home to Huntington Ingalls Newport News Shipbuilding — the only shipyard in the Western Hemisphere capable of building nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. With more than 21,000 employees, Newport News Shipbuilding is one of the largest private employers in Virginia and the dominant economic force on the Peninsula. Its presence shapes the Newport News circuit court docket in fundamental ways.

Shipyard employment litigation — ERISA benefits disputes, LHWCA claims for shipyard workers injured on the job, union grievances that spill into civil court, and wage-and-hour matters — is a recurring category. FELA (Federal Employers' Liability Act) claims from Norfolk Southern and CSX operations through Newport News and Hampton generate additional injury litigation in state court when plaintiffs opt for that forum. Defense procurement subcontract disputes from the dense contractor ecosystem surrounding the shipyard generate commercial contract litigation. Newport News Circuit Court also handles a significant domestic relations and general civil docket for the city's substantial residential population.

The Newport News Courthouse on Washington Avenue is a mid-century civic building with a functional but dated facility. Electronic filing through Virginia eCourts is available. The court is relatively efficient by Virginia standards, with experienced judges handling both the commercial and general dockets.

Hampton Circuit Court (8th Judicial Circuit)

Address: Hampton Courts Building, 236 N. King St, Hampton, VA 23669

Hampton is home to Joint Base Langley-Eustis (JBLE) — a combined Air Force and Army installation housing the 1st Fighter Wing and the Army's Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). The military presence at Langley generates an employment and contractor dispute docket in Hampton Circuit Court that includes FTCA (Federal Tort Claims Act) matters when they proceed in state court, defense contractor employment disputes, and civilian personnel disputes from TRADOC's large administrative operation.

Hampton is also home to Hampton University, whose academic employment and student-rights matters occasionally appear on the civil docket. The city's coastal location generates the same insurance, construction, and property dispute mix seen across Hampton Roads' waterfront communities. The Hampton Courts Building on North King Street handles the full range of circuit court matters for the city, including a domestic relations docket that reflects Hampton's large military family population — military divorce and child custody matters with service member-specific issues (deployment, SCRA protections) are a recurring matter type.

Suffolk Circuit Court (5th Judicial Circuit)

Address: Suffolk Courthouse, 150 N. Main St, Suffolk, VA 23434

Suffolk is Virginia's largest city by land area — over 400 square miles — stretching from the western edge of Hampton Roads deep into the rural Blackwater River watershed. The Suffolk Circuit handles matters from a geographically diverse community ranging from suburban growth along US-58 near the Chesapeake border to agricultural and forestry operations in the rural west. Agribusiness disputes, timber rights matters, and rural property litigation sit alongside suburban construction and domestic relations cases on the Suffolk docket. Western Tidewater legal practitioners serve Suffolk, and appearance work here requires attorneys familiar with a more rural docket culture than the denser urban circuits of Norfolk and Virginia Beach.

Federal Courts: The Eastern District of Virginia — Norfolk Division

Address: Walter E. Hoffman United States Courthouse, 600 Granby St, Norfolk, VA 23510

The Walter E. Hoffman Courthouse on Granby Street in downtown Norfolk is the nerve center of the EDVA's rocket docket — and one of the most demanding federal venues in the United States for appearance counsel. No federal court in the country moves civil cases to trial faster: the median filing-to-trial time in the Norfolk Division is approximately 5.8 months, compared to a national median exceeding 26 months.

The rocket docket's speed is structural, not accidental. Beginning with reforms initiated by Judge John MacKenzie in the 1970s, EDVA adopted a philosophy of firm scheduling orders with minimal continuances. At Rule 16(b) scheduling conferences — which occur very early in the case, often within weeks of filing — judges set a trial date and refuse to move it absent extraordinary circumstances. Every subsequent deadline (discovery cutoff, expert disclosures, dispositive motions, pretrial conference) is calculated backward from that trial date. Miss a deadline in EDVA and the consequences are immediate; there is no slack in the system.

For appearance counsel, the rocket docket's demands translate into a constant need for attorneys who can appear on short notice as scheduling orders issue, discovery disputes heat up, and motions calendars compress. A status conference noticed three days out is not unusual. A firm managing EDVA matters from New York or Los Angeles needs a verified local attorney available to appear within 48 hours — and that attorney needs to understand EDVA's specific local rules, not just general federal practice.

EDVA Norfolk Division: Docket Profile

The types of matters that appear most frequently in the Norfolk Division reflect Hampton Roads' economic profile:

• Patent and trademark litigation: The rocket docket is a favored venue for IP holders seeking fast resolution. Technology companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and semiconductor firms have used EDVA strategically to force quick trials in IP disputes.
• Maritime and admiralty: Norfolk's status as a major port and naval hub generates vessel arrest proceedings, cargo damage claims, marine insurance disputes, and P&I Club matters in the Norfolk Division. EDVA has deep admiralty expertise.
• Defense contractor disputes: Procurement disputes, False Claims Act matters (qui tam relator cases involving defense contracting fraud), and subcontract disputes among the dense contractor ecosystem around Norfolk Naval Station appear regularly in the Norfolk Division.
• Trade secret and non-compete: The defense technology and shipbuilding sectors generate trade secret and restrictive covenant litigation when employees move between contractors.
• Civil rights (military): Military-adjacent civil rights cases — including First Amendment claims, disability discrimination, and Equal Employment Opportunity matters involving civilian Department of Defense employees — appear in the Norfolk Division.
• Securities and financial: Dollar Tree, Inc. (headquartered in Chesapeake) and other publicly traded Hampton Roads companies generate securities class actions and derivative suits that land in EDVA.

EDVA Local Rule Compliance

EDVA's Local Civil Rules are not suggestions. Page limits are enforced (memoranda in support of motions: 30 pages; reply briefs: 15 pages). Meet-and-confer obligations must be completed before filing discovery motions. Proposed orders must accompany every motion. Electronic filing through CM/ECF is mandatory for all represented parties. Appearance attorneys handling EDVA proceedings must be admitted to the Eastern District of Virginia bar (separate from Virginia State Bar admission) and should hold current CM/ECF filing credentials.

Eastern District of Virginia — Newport News Division

Address: US Courthouse, 2400 W. Ave, Newport News, VA 23607

The Newport News Division handles cases from Newport News, Hampton, York County, Poquoson, James City County, and Williamsburg. This division captures the Peninsula's legal matters, including shipbuilding industry disputes from Huntington Ingalls Newport News, contractor matters from the JBLE/Langley complex, and commercial litigation from the growing Williamsburg-area tourism and real estate market. The Newport News Division operates under the same local rules and scheduling philosophy as the Norfolk Division — it is still the rocket docket — but with a smaller overall case volume.

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals

Appeals from EDVA Norfolk Division and Newport News Division cases proceed to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, which sits in Richmond at the Lewis F. Powell, Jr. U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building. Fourth Circuit oral arguments require separate Fourth Circuit bar admission. CourtCounsel's network includes Fourth Circuit-admitted attorneys for argument coverage and status monitoring when matters advance to the circuit level. Appearance work at the Fourth Circuit level typically involves monitoring argument dates and file-and-serve logistics rather than substantive argument, which is almost universally handled by lead counsel.

Hampton Roads Court System: Coverage Map

Key Industries Driving Hampton Roads Legal Work

U.S. Military and Defense

Norfolk Naval Station is the world's largest naval station by any measure — more than 8,000 acres, 75 ships, 134 aircraft, and 80,000 military and civilian personnel. Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach is the East Coast's master jet base for carrier aviation, home to F/A-18 Super Hornets and the strike fighter wings that deploy aboard nuclear carriers built across the Elizabeth River in Newport News. Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton covers the 1st Fighter Wing, Air Combat Command headquarters, and the Army's TRADOC.

The defense contractor ecosystem surrounding these installations is enormous: Huntington Ingalls Industries, BAE Systems (Norfolk Ship Repair), L3Harris Technologies, SAIC, Booz Allen Hamilton, CACI International, DXC Technology, and hundreds of smaller subcontractors all maintain significant Hampton Roads presences. Defense contractor disputes — procurement fraud (False Claims Act), employment discrimination, security clearance revocations, subcontractor payment disputes — generate a substantial federal and state court docket. EDVA's Norfolk Division is the primary venue for defense contractor federal matters.

Shipbuilding and Maritime Commerce

Huntington Ingalls Newport News Shipbuilding employs more than 21,000 people and is the only facility in the Western Hemisphere capable of designing, building, and refueling nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. The Gerald R. Ford class carriers — the most complex weapons systems ever built — are constructed here. This workforce concentration generates the region's most distinctive legal matters: Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA) claims for dock workers and shipbuilders injured on the job, ERISA disputes over retirement and health benefits for a workforce with decades of service, collective bargaining-related litigation for the Metal Trades union members, and government contract disputes over the cost-plus defense procurement contracts that govern carrier construction.

Norfolk's port infrastructure — which includes the Virginia International Terminals at Norfolk International Terminals and the Portsmouth Marine Terminal — generates maritime commerce disputes: cargo damage claims, bills of lading disputes, vessel charter party arbitrations (which may move to federal court for confirmation), and marine insurance subrogation matters. EDVA Norfolk has specialized admiralty expertise and vessel arrest procedures that make it the preferred federal forum for maritime matters in the region.

Healthcare

Sentara Healthcare operates twelve hospitals and more than 300 care sites across Hampton Roads, employing approximately 30,000 people — making it one of Virginia's largest private employers. Sentara's dominance generates healthcare-specific legal matters: medical malpractice defense (Sentara and its affiliated physicians are regular defendants in Virginia Beach and Norfolk circuit courts), ERISA plan disputes, employment discrimination claims from a large healthcare workforce, and anti-kickback compliance matters. Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters (CHKD) in Norfolk is the region's primary pediatric specialty center and generates pediatric malpractice defense matters. Eastern Virginia Medical School generates academic medical employment and student-rights disputes.

Retail and Consumer: Dollar Tree

Dollar Tree, Inc. (NYSE: DLTR) — headquartered at 500 Volvo Pkwy, Chesapeake, VA — operates more than 16,000 stores across the United States and Canada under the Dollar Tree and Family Dollar banners. Dollar Tree's Chesapeake headquarters makes it one of the most significant corporate litigation presences in EDVA. The company generates employment discrimination class actions, securities litigation (investor suits following stock price volatility), consumer class actions over pricing and labeling, and vendor/supplier disputes that land in Chesapeake Circuit Court or EDVA's Norfolk Division. For firms with Dollar Tree-related matters, EDVA is the dominant federal venue.

Insurance and Financial Services

Anthem (now Elevance Health) maintains significant operations in Virginia Beach. TowneBank, headquartered in Suffolk with major operations across Hampton Roads, and Atlantic Union Bank anchor a regional financial services sector. USAA (a major military financial services provider) has a substantial customer base in Hampton Roads given the military population, and USAA-related disputes — auto claims, homeowners insurance, and life insurance matters — appear with some regularity in Virginia Beach Circuit Court. Regional bank litigation, TILA and RESPA compliance matters, and mortgage foreclosure defense proceedings also appear in circuit courts across the metro.

Real Estate and Construction

Virginia Beach's oceanfront resort district has been under active redevelopment since the early 2000s, generating continuous construction contract, mechanic's lien, and design professional malpractice litigation. The Town Center of Virginia Beach — a mixed-use urban development near the Judicial Center — has produced its own stream of commercial real estate and construction disputes. Chesapeake's explosive residential growth in the Great Bridge, Greenbrier, and South Chesapeake corridors generates homebuilder disputes, HOA covenant enforcement matters, and subdivision development litigation. The region's proximity to the coast means hurricane and storm damage insurance disputes are perennial features of the Virginia Beach and Chesapeake circuit dockets, particularly following major Atlantic storm seasons.

The EDVA Rocket Docket: A Practitioner's Deep Dive

The Eastern District of Virginia's reputation for speed is not marketing copy — it is the product of a deliberately cultivated institutional culture stretching back more than fifty years. Understanding how the rocket docket works is essential for any firm booking appearance counsel in Norfolk.

The EDVA's approach to case management is rooted in a simple principle: the court's time belongs to the court, not to the parties. At the Rule 16(b) scheduling conference — which EDVA judges convene quickly, often within thirty to sixty days of the first answer — the judge sets a trial date. That date is firm. Continuances are available only on a showing of extraordinary circumstances beyond the parties' control, and judges have been known to deny continuances even when parties consent. The court's position is that parties knew the speed of EDVA when they filed there, or removed there, and should plan accordingly.

For appearance counsel, the practical implications are significant. Because every deadline runs from a fixed, immovable trial date, discovery disputes arise early and hotly. Motions to compel, protective order disputes, and third-party subpoena enforcement proceedings generate a constant need for local counsel to appear in discovery hearings with minimal notice. Summary judgment briefing compresses into a narrow window, generating status conferences and motions hearings in rapid succession. Daubert challenges to expert witnesses — filed early because trial preparation must begin immediately after summary judgment — require hearing attendance that is difficult to schedule around from a distant office.

EDVA judges are also fastidious about local rule compliance. Memoranda that exceed the 30-page limit are rejected without leave to refile. Proposed orders must accompany every motion. The meet-and-confer requirement before filing discovery motions is genuine — judges have sanctioned parties who filed motions without a substantive good-faith effort to resolve the dispute. Appearance attorneys working EDVA regularly understand these expectations; attorneys who practice primarily in state court or other federal districts may not, and that gap in knowledge creates risk for their clients.

In EDVA, a scheduling order is not a suggestion. Firms that treat Norfolk like a typical federal court — where continuances are available on motion and trial dates drift — discover the rocket docket's reality the hard way. The court's efficiency is its most valuable feature for clients who benefit from speed, and its most demanding characteristic for firms that prefer flexibility.

Virginia State Court Practice: What Appearance Attorneys Need to Know

Virginia's circuit courts operate under the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia, which govern procedure in all circuit courts statewide. Practitioners appearing in Hampton Roads circuit courts for the first time should be aware of several Virginia-specific procedural features that differ from other jurisdictions.

Virginia uses a "circuit court" model where the circuit court is the trial court of record — the equivalent of a superior court or district court in other states. General district courts handle lower-value civil matters and preliminary criminal proceedings; circuit courts handle everything else. Appeals from general district court go to circuit court for de novo review (not an appellate review of the lower court record), which means a circuit court appearance on a case originating in district court may involve a full new trial rather than a hearing on the record.

Virginia's demurrer (motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim), plea in bar (motion to dismiss on affirmative defense grounds), and motion craving oyer (motion for a more definite statement) are procedural mechanisms that differ from their federal equivalents. Appearance attorneys handling substantive motions in Virginia state court should confirm these procedural requirements with lead counsel before appearing.

Electronic filing through Virginia's eCourts system has been progressively rolled out across the state, but not all courts have transitioned fully. Some clerk functions — particularly in smaller courts like Suffolk — still involve paper filings for certain matter types. Appearance counsel should confirm current filing procedures with the relevant clerk's office before an appearance.

Booking Appearance Counsel: Logistics and Timing

CourtCounsel's standard booking process for Hampton Roads matters is straightforward. Post your request with the court, matter type, hearing date, and any briefing materials you want counsel to review. Our system matches verified, VSB-admitted attorneys (or EDVA-admitted attorneys for federal matters) with availability and practice area alignment to your specific court. Confirmation typically occurs within a few hours during business hours.

For EDVA rocket docket matters, where hearing notices can come with as little as 24 to 48 hours' notice, CourtCounsel maintains a pool of Norfolk-area attorneys with rapid-response availability specifically for same-day and next-day EDVA appearances. These attorneys hold current EDVA bar admission, CM/ECF credentials, and familiarity with EDVA-specific local rule requirements. When a scheduling order drops at 4 PM on a Tuesday for a Thursday discovery hearing, the infrastructure exists to confirm appearance counsel before business close.

Standard CourtCounsel rate ranges for Hampton Roads federal appearances:

All CourtCounsel attorneys are independently verified for bar admission, active standing, and malpractice coverage before appearing on our platform. For EDVA matters, we verify EDVA bar admission specifically — Virginia State Bar admission alone does not authorize federal court appearances. Bookings are available 48 hours in advance for standard requests, and same-day in the Hampton Roads metro area for emergency coverage.