Traditionally, when an attorney appears on behalf of a client in a matter, federal courts have required that the attorney represent the client in all respects. The Local Rules in the Southern District of New York continue to reflect this approach, and do not provide for limited-scope representations—i.e., representations when an attorney represents a client for only a portion of a case. In criminal cases, limited-scope representations typically are unnecessary and ill-advised, including because counsel is constitutionally guaranteed. In civil cases, however, where counsel is not guaranteed and litigants often cannot afford a full-scope attorney, commentators, bar associations, and courts have recognized the value of limited-scope representations.