Do you need a lawyer licensed in your own state?

Lawyers are licensed state by state, not nationally. A lawyer admitted in Ohio is not automatically permitted to represent you in a Georgia court. This surprises people who found a firm online and assumed reach was national.

The default

For most matters you want a lawyer admitted in the state where the case will be heard or where the events happened. Court filings, local rules, local judges and local procedure all favour it, and in many situations it is simply required.

The real exceptions

Federal practice. Some areas are governed by federal law and practised before federal agencies rather than state courts. Immigration is the clearest example: an immigration lawyer admitted in any state can generally represent you before the immigration authorities regardless of where you live. Patent practice before the USPTO works on its own admission system too.

Multiple admissions. Plenty of lawyers are admitted in more than one state, which is common near state lines and in metropolitan areas that straddle borders.

Admission for one case. A lawyer from elsewhere can often be admitted temporarily for a specific matter, usually working alongside a locally admitted lawyer. This is routine for specialists brought in on a particular case.

Work that is not court work. Advice, negotiation and drafting have more room than litigation does, though the boundaries vary and are taken seriously.

What to do with this

Ask directly: "Are you admitted in the state where my case will be handled?" If the answer is no, ask how they intend to handle that. A good answer names a local firm they work with or a temporary admission process. A vague answer is a reason to keep looking.

You can see which states this network covers on the find an attorney pages, and every member lists the states they are admitted in.

General information about how licensing works, not advice about your matter. If you are unsure which state governs your case, that is itself a question worth asking a lawyer.