Staff Attorney

Summary

The Legal Division of the Office of the Clerk, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, has openings for highly qualified attorneys to serve as staff attorneys to the full court. The positions are full-time and for a two-year term. Limited term extensions may be available. Some work may be done remotely.

Duties

The Legal Division's principal responsibility is to recommend to the court the disposition of substantive and procedural motions, appeals decided without oral argument, and emergency matters. Staff attorneys conduct legal research, prepare legal memoranda, draft proposed orders, respond to judges' inquiries, and make oral presentations. Staff attorneys meet with three-judge panels in formal conferences about twice a month. At conference, staff attorneys answer any questions about their cases, and the panel discusses and votes on staff attorney recommendations. Staff attorneys may also present their recommendations orally to the judges when handling time-sensitive emergency motions.

Requirements

Because the D.C. Circuit entertains a large number of high-profile and sealed cases, staff attorneys are subject to strict confidentiality requirements. In addition, your continued employment is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background check. A full background investigation for a security clearance may be required. Applicants must be United States citizens or eligible to work for the United States government.

Qualifications and evaluation

Applicants will be evaluated based on their application and an interview.

Education

At a minimum, applicants must possess a J.D. degree as of the position's start date. A judicial clerkship or internship, law review membership, or comparable legal research and writing experience is desirable. Litigation experience is advantageous. Graduation in the top 25% of your law school class is preferred.

Benefits

Information about benefits is available at https://www.uscourts.gov/careers/benefits.

How to apply

Email a cover letter (addressed to Felicia Powell, Human Resources Specialist), resume, law school transcript, and self-edited writing sample as a single PDF attachment to VacancyStaffAttorney-USCA-26-07@cadc.uscourts.gov.

Required documents

Cover letter Resume Law school transcript Self-edited writing sample See 'How to Apply' for instructions.

Additional information

More than one vacancy may be filled. All positions in the Clerk's Office are excepted appointments and are "at will." The selected candidate will serve a one-year probationary period. Selected applicants will be subject to mandatory electronic transfer of funds for payment of net pay. The United States Courthouse is a smoke-free building. The United States Court of Appeals is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.