The Legal Division of the Office of the Clerk, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, has an immediate opening for a highly qualified attorney to serve as a staff attorney to the full court. More than one position may be filled from this announcement. The position is full-time and for a two-year term. Limited term extensions may be available.
The Legal Division of the Office of the Clerk, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, has an immediate opening for a highly qualified attorney to serve as a staff attorney to the full court. More than one position may be filled from this announcement. The position is full-time and for a two-year term. Limited term extensions may be available.
(depending on qualifications)
United States Citizens or persons eligible to work in the United States. More than one position may be filled from this announcement. This job is open until filled. Please note that a security clearance is not required when submitting applications.
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 to present their recommendations. Staff attorneys also present their recommendations orally to the judges when handling time-sensitive emergency motions.
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.
The caseload of the D.C. Circuit involves virtually every area of federal law, and is unique in the number of cases filed against the executive branch. Because staff attorneys must be able to advise the judges on difficult, varied, and important legal issues, the court is highly selective in its hiring. The court is looking for individuals who have demonstrated the ability to research and analyze complex legal issues in depth and to express themselves clearly, both orally and in writing.
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.
To qualify for the CL 28 level or above, you must be a member of the bar of a state or the District of Columbia, and have at least one year of relevant experience after graduation from law school.
Please read the "Qualifications" section.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applicants will be evaluated based on their application and an interview.
Please read the "How to Apply" section.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Email a cover letter (addressed to Valory Miller, Human Resouces Specialist), resume, law school transcript, and self-edited writing sample as a single PDF attachment to VacancyStaffAttorney@cadc.uscourts.gov. Please include the vacancy announcement number (USCA-23-07) in the subject line of the email.
Applications received in response to the original announcement will automatically be considered. Please do not submit another application if you have already submitted one.
Interviews will begin immediately. Due to the large volume of applications, the court will send a letter regarding the status of an application only to those candidates scheduled for interviews.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
