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Pro Se Staff Attorney

Judicial Branch
U.S. Courts
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

Summary

The Pro Se Staff Attorney carries primary responsibility for managing Social Security appeals by conducting legal research and preparing draft reports and recommendations, or memorandum opinions and orders, including cases involving self-represented claimants.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/15/2026 to 04/26/2026
Salary
$131,385 - $170,806 per year
Pay scale & grade
JS 14
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Richmond, VA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
14
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
FY26-17R
Control number
865374500

This job is open to

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The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Duties

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  • taking primary responsibility for the Court's social security docket;
  • taking primary responsibility for a portion of the Court's immigration and pro se prisoner docket;
  • providing substantive legal analysis of pleadings and making recommendations directly to the judges regarding the dispositions of motions;
  • drafting appropriate reports and recommendations, orders, and opinions for review by judges;
  • efficiently managing the flow of the Court's social security, immigration, and pro se prisoner litigation;
  • providing information to judges and Court staff on legal issues unique to social security, immigration, and pro se prisoner litigation;
  • evaluating existing procedures and developing and implementing improved processes for the adjudication of the Court's social security, immigration and pro se prisoner litigation;
  • preparing periodic reports for judges on trends in the respective dockets;
  • conducting legal research and keeping abreast of developments in the law including but not limited to social security appeals, prisoner immigration cases, § 1983 cases, and capital habeas cases in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court;
  • reviewing voluminous administrative and state court records and trial transcripts;
  • collaborating with other staff attorneys and chambers law clerks; and
  • performing other duties as assigned.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Employees must be United States citizens or eligible to work in the United States.
  • Employees will be hired provisionally pending the results of a background investigation.
  • Employees are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees.
  • Employees are required to use Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) for payroll deposit.
  • Positions with the United States District Court are Excepted Service appointments.
  • Excepted service appointments are at will and can be terminated with or without cause by the Court.

Qualifications

Law school graduate (top quarter or law review required), with at least three years of professional legal experience. Strong preference for attorneys with experience working on social security and prisoner immigration, § 1983, and habeas corpus matters. Computer proficiency in Windows applications, word processing ability in Microsoft Word, and experience with computer-assisted legal research are required. Applicant must have the ability to analyze complex legal issues and understand a wide range of legal concepts, principles, and practices as they relate to social security appeals and prisoner litigation; perform legal research and write accurately and expeditiously; communicate complex issues in simple terms with a professional demeanor; set priorities; and manage work with limited supervision. Applicant must be detail-oriented and possess excellent organizational skills.

Education

Law school graduate (top quarter or law review required).

Additional information

To view the full job announcement please visit our website at www.vaed.uscourts.gov/jobs.

The United States District Court is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

All applications will be reviewed to identify the best qualified candidates. Only applicants selected for an interview will be notified. Applicants not selected for an interview will not receive notice concerning the status of their application. Preference will be given to candidates who are able to start as soon as possible.

U.S. Courts

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia is part of the judicial branch of the federal government. There are 94 U.S. District Courts in the country with at least one in every state and in all U.S. territories.

Virginia is bifurcated geographically and consists of two Districts - the Eastern District and the Western District. The Eastern District of Virginia has four divisions: Alexandria, Norfolk, Newport News, and Richmond. There are approximately 6.5 million residents within the Eastern District of Virginia's jurisdiction.

Federal courts hear cases involving the constitutionality of laws, disputes between states, and criminal cases originating from various federal agencies with law enforcement authority.

Agency contact information

Human Resources
Phone
757-222-7303
Email
Mara_Shingleton@vaed.uscourts.gov

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