The Attorney Advisor position is located in the Civil Division, Office of the Director, at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The primary purpose of the position is to provide legal and procedural advice to judicial officers and staff, court administrators, and other court personnel to ensure compliance with D.C. Code; case law; and Civil Division policies, business processes, and standard operating procedures.
Summary
The Attorney Advisor position is located in the Civil Division, Office of the Director, at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The primary purpose of the position is to provide legal and procedural advice to judicial officers and staff, court administrators, and other court personnel to ensure compliance with D.C. Code; case law; and Civil Division policies, business processes, and standard operating procedures.
United States Citizens or individuals lawfully admitted for permanent residency or authorized by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service to work in the United States.
As the Attorney Advisor, the incumbent is responsible for performing the following major duties:
Reviews case documents and prepares cases for Judges and Magistrate Judges presiding over Landlord and Tenant; and other Civil Division specialty calendars. Ensures cases are processed in compliance with relevant laws, rules, and/or policies relevant to Court, division, and/or branch processes and procedures.
Monitors case activity and caseload for conformance with court performance standards and consulting with judicial officers and staff, court administrators and other court personnel to ensure compliance. Develops and provides performance standards reports to judicial officers and staff, court administrators and other stakeholders. Analyzes performance data to determine trends or problems and making recommendations for remediation.
Provides legal and procedural advice and assistance to division Judges and Magistrate Judges while court is in session.
Drafts proposed orders for Civil Division Judges or Magistrate Judges.
Performs legal research, prepares legal memoranda, and provides legal advice to division judicial officers and staff, court administrators, and other court personnel.
Reviews proposed and recently enacted legislation and drafts legal memoranda for judicial officers and staff, court administrators or other court personnel regarding the impact of such legislation on the division.
Conducts, develops, or assists with training or preparation of training content and materials for judicial officers and staff, court administrators, and other court personnel relative to division rules, processes and procedures.
Background and security investigation are required.
A probationary period of one (1) year must be successfully completed.
To qualify for this position, the following must be submitted:
Resume
Completed Vacancy Questionnaire
Documentation/Proof of Education (e.g. copy of law degree or transcript)
Proof of active bar membership
Two writing samples (legal memorandum or legal brief). Each sample must be no more than five (5) pages.
List of three (3) professional references
All required documentation must be received by the closing date of the announcement.
Qualifications
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: A Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school, a member in good standing of the bar of any state, United States territory, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and have a minimum of three (3) years of legal experience. Experience may include work prior to, during, or after law school, including student practice organizations, clinical legal programs, externships, summer internships, law clerking, or pro bono legal assistance. Credit will be given for paid, unpaid, and/or part-time work in a legal environment. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the verifiable dates (month/year) and total number of hours worked per week.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: A Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school, a member in good standing of the District of Columbia Bar, or have a pending membership to the District of Columbia Bar, and have three (3) or more years of legal experience.
OTHER APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
Applicants must submit two (2) writing samples (legal memorandum or legal brief) as part of the application. Each sample must be no more than five (5) pages in length.
Documentation of education (copy of J.D. degree or transcript) and proof of active bar membership must be submitted with your application or your application will not be considered.
Rule T of DC Superior Court Rules states: neither the Clerk nor the Clerk’s assistants, nor anyone serving as a law clerk or secretary to a judge of this Court, or employed in any other capacity in this Court, shall engage in the practice of law while continuing in such position.
The incumbent should be an enthusiastic and engaged professional who enjoys working with a diverse group of Court personnel and customers and lives the DC Courts’ values of Accountability, Excellence, Fairness, Integrity, Respect, and Transparency.
Please note that authorization for the release of your adult criminal record revealing any convictions and forfeitures, and any criminal cases currently pending before the courts is required. If you are selected for the position, a criminal history records check will be conducted.
Education
To qualify based on education, upload a copy of your college transcript or degree. The transcript must show the name of the college or university, your name, list of courses with credit hours, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking.
Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for District of Columbia Courts employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.
Foreign Education: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must upload a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript at time of application to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/
Additional information
This job is being filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive Federal civil service.
Please note there is a mandatory one year probationary period for all new court employees.
All required information must be received by the vacancy announcement closing date.
Rule T of DC Superior Court Rules states: neither the Clerk nor the Clerk’s assistants, nor anyone serving as a law clerk or secretary to a judge of this Court, or employed in any other capacity in this Court, shall engage in the practice of law while continuing in such position.
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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
This is not a federal position.
The District of Columbia Courts is an independent branch of the District of Columbia Government and is not under the authority of the City Mayor or the D. C. Council. DC Courts' appropriation comes directly from Congress. All DC Courts non-judicial employees receive federal benefits for the following programs: Life Insurance, Retirement Benefits, Health Insurance and Workers Compensation.
Please click on the following for more information about these benefits:
Annual Leave: New full-time employees earn four (4) hours of annual leave biweekly. After three years of service this increases to six (6)hours biweekly, and at 15 years it increases to eight(8)hours biweekly. Most military, federal and District of Columbia government service counts toward the time required to go into the next higher annual leave category. Employees can carry over no more than 240 hours of annual leave into the next leave year.
Sick Leave is used for personal medical needs, care of a family member, or adoption related purposes. Full-time employees earn four(4)hours of sick leave biweekly. This leave can be accrued without limit.
In addition to the federal health plans, the DC Courts offer employees supplemental vision and dental plans as well as a commuter transit benefit subsidy, for a maximum of $150 a month. There are 26 pay periods in the year.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Upon receipt of your complete application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure that you meet the minimum qualification requirements. Answers submitted in the questionnaire must be supported on your resume.
Your resume must reflect the relevant experience and that you meet the minimum qualifications or your application will not be considered.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
This is not a federal position.
The District of Columbia Courts is an independent branch of the District of Columbia Government and is not under the authority of the City Mayor or the D. C. Council. DC Courts' appropriation comes directly from Congress. All DC Courts non-judicial employees receive federal benefits for the following programs: Life Insurance, Retirement Benefits, Health Insurance and Workers Compensation.
Please click on the following for more information about these benefits:
Annual Leave: New full-time employees earn four (4) hours of annual leave biweekly. After three years of service this increases to six (6)hours biweekly, and at 15 years it increases to eight(8)hours biweekly. Most military, federal and District of Columbia government service counts toward the time required to go into the next higher annual leave category. Employees can carry over no more than 240 hours of annual leave into the next leave year.
Sick Leave is used for personal medical needs, care of a family member, or adoption related purposes. Full-time employees earn four(4)hours of sick leave biweekly. This leave can be accrued without limit.
In addition to the federal health plans, the DC Courts offer employees supplemental vision and dental plans as well as a commuter transit benefit subsidy, for a maximum of $150 a month. There are 26 pay periods in the year.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the vacancy questionnaire. Afterward, click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.
District of Columbia Courts
Moultrie Building
500 Indiana Avenue, NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20001
United States
Next steps
Once your completed application is received, the qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. All applicants will be notified of the final outcome.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
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.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the vacancy questionnaire. Afterward, click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.
District of Columbia Courts
Moultrie Building
500 Indiana Avenue, NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20001
United States
Next steps
Once your completed application is received, the qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. All applicants will be notified of the final outcome.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
