Pro Se Law Clerk

ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER 23-WAW-36
ANNOUNCEMENT DATE  August 31, 2023
CLOSING DATE
Open until filled; the Court will use a rolling review process and priority consideration will be given to applications submitted on or before September 29th. Interviews will begin immediately.
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington seeks a qualified Full Time Pro Se law clerk. This position is located in the federal courthouse in Tacoma, Washington, with the opportunity to work remotely.

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES: Pro Se Law Clerks have a wide range of responsibilities, including managing the pro see caseloads of two Magistrate Judges; working on habeas corpus petitions brought under 28
U.S.C § 2254 and civil rights actions brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983; screening new complaints and habeas petitions; preparing drafts of non-dispositive pretrial orders; preparing drafts of dispositive Reports and Recommendations for the Court’s approval; and performing other duties as directed by the Court.
The ideal candidate will have work experience in state or federal litigation (or other legal employment involving research and writing) and in legal matters that require analysis of federal constitutional law.

QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants must be a law school graduate from an accredited law school. The position requires excellent professional communication with all employees of the court; is well-organized, exercises good judgment, and works in a self-directed manner; places emphasis on civility and welcomes constructive feedback; has strong, efficient, and accurate research and writing abilities; and utilizes Word, and Westlaw or Lexis proficiently.

SALARY RANGE Judiciary Salary Plan:

JSP Grade 11-14, Salary Range: $76,860 to $168,283 annually Depending on experience, qualifications, and bar membership
BENEFITS The District Court offers a generous benefit package, competitive salary, and a dedication to work/life balance including flexible schedules, ORCA transit passes, and telework opportunities. Judiciary employees participate in the Federal Employees Retirement System, Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401K), health and life insurance benefits, long term care options, annual sick leave accrual, and eleven paid holidays per year. Judiciary employees are not covered by the Office of Personnel Management’s civil service classification system or regulations. 

INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS

Only qualified applicants will be considered for this position. Applicants must be United States citizens or eligible to work in the United States. Employees of the United States District Court are considered “at will” employees. Applicants selected for interviews must travel (for in-person interviews) or connect via Zoom (for remote interviews) at their own expense.
The United States District Court requires employees to follow a code of conduct which is available upon request. Reference checks with current and former employers will be conducted on top candidates. A background investigation with law enforcement agencies, including fingerprint and criminal record checks, will be conducted as a condition of employment. Any applicant selected for a position will be hired provisionally pending successful completion of the investigation. Unsatisfactory results may result in termination of employment.
The Federal Financial Management Reform Act requires direct deposit of federal wages.
The United States District Court for the Western District of Washington is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals and seek a diverse pool of applicants in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, disability, religion, and socio-economic circumstance.
The Court provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please notify Human Resources. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis.
The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, to withdraw the announcement, or to fill the position sooner than the closing date, any of which may occur without prior written or other notice. If a position becomes vacant in a similar classification, within a reasonable time from the original announcement, the Clerk’s Office may select a candidate from the applicants who responded to the original announcement without posting the job announcement again. More than one position may be filled from this announcement.