Attorney Advisor

United States Courts; New York (NY); On-site; USD 119,000 - 197,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

11 Paid Holidays

Group Life Insurance

Retirement Benefits Plan (FERS)

Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)

Flexible Spending Accounts

Transit Subsidy Program

On-site fitness center

Employee assistance program (EAP)

Mandatory EFT for net pay

Job summary

The Southern District of New York invites applications for the Attorney Advisor position, providing primary legal support to the Clerk of Court. The role requires rigorous analysis of statutes, rules, and procedures, and collaboration with the Office’s leadership to maintain a high‑performing judiciary office.

Candidates must have a JD, be admitted to the bar, and at least four years of progressively responsible legal experience.

Qualifications

• A Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school and admission to a bar.
• A minimum of four years of progressively responsible experience in the practice of law, legal research, or legal administration, or equivalent experience gained after graduation from law school.
• Ability to analyze complex legal questions, conduct thorough legal research, and propose sound solutions; skill in legal reasoning and critical thinking.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to draft memoranda, orders, rules, and notices based on sound reasoning and to convey complex information clearly and concisely.
• Ability to understand and carry out detailed, complex, and evolving instructions while managing tight deadlines and competing priorities; excellent organizational skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including tact and the ability to de-escalate conflict, and the demonstrated ability to work effectively with judges, Court staff, the bar, and the public.
• Sound ethics and judgment, and the ability to consistently maintain Court confidentiality and comply with the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees.
• Ability to self-motivate, take initiative, and work independently under general guidance and direction.
• Skill in project and organizational management and the ability to adapt to shifting requirements in a fast-paced judicial environment.

Responsibilities

• Conduct legal research and provide advice to the Clerk of Court on matters of policy and procedure affecting Clerk’s Office operations, Court activities, and assigned projects.
• Analyze and interpret statutes, regulations, directives, Court rules, and orders affecting the operation of the Clerk’s Office and the Court, and monitor proposed legislation and policy changes for their impact on Court operations.
• Conduct internal audits and reviews of Clerk’s Office operations to ensure compliance with applicable statutes, rules, policies, and procedures.
• Draft memoranda, administrative orders, official correspondence, and other documents for the Clerk of Court and Chief Judge; proofread documents and verify citations.
• Prepare responses to surveys and requests for information from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, attorneys, other clerks’ offices, and the public regarding statutes, rules, policies, and procedures.
• Draft responses to public and attorney inquiries regarding Court procedures.
• Provide administrative support and counsel to the Clerk’s Office Committee, including drafting agendas and presentations, attending meetings, and recording minutes.
• Serve as project lead for certain operational initiatives, directing project scope, timelines, and deliverables with an emphasis on legal and procedural requirements.
• Collaborate with team members to assess the impact of proposed technology solutions on operations.
• Prepare and maintain comprehensive project documentation, including project plans, status report, and implementation assessments.
• Provide administrative support and counsel to the SDNY Rules Committee and the Joint EDNY/SDNY Rules Committee, including meeting logistics, attendance, and drafting of minutes.
• Serve as editor of the SDNY ECF Rules; maintain draft amendments, coordinate periodic review packages with stakeholders, and work with the Clerk and Clerk’s Office Committee on proposed revisions.
• Recommend, draft, review, and edit rules, policies, procedures, forms, and templates pertaining to Court and Clerk’s Office operations to ensure compliance with applicable authority.
• Draft and coordinate distribution of Notices to the Bar, including proposed rule amendments, public comment periods, and redline versions of amended rules.
• Coordinate the Conflict Review Certification process for the judges, including collection of certifications, related communications, and preparation of the final certification report to the Second Circuit.
• Provide guidance and support to judges regarding conflicts of interest and recusal matters, including preparation of related correspondence to counsel.

Skills

Legal research

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Ethics and confidentiality

Project management

Policy analysis

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Bar admission

Job description

Overview of the Position The Southern District of New York administers and presides over some of the most complex and high-profile cases in the country with litigation of national and international significance. The District of New York held its first session on the first Tuesday of November 1789 at the Old Royal Exchange in lower Manhattan presided over by Judge James Duane, who was appointed by President Washington. It was the first Court to sit under the new U.S. Constitution, preceding the U.S. Supreme Court by a few months. The District and its successor, the Southern District of New York, have sat continuously in New York, NY, since 1789. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York hears cases in Manhattan, White Plains, and Poughkeepsie, New York. The Attorney Advisor serves as the primary legal support to the Clerk of Court, providing legal advice and ensuring compliance with applicable statutes, rules, policies, and procedures. The Attorney Advisor reports directly to the Clerk of Court and collaborates with the Office’s executive team to ensure the Clerk’s Office functions as a unified, high-performing organization.

Duties and Responsibilities: The Attorney Advisor serves as the primary legal support to the Clerk of Court, providing legal advice and ensuring compliance with applicable statutes, rules, policies, and procedures. The Attorney Advisor reports directly to the Clerk of Court and collaborates with the Office’s executive team to ensure the Clerk’s Office functions as a unified, high-performing organization. The Attorney Advisor may serve as project lead on initiatives that affect aspects of Clerk’s Office operations. Occasional travel to the White Plains Courthouse may be required. Flexible part-time hours may be available between 30-40 hours/week. Responsibilities of the Attorney Advisor may include but are not limited to:

• Conduct legal research and provide advice to the Clerk of Court on matters of policy and procedure affecting Clerk’s Office operations, Court activities, and assigned projects.
• Analyze and interpret statutes, regulations, directives, Court rules, and orders affecting the operation of the Clerk’s Office and the Court, and monitor proposed legislation and policy changes for their impact on Court operations.
• Conduct internal audits and reviews of Clerk’s Office operations to ensure compliance with applicable statutes, rules, policies, and procedures.
• Draft memoranda, administrative orders, official correspondence, and other documents for the Clerk of Court and Chief Judge; proofread documents and verify citations.
• Prepare responses to surveys and requests for information from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, attorneys, other clerks’ offices, and the public regarding statutes, rules, policies, and procedures.
• Draft responses to public and attorney inquiries regarding Court procedures.
• Provide administrative support and counsel to the Clerk’s Office Committee, including drafting agendas and presentations, attending meetings, and recording minutes.
• Serve as project lead for certain operational initiatives, directing project scope, timelines, and deliverables with an emphasis on legal and procedural requirements.
• Collaborate with team members to assess the impact of proposed technology solutions on operations.
• Prepare and maintain comprehensive project documentation, including project plans, status report, and implementation assessments.
• Provide administrative support and counsel to the SDNY Rules Committee and the Joint EDNY/SDNY Rules Committee, including meeting logistics, attendance, and drafting of minutes.
• Serve as editor of the SDNY ECF Rules; maintain draft amendments, coordinate periodic review packages with stakeholders, and work with the Clerk and Clerk’s Office Committee on proposed revisions.
• Recommend, draft, review, and edit rules, policies, procedures, forms, and templates pertaining to Court and Clerk’s Office operations to ensure compliance with applicable authority.
• Draft and coordinate distribution of Notices to the Bar, including proposed rule amendments, public comment periods, and redline versions of amended rules.
• Coordinate the Conflict Review Certification process for the judges, including collection of certifications, related communications, and preparation of the final certification report to the Second Circuit.
• Provide guidance and support to judges regarding conflicts of interest and recusal matters, including preparation of related correspondence to counsel.

Qualifications

• A Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school and admission to a bar.
• A minimum of four years of progressively responsible experience in the practice of law, legal research, or legal administration, or equivalent experience gained after graduation from law school.
• Ability to analyze complex legal questions, conduct thorough legal research, and propose sound solutions; skill in legal reasoning and critical thinking.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to draft memoranda, orders, rules, and notices based on sound reasoning and to convey complex information clearly and concisely.
• Ability to understand and carry out detailed, complex, and evolving instructions while managing tight deadlines and competing priorities; excellent organizational skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including tact and the ability to de-escalate conflict, and the demonstrated ability to work effectively with judges, Court staff, the bar, and the public.
• Sound ethics and judgment, and the ability to consistently maintain Court confidentiality and comply with the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees.
• Ability to self-motivate, take initiative, and work independently under general guidance and direction.
• Skill in project and organizational management and the ability to adapt to shifting requirements in a fast-paced judicial environment.

General Experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with employment law, human resources matters, or administrative law.
• Experience with leading projects, collaborating with others, and developing efficiencies.
• Prior work in a federal or state judiciary.

Employee Benefits

• 11 Paid Holidays
• Group Life Insurance
• Retirement Benefits Plan (FERS)
• Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Transit Subsidy Program (pursuant to eligibility requirements)
• On-site fitness center
• Employee assistance program (EAP)
• Mandatory enrollment in electronic funds transfer (EFT) for net pay

Additional Information

Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted and interviewees must travel at their own expense; except that reimbursement for travel may be available during the final stages of the interview process. Reimbursement for relocation is not available.

Employees of the U.S. Courts are excepted service appointments. Federal government civil service classifications or regulations do not apply. All offers of employment are provisional pending successful completion of a background check or investigation and a favorable employment suitability determination.

Salary Range: $118,557- $197,200 per annual.(Starting salary for non-Federal employees depends on work experience qualifications.)

Conditions of Employment

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents seeking U.S. citizenship

In order to be compensated with appropriated funds for a position within the continental United States, applicants must be:

• Lawful permanent resident (i.e., green card holder) who is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3)(B).

Note:

Some noncitizen applicants who are permanent residents may not yet be eligible to apply for citizenship at the time they begin. Such individuals may still lawfully be employed if they provide an affidavit indicating that they intend to apply for citizenship when they become eligible to do so.

Employees of the U.S. District Court are not included in the government’s Civil Service classification and are at-will employees.

All employees, interns and volunteers are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees available for public review on the USCourts.gov website.

The successful candidate for this position is subject to a high sensitive background check investigation. This position is subject to mandatory electronic funds transfer for payment of net pay.

*All internal applicants will receive an email confirming receipt of their application. If confirmation is not received within two days after the vacancy closes, please contact Human Resources.

The Southern District of New York values diversity and is committed to inclusion in the workplace. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals and seek a diversepool of applicants.

The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.