Judicial Assistant to Sr. U.S. District Judge, Leslie E. Kobayashi

Hawaii State Bar Association; Honolulu (HI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The Judicial Assistant supports the Senior U.S. District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi in the District of Hawaii, performing a wide range of administrative and clerical tasks and managing the judge's chambers.

Responsibilities include calendar management, travel planning, preparation of legal documents, coordination with law clerks, and confidential handling of sensitive information in a fast-paced environment. Strong organizational skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Six years of progressively responsible secretarial/administrative management experience; substitute with a law degree.
• Strong computer and typing skills; proficient in Windows and Microsoft Word/Office.

Responsibilities

• Prepare reports and gather statistical data for reports.
• Manage day-to-day operation of chambers and case management system.
• Prepare/edit legal documents and verify citations.
• Coordinate travel itineraries and maintain Judge's calendar.
• Greet callers and manage reception and communications.
• Oversee filing systems and document maintenance.
• Assist law clerks and handle appointments and leave records.

Skills

Secretarial/administrative management

Excellent communication

Confidentiality & discretion

Multitasking / prioritization

Independent work ethic

Education

Bachelor's degree

Legal / paralegal education

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Office

Windows

Federal Court programs

Job description

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF HAWAII
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
NO. 2026-07

Position Title: Judicial Assistant to Sr. U.S. District Judge, Leslie E. Kobayashi

Terms of Employment: Full-time, Excepted Service

Classification Level: Judicial Salary Plan, JSP09 - JSP11
Table HI – Hawaii
Starting salary, dependent on qualifications and experience

Salary Range: $70,005 - $110,116*
*Salary range noted above based on 2026 pay tables and includes an 8.64%
non-taxable Hawaii Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), which is subject to
change annually.

Position Location: United States District Court
300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room C-338
Honolulu, HI 96850

Closing Date: The position will remain open until filled

Approximate Start: December 2026

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Judicial Assistant is directly responsible for assisting the District Judge with anextensive variety of case-related and professional administrative tasks, as well asoverseeing the management of the Judge=s chambers.

The primary focus of the position is to contribute to the smooth and efficient administration of the chambers by providing administrative and clerical assistance. The performance of the incumbent has impact on the court staff, other judges, the bar, litigants, counsel, outside agencies, and the public.

JOB SUMMARY

The Judicial Assistant is located in the Judge’s chambers. This position provides day-today management of operations and administrative, legal, technical, and secretarial assistance.

Position Duties

• Prepare reports; assemble and attach supplemental material, gather and maintain
  statistical data for reports.
• Manage day-to-day operation of chambers.
• Manage chambers internal case management system, including coordination with
  law clerks on chambers caseload and communicating with other chambers
  regarding case-related issues.
• Prepare and/or edit legal documents, proofread, and verify citations. Prepare correspondence, memoranda, speeches, and agendas for meetings and conferences.
• Manage the flow of information coming into and going from chambers, including receiving and reviewing, handling, or appropriately referring incoming and outgoing correspondence and filings, electronic and paper.
• Prepare and maintain the Judge’s travel itineraries and arrangements, and coordinate with other court units.
• Maintain Judge’s calendar. Arrange meetings and conferences for Judge and support personnel.
• Maintain, update, and track both paper and electronically filed documents. Organize and maintain filing systems.
• Perform receptionist duties by greeting callers in person and on the telephone, responding to inquiries, and directing callers to the appropriate staff member.
• Provide assistance to and communicate with law clerks.
• Handle annual appointments, promotions, separations and leave record data for law clerks.
• Handle the enter and exit process.
• Maintain office supplies and equipment and handle routine office matters.
• Other duties as requested.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

At the time of appointment, the candidate must have the following minimum requirements:

• A minimum six years of progressively responsible secretarial/administrativemanagement experience, at least four of which include responsibility as the primarysupport for a supervisor dealing with law-related matters. A law degree or othereducation may be substituted for some general experience.
• Advanced computer and typing skills, including proficiency in Windows, with theability to become proficient in the use of Microsoft Word and Microsoft Office, as wellas Federal Court computer programs.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Accuracy and attention to detail ingrammar, spelling, editing, and proofreading. Consummate professionalism,discretion, and integrity. Ability to maintain strict confidentiality of all office andjudicial matters, work independently as needed, and organize work with proficiency.Ability to successfully handle multiple priorities with conflicting deadlines anddemonstrate flexibility and responsiveness to changing priorities.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with federal court procedures.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university
• Legal or paralegal education and experience.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Applicants must be United States citizens or eligible to work in the United States. All application information is subject to verification. The selected candidates will be provisionally hired subject to successful completion of a background investigation by law enforcement agencies, which includes an FBI fingerprint check.

Court employees are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees. This position is subject to mandatory electronic funds transfer for payroll direct deposit.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Compensation will be set based on the experience and qualifications of the successfulcandidate subject to the policies and guidelines set forth in the Judicial Salary Plan. FederalGovernment Civil Service classifications/regulations do not apply; however, courtemployees are entitled to similar benefits as other Federal Government employees.

Time off: 13 days of accrued annual leave the first three years, increasing with tenure thereafter, 13 sick days accrued per year, 14 paid holidays (including both federal and local holidays).

Federal Pension and employer-matching Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401K).

Choice of a variety of employer-subsidized federal health and life insurance plans. Optional dental and vision insurance coverage.

Flexible spending account to pay out-of-pocket health and dependent care expenses with tax-free dollars.

Other Perks: Eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, public transit subsidy, onsite cafeteria and gym.

See the United States Courts website for an overview of Federal Judiciary benefits.

APPLICATION PROCESS

It is recommended that applicant packets be submitted as soon as possible. To ensure consideration, qualified applicants please submit one of each of the following combined into a single pdf:

1) Letter of interest emphasizing experience relevant to the position;
2) An updated resume;
3) A completed and signed AO-78 (Judicial Branch Federal Employment application,
version dated 5/24), which is available from the Hawaii U.S. District Court website:
www.hid.uscourts.gov under FORMS and “Miscellaneous,” or on the Employment
Page; and
4) Three professional references with current contact information.

The U.S. District Court will only communicate with those individuals who will be invited for
personal interviews and only applicants who are interviewed will receive a response
regarding their application status. Interview and relocation expenses are not eligible for
reimbursement.

The District of Hawaii, U.S. District Court reserves the right to modify or withdraw this
vacancy announcement, to fill the position at any time before the closing date, if one is
provided, or to fill more than one position from this vacancy, any of which may occur without
prior written or other notice. If a subsequent vacancy of the same position becomes available
within a reasonable time of the original announcement, a candidate from the original
qualified applicant pool may be selected.

Equal Focused Employer

The Court encourages applications from all qualified individuals and seeks 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 accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please notify Human Resources at 808-541-1441. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

We value diversity, are committed to equity and inclusion, and support a workplace in which everyone is treated with dignity and respect.