Pro Se Law Clerk

United States Courts; Montgomery (AL); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama is accepting applications for the position of pro se law clerk. This role involves working directly with judges to manage prisoner and pro se complaints, drafting orders, and advising on complex habeas and civil rights matters.

Remote work may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Ideal candidates will have a JD from an accredited school, strong research and writing skills, and familiarity with federal habeas and PLRA.

Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited law school with exemplary academic record.
• Experience in prisoner litigation or federal clerkship preferred.
• Strong research and writing skills; ability to draft clear orders.

Responsibilities

• Draft daily and dispositive orders for pro se cases.
• Provide legal advice and guidance on pro se prisoner complaints.
• Screen complaints for procedural or legal issues and advise.
• Communicate with courts, agencies, counsel, and litigants.

Skills

Legal research

Legal writing

Case management

Clerkship experience

Education

Juris Doctor

Tools

Westlaw

Lexis

Job description

Overview of the Position The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama is accepting applications for the position of pro se law clerk. This position involves working directly with judges on managing prisoner and pro se complaints. Funding for the position is from year to year, reviewed annually, and based on the number of case filings. The Pro Se Law Clerk provides legal advice and assistance to the court in connection with pro se prisoner complaints.

The pro se law clerk will work independently, and draft all required daily and dispositive orders in cases filed by pro se prisoners. Completed orders are expected to be ready for judicial review and signature with minimal editing. Area of responsibility includes 28 U.S.C. § 2254, 28 U.S.C. §2255, 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and Bivens actions. The pro se clerk is responsible for managing assigned prisoner caseload daily. Must be a subject matter expert on the Prison Litigation(PLRA), the Eighth Amendment, and Supreme Court and Eleventh Circuit precedent governing habeas corpus, conditions of confinement, and other areas of prisoner litigation. Must be able to draft clear and concise orders that are well-supported by the law and facts in each case. Must be able to effectively screen complaints to determine whether there are procedural or legal bars to relief and make recommendations accordingly. The incumbent communicates with other courts, federal and state agencies, counsel, litigants, and court staff regarding court rules, procedural requirements, calendaring, and other litigation matters. The incumbent must remain current on developments in the law, particularly decisions issued by the United States Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Ethical considerations prohibit the lawyer employed in this position from practicing law in any capacity for compensation outside or in addition to work for the Court. Remote work will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Qualifications

Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited law school with an exemplary academic record and excellent research and writing skills. Candidates who possess prior prisoner litigation experience or federal clerkship experience are preferred. Computer-assisted legal research and word processing ability are essential. Computer-assisted legal research and word processing ability are essential. Light lifting may be required. Some travel may be required.

General Experience

Legal Work Experience

JSP 11 = graduation from an accredited law school

JSP 12 = one year of post-law school graduation experience and bar membership

JSP 13 = two years of post-law school graduation experience and bar membership

JSP 14 = three years of post-law school graduation experience and bar membership

*For JSP 14, two of the three required years of legal work experience must have been served in the federal judiciary as a chambers law clerk, staff attorney, pro se law clerk, bankruptcy appellate panel law clerk, or death penalty law clerk.

Employee Benefits

Employees of the U.S. District Court have access to an excellent benefits package which includes the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), Thrift Savings Plan (similar to 401k), health, life, dental & vision insurance, long-term care insurance, flexible spending program, paid federal holidays, and a leave accrual program. (NOTE: For FERS retirement, employees contribute to the Basic Benefit Plan through payroll deductions and receive a benefit, which is calculated at retirement. Employees appointed on or after Jan. 1, 2014, automatically contribute 4.4% of their base pay each paycheck to the Basic Benefit plan.) Additional information about federal judiciary employee benefits and compensation can be found online .

• Only qualified applicants will be considered for this position.
• Applicants must be United States citizens or eligible to work in the United States.
• Applicants selected for interviews must travel at their own expense.
• A background investigation with law enforcement agencies, including fingerprint and criminalrecord check, will be conducted as a condition of employment. Any applicant selected for theposition will be hired provisionally pending successful completion of investigation. Unsatisfactory
• results may result in termination of employment.
• Judiciary employees are considered “at will” and are not covered by federal civil serviceclassifications or regulations. Employees must adhere to the Code of Conduct for JudicialEmployees.
• All information provided by applicants is subject to verification. Applicants are advised thatfalse statements or omission(s) of information on any application materials may be grounds fornon-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment or dismissal after being employed.
• Payment of salary is subject to the mandatory electronic fund transfer (direct deposit) to a financial institution.

Employment, including the optional background information section.

The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.