Staff Attorney

United States Courts for the Ninth Circuit; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 100,706 - 123,085; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Telework opportunities

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Mass transit subsidy

Health and life insurance

Job summary

United States Courts for the Ninth Circuit seeks attorneys for a one-year term Staff Attorney position in San Francisco, CA. The role is renewable up to five years based on performance and budget and offers exposure to civil, immigration, criminal, and habeas matters across subject-area teams.

Staff attorneys will handle motions and fully briefed cases, develop legal research and writing skills, and present recommendations to judges.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• At least two (2) years post-J.D. legal work experience.
• Licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney in any U.S. state, territory, or D.C., and active bar in good standing.

Responsibilities

• Reviewing motions and cases; independently researching legal issues.
• Identifying strongest recommendations for resolving matters.
• Orally presenting recommendations to monthly panels of judges.
• Drafting orders and non-precedential decisions.
• Managing a docket of cases and performing administrative tasks.
• Responding to public inquiries and processing emergency motions as needed.

Skills

Legal research

Legal writing

Oral advocacy

Education

J.D. from an accredited law school

Two years post-J.D. legal work experience

Job description

$111,896 (CL 28)

San Francisco, CA

Please submit applications by August 12, 2026

One-year term position, renewable up to a maximum of five years depending on performance and budget.

The Office of Staff Attorneys (OSA) seeks attorneys who are dedicated to supporting the federal Judiciary’s mission of ensuring equal justice under the law. We are excited to welcome team members who have excellent judgment and a high level of personal integrity, thrive on independent work and are open to feedback, adapt easily to new work assignments and legal developments, and embrace new challenges in response to court needs.

About the Office of Staff Attorneys

OSA is the central legal staff for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and is a highly collegial environment. OSA has subject area teams of attorneys who focus on civil, immigration, criminal, or habeas matters. Staff attorneys report to a team supervisor and the Chief Staff Attorney.

We value diversity and are committed to equity and inclusion in our workplace. 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.

For more information, please visit https://www.ca9.uscourts.gov.

About the Position

Staff attorneys are responsible for the substantive, procedural, and administrative processing of motions and fully briefed cases. This position will foster your legal research, writing, and oral presentation skills. Applicants who are hired for this position will be placed in a subject area team within OSA, depending on staffing needs as well as applicant experience and interest. We have several openings across subject areas.

Representative Duties

Processing motions and cases entails:

• Reviewing the parties’ filings and the record;
• Independently researching the legal issues;
• Identifying the strongest recommendation(s) for resolving the matter;
• Orally presenting recommendations to monthly panels of judges;
• Drafting orders and non-precedential decisions;
• Effectively managing a docket of cases; and
• Promptly and accurately performing administrative tasks.

Staff attorneys may also be called upon to respond to public inquiries and requests for information, and to process emergency motions on an expedited basis outside of regular work hours.

With increased experience, staff attorneys may handle a higher volume of assignments, conduct peer review of cases, and work on increasingly complex matters.

Position Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• At least two (2) years post-J.D. legal work experience consistent with the duties and responsibilities of this position.
• Proof that you are licensed and authorized to practice as an attorney under the laws of any State, territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, and an active member of the bar in good standing.

Total Rewards

• Salary: Depending on locality* $111,896 (CL 28)
• Time Off: 13 vacation days; 13 sick leave days; 11 paid holidays
• Benefits: Employer subsidized health and life insurance plans. Dental, vision, flexible spending account, long-term care plans available. Employer sponsored pension plan and supplemental retirement contribution plans with employer match.
• Other Perks: Telework opportunities, eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, mass transit subsidy, reasonable work hours, team environment, creative people, and enhanced tenure-based vacation accrual.

*OSA is headquartered in San Francisco, California and most staff attorneys are based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Opportunities to work from other courthouses in the Circuit (including Pasadena, California; Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington) are sometimes available.

Equity Focused Employer

We value diversity and are committed to equity and inclusion in our workplace. The Ninth Circuit 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.