Temporary Staff Attorney (Federal Court) – 15-Week, Remote

NACBA; Indianapolis (IN); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 127,000; Full time

Job summary

United States District Court, Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division, seeks a temporary Staff Attorney for a 15-week term beginning December 21, 2026. The role focuses on prisoner civil rights matters, with duties spanning legal research, drafting, and case management for judges across the district.

Candidates should have a JD, strong writing and research skills, and experience in clerking or federal practice.

Qualifications

• Law school graduation in the top quarter preferred.
• Law review/journal experience required or preferred.
• Strong character, maturity, and professional ethics.
• Excellent research, writing, proofreading, and citation skills (Bluebook).
• Proficiency with legal research tools and word processing software.
• At least one year of practice, clerkship, or comparable high-quality legal work.

Responsibilities

• Perform legal research and draft entries for court submissions.
• Screen prisoner civil rights complaints and review motions.
• Assist judges in hearings, conferences, and trials.
• Manage prisoner litigation caseload and case documentation.
• Coordinate with court staff on case handling and information sharing.

Skills

Legal research

Legal writing

Case management

Bluebook formatting

Communication

Clerking experience

Education

Juris Doctor (JD) degree

Tools

Windows

MS Word

Westlaw

LexisNexis

Job description

United States District Court, Southern District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division, seeks a temporary Staff Attorney for a 15-week term beginning December 21, 2026. The role focuses on prisoner civil rights matters, with duties spanning legal research, drafting, and case management for judges across the district.

Candidates should have a JD, strong writing and research skills, and experience in clerking or federal practice.