Term Law Clerk

NACBA; Paducah (KY); On-site; USD 75,000 - 106,000; Full time

Job summary

The United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky is seeking a term judicial law clerk for United States Magistrate Judge Lanny King in Paducah, KY. The one-year appointment may start as early as August 17, 2026 and ends by September 8, 2026, with duties including legal research, drafting orders and opinions, and managing case filings.

Qualifications include ranking in the top third of your law school class, experience on a law review editorial board, and an LLM degree or

Qualifications

• Standing in the upper third of the law school class.
• Experience on the editorial board of the law review.
• Graduation from a school with an LLM degree.
• Demonstrated proficiency equivalent to the above qualifications.

Responsibilities

• Review legal submissions and perform legal research for civil and criminal cases.
• Draft orders, memoranda, and opinions for Judge King.
• Perform case management through CM/ECF and related tasks.
• Handle administrative duties for the Judge's chambers.

Skills

Legal research

Legal writing

Law review editor

Professional communication

Time management

Education

LLM degree

Tools

CM/ECF

Job description

POSITION: Term Law Clerk
LOCATION: Paducah, Kentucky
STARTING SALARY: JSP 11 - JSP 13 ($74,678 - $106,437)
CLOSING DATE: Open Until Filled

Position Summary

The United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky is seeking a term judicial law clerk to United States Magistrate Judge Lanny King. This position is for a one-year term beginning as early as August 17, 2026, but no later than September 8, 2026. A law clerk provides legal support to the Judge by conducting legal research and preparing legal documents such as orders, memorandum, and draft opinions on both civil and criminal cases. This position includes performance of administrative duties for Judge King.

Summary of Representative Duties and Responsibilities

Review legal submissions, perform legal research, and draft legal documents addressing a wide assortment of issues arising in mostly civil and some criminal litigation. Perform case management through the Case Management/Electronic Case Filing system (CM/ECF). Perform administrative office functions such as editing, proofreading, written correspondence, answering chambers' direct line, scheduling appointments, and maintaining the Judge's calendar.

Qualifications

• Standing within the upper third of the law school class from a law school on the approved list of either the American Bar Association or the Association of American Law Schools;
• Experience on the editorial board of a law review of such a school;
• Graduation from such a school with an LLM degree; or
• Demonstrated proficiency in legal studies which, in the opinion of the judge, is the equivalent of one of the above.

Additional Preferences

Familiarity with the federal judicial system’s electronic case filing system. Bar in any state. Practice experience in civil discovery. Law journal and/or moot court experience. Prior experience in legal office or courthouse environment. Exceptional legal research skills, including proficiency with electronic research. Exceptional legal writing skills. Exceptional ability to communicate, articulate, and relate to coworkers and others with professionalism and integrity. Self-motivated, able to manage multiple tasks and meet competing deadlines.

Benefits

• A minimum of 11 paid holidays per year
• Optional Federal Employee Health, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance Programs
• Optional Flexible Spending, Health Savings, and other Pre-tax Accounts for Health Care, Child Care, Vision and Dental Care, and Commuter and Parking expenses
• Credit for prior federal government service
• Prescribed salary progression based on acceptable performance

Information for Applicants

• Employees of the U.S. District Court are not covered by the Office of Personnel Management’s civil service classification system or regulations and are considered “at will” employees.
• Current appropriations law dictates who the Judiciary may hire in the continental U.S. as described under Citizenship Requirements. Applicant must be a U.S. Citizen, a person who owes allegiance to the United States, or in the U.S. under certain legal status and actively seeking citizenship. Learn more about citizenship requirements here.
• As a condition of employment, an FBI Background Investigation is required.
• This position is regular and full-time.
• Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for payroll deposit is required.
• Occasional travel within the district may be required.
• We will not pay relocation or interview travel expenses.

Only the most qualified applicants will be interviewed. Due to the volume of applications, chambers will only communicate with those applicants selected for an interview.

For additional information on the United States District Court, visit our web site at www.kywd.uscourts.gov

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER