U.S. Magistrate Judge

United States Courts; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 207,000 - 253,000; Full time

Job summary

The United States Courts is seeking a full-time U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of Maryland.

The initial duty station is in the Northern Division, with travel to the Southern Division as cases require, and potential relocation to the Southern Division in the future. The role encompasses conducting most preliminary criminal proceedings, trying and disposing of misdemeanors, handling pretrial matters and evidentiary proceedings, and trying civil cases with litigants' consent.

Qualifications

• Bar admission in the highest court of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands, with at least five years of active practice.
• Demonstrated good moral character, emotional stability, commitment to equal justice under the law.

Responsibilities

• Conducting most preliminary proceedings in criminal cases.
• Trying and disposing of misdemeanor cases.
• Conducting various pretrial matters (including ADR) and evidentiary proceedings on delegation from the judges of the district; and
• Trying and disposing of civil cases upon consent of the litigants.

Education

Bar admission in the highest court of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands

Active practice for at least five years

Job description

Overview of the Position The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland is now accepting applications to fill a full-time U.S. Magistrate Judge position. This vacancy is due to the impending retirement of Chief Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan on May 21, 2027.The Magistrate Judge’s initial duty station will be in the Northern Division, with travel to the Southern Division as case assignments require. The duty station for this position is subject to future relocation to the Southern Division depending upon the needs of the Court.

• Conducting most preliminary proceedings in criminal cases;
• Trying and disposing of misdemeanor cases;
• Conducting various pretrial matters (including ADR) and evidentiary proceedings on delegation from the judges of the district; and
• Trying and disposing of civil cases upon consent of the litigants.

The basic jurisdiction of U.S. Magistrate Judges is specified in 28 U.S.C. § 636 et seq.

Qualifications

To be qualified for appointment an applicant must:

• Be, and have been for at least five years, a member in good standing of the bar at the highest court of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands of the United States, and have been engaged in the active practice of law for a period of at least fiveyears (with some substitutes authorized);
• Be competent to perform all the duties of the office, be of good moral character, be emotionally stable and mature, be committed to equal justice under the law, be in good health, be patient and courteous, and be capable of deliberation and decisiveness;
• Be less than 70-years-old; and
• Not be related to a judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

A Merit Selection Panel composed of attorneys and other members of the community will review all qualified applications and recommend in confidence to the District Judges at least six persons it considers best qualified. The Court will make the appointments following FBI full-field investigations and IRS tax compliance reviews for each prospective appointee. An affirmative effort will be made to ensure due consideration of all qualified candidates, including women and members of minority groups. The current salary for a U.S. Magistrate Judge is $229,908. The term of office is eight years and incumbents may be reappointed.

The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.