Summary The Office of the Clerk, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, has an immediate opening for a highly qualified attorney to serve as Special Counsel to the Clerk. A member of the Clerk's Office senior management team, the Special Counsel interacts frequently with judges and chambers' personnel. Responsibilities Providing procedural and substantive legal advice to the Court and Clerk's Office staff. Conducting research on legal questions posed by judges and the Clerk and preparing memoranda on the results of the research. Supervising a paralegal. Advising and assisting the Calendar Clerk and Opinions Clerk. Administering the attorney and amicus curiae appointment process. Overseeing the handling of post-dispositional petitions and motions. Drafting and prooing per curiam orders and judgments and Clerk's orders. Responding to inquiries from chambers and the public. Reviewing electronic and paper submissions to the Court to determine where to transmit them for disposition. Coordinating en banc matters. Handling out-of-circuit assignments and Special Master appointments. Directing the preparation of correspondence to attorneys, litigants, other courts, and the public concerning requests for action or information. Serving as liaison to the district court and Supreme Court. Providing after-hours supervisory duty for emergency matters. Requirements Conditions of Employment Because the D.C. Circuit entertains a large number of high-profile and sealed cases, employees are subject to strict confidentiality requirements. Employees must adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees. In addition, your continued employment is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of a background check. The successful completion of a Department of Justice security clearance is also required. Applicants must be United States citizens or eligible to work for the United States government. Qualifications The caseload of the D.C. Circuit involves virtually every area of federal law and is unique in the number of cases filed against the executive branch. Because the Special Counsel must be able to advise the judges, Clerk, and others on difficult, varied, and important legal issues, the Court is highly selective in its hiring. The court is looking for an experienced attorney who has demonstrated the ability to analyze complex legal issues quickly and to communicate clearly, both orally and in writing. Prior experience working for a federal court, especially in a Clerk's Office or a Staff Attorney Office, is preferred. A judicial clerkship, law review membership, or comparable legal research and writing experience is helpful. Other desirable qualifications include litigation experience and graduation in the top 25% of your law school class. Education At a minimum, applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be a member of the bar of a state or the District of Columbia, and have at least four years of specialized experience gained after graduation from law school, including at least one year equivalent to work at the CL-30. Specialized experience for this position is progressively responsible experience in the practice of law, in legal research, legal administration, or equivalent experience, gained after graduation from law school. Educational Substitutions: The following may be credited as one year of specialized experience: Graduation in the upper third of class from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association or the Association of American Law Schools; Membership on the editorial board of a law review of such a school; Graduation from a law school on the approved list of the American Bar Association or the Association of American Law Schools with an advanced degree (LLM or equivalent); or Demonstrated proficiency in legal studies which, in the opinion of the appointing official, is the equivalent of the above. Additional Information The selected applicant will serve a one-year probationary period. All positions in the Clerk's Office are excepted appointments and are "At-Will." The United States Court of Appeals is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. The selected applicant will be subject to mandatory electronic transfer of funds for payment of net pay. The United States Courthouse is a smoke-free building.
