Pro Se Staff Attorney

Summary

The Richmond Division of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia is currently accepting applications for a full-time Pro Se Staff Attorney. The Pro Se Staff Attorney carries primary responsibility for managing Social Security appeals by conducting legal research and preparing draft reports and recommendations, or memorandum opinions and orders, including cases involving self-represented claimants. Preference given to candidates able to start as soon as possible.

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Duties

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Duties and responsibilities include:

• taking primary responsibility for the Court's social security docket;
• taking primary responsibility for a portion of the Court's immigration and pro se prisoner docket;
• providing substantive legal analysis of pleadings and making recommendations directly to the judges regarding the disposition of motions;
• drafting appropriate reports and recommendations, orders, and opinions for review by judges;
• efficiently managing the flow of the Court's social security, immigration, and pro se prisoner litigation;
• providing information to judges and Court staff on legal issues unique to social security, immigration, and pro se prisoner litigation;
• evaluating existing procedures and developing and implementing improved processes for the adjudication of the Court's social security, immigration and pro se prisoner litigation;
• preparing periodic reports for judges on trends in the respective dockets;
• conducting legal research and keeping abreast of developments in the law including but not limited to social security appeals, prisoner immigration cases, § 1983 cases, and capital habeas cases in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court;
• reviewing voluminous administrative and state court records and trial transcripts;
• collaborating with other staff attorneys and chambers law clerks; and
• performing other duties as assigned.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Employees must be United States citizens or eligible to work in the United States.
• Employees will be hired provisionally pending the results of a background investigation.
• Employees are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees.
• Employees are required to use Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) for payroll deposit.
• Positions with the United States District Court Clerk's Office are Excepted Service appointments.

Qualifications

JSP Grade 11 ($78,009 - $101,417): Law school graduate (top quarter or law review required) with less than 1 year of legal work experience after the JD.

JSP Grade 12 ($93,499 - $121,551): At least 1 year of legal work experience after the JD. Must be a member of the bar of a state, territorial, or federal court of general jurisdiction.

JSP Grade 13 ($111,183 - $144,540): At least 2 years of legal work experience after the JD. Must be a member of the bar of a state, territorial, or federal court of general jurisdiction.

JSP Grade 14 ($131,385- $170,806): At least 3 years of legal work experience after the JD. Must be a member of the bar of a state, territorial, or federal court of general jurisdiction.

Education

Law school graduate (top quarter or law review required).

Additional information

• Excepted service appointments are at will and can be terminated with or without cause by the Court.
• To view the full job announcement please visit our website at

The United States District Court is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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