Staff Attorney

Staff Attorney Position

This vacancy is for a Staff Attorney position for the Jacksonville Division. The court prefers applicants who are able to work in-person at the Jacksonville courthouse; however, the court will consider applicants who live outside the district and must work remotely if they have prior Federal Staff Attorney experience. Staff Attorneys in the Middle District of Florida provide legal assistance to the court in connection with prisoner litigation, including 1983 civil rights claims and state/federal habeas petitions. Experience in these matters is preferred, but not required. The caseload in the jurisdiction is heavy, and the types of cases presented are varied and often involve novel and complex legal issues. Qualified candidates must be capable of producing exceptional work under demanding time constraints. Although the nature of the job is serious, the work environment is collegial. There is regular interaction with the Judges, law clerks, and other staff concerning legal and court-related issues.

To qualify for the position, one must be a law school graduate at the time of appointment, have 3 years of post-JD legal experience, and possess excellent research and writing skills. Preference will be given to applicants with prior prisoner litigation experience or prior Federal Law Clerk experience.

All resumes will be considered when received. Submit a cover letter with resume, law school transcript, writing sample and list of three professional references as a PDF through Employment with the United States District Court offers civil law experience at the federal court level and an environment guaranteeing significant responsibility and challenge. Salary is determined by work experience, federal service, and pay history. Employees are required to use Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) for payroll deposit. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or eligible to work in the United States. The selected candidate will be subject to a background check as a condition of employment. The United States Government is an equal opportunity employer.

Employees of the United States Courts serve under excepted appointments and are considered "at-will" employees. Federal employees are eligible for a comprehensive federal benefits package. This includes participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System (for career employees), health insurance options, dental and vision coverage, life insurance, long-term disability insurance, long-term care insurance, flexible spending accounts, and up to 5% matching contributions to the Thrift Savings Plan (the federal 401(k) equivalent). Federal employees also receive generous paid time off, including paid vacation and sick leave, 11 federal holidays per year, and paid parental leave after meeting eligibility requirements. Employees may also be eligible for the Public Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program for qualifying federal student loans. For an overview of Federal Judiciary benefits, refer to the United States Courts website.

The United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida serves a 35-county area in mid-Florida with a population of more than ten million residents. The Clerk's Office, headquartered in Orlando, operates full-time divisional offices in Tampa, Jacksonville, Ocala, and Ft. Myers. The Clerk's Office provides essential clerical and administrative support to all components of the federal judicial administrative process.