Administrative Law Clerk to The Honorable Mary H. Murguia, Chief U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit

$77,343 - $169,343* (JS 11 – JS 14)
Phoenix, AZ

One-Year Term subject to renewal

Position Overview
The Administrative Law Clerk works under the immediate direction of the Chief Judge and is responsible for performing law clerk and administrative duties as assigned by the Chief Judge.

Position Background
Under Judicial Conference policy, a chief circuit judge is authorized to hire one additional law clerk (the “administrative law clerk”) beyond the positions allotted to other active circuit judges. The Chief Judge will rely on the administrative law clerk in her chambers in Phoenix, AZ, for immediate staff support in judicial administration. The administrative law clerk will also carry a reduced workload of traditional law clerk duties. The Ninth Circuit is the largest in the country, covering nine states and two territories, with 29 active circuit judgeships. The Circuit headquarters is in San Francisco, California. Some travel is required.

Minimum Qualifications

• J.D. Degree and at least one year of employment as an attorney (as a law clerk or in practice).

• Excellent research, writing, proofreading, and general communication skills.

• Exceptional organizational skills: the ability to multitask, to work independently, and to establish and meet deadlines.

• Ability to work cooperatively and harmoniously with the Chief Judge and other judicial officers, other law clerks, and other court and circuit employees.

• Poise to support the Chief Judge and participate in executive meetings and to understand and present the perspective of the Chief Judge and others fairly, as needed.

• High degree of professionalism and discretion.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior judicial clerkship experience.

• At least 2 to 3 years of experience in the practice of law (or in legal research, legal administration, or equivalent experience received after graduation from law school).

• Demonstrated interest in judicial administration, including court policy, court management, judicial collegiality, and civics initiatives.

Pay & Leave
Salary: Depending on qualifications and experience, $77,343 - $169,343 (JS 11-14).

Time off: 13 days of paid vacation for the first three years, increasing with tenure thereafter, 13 sick days accrued per year, 11 paid holidays.

Benefits

• Choice of a variety of employer-subsidized federal health and life insurance plans. Optional dental, vision, and long-term care coverage.

• Flexible spending account to pay out-of-pocket health and dependent care expenses with tax-free dollars.

How to Apply and Required Documents
Please submit a PDF application through the Court’s Career Portal that includes:

(1) Cover letter

(2) Resume

(3) 2 letters of recommendation or a list of three work references

Only complete applications will be considered.

Next Steps

• Priority given to applications received by February 14, 2025.

• Video conference interviews available.

• Position open until filled.

Conditions of Employment
Must be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident in the process of applying for citizenship. Successful applicants are provisionally hired pending results of background investigation and fingerprinting. Positions with the U.S. Courts are at-will, excepted service appointments, and may be terminated with or without cause by the Court. Employees are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees. Direct deposit of pay required.

The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, or to withdraw the announcement, for any reason including, but not limited to, budgetary issues. Said modifications may occur without prior written or other notice

Equal Focused Employer
We value diversity and are committed to equity and inclusion in our workplace. The Ninth Circuit encourages applications from all qualified individuals and seeks a diverse pool of applicants in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, disability, religion, and socio-economic circumstance.

Salary : $77,343 - $169,343