What are the responsibilities and job description for the Court Attorney (Elbow Law Clerk for PROMESA Cases) position at U.S. Courts?
Summary
Judge Laura Taylor Swain currently has an opening for a two-year New York-based clerkship commencing in late June / early July 2025 to assist Judge Swain in overseeing the PROMESA debt restructuring proceedings for Puerto Rico. Detailed job description and application procedures for this position are posted on : https : / / www.nysd.uscourts.gov / sites / default / files / sites / default / files / pdf / HR / 23-20 Court Attorney (Elbow Law Clerk for PROMESA Cases).pdf.
This job is open to
- The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Clarification from the agency
Open until filled, preference given to applications submitted by 03 / 03 / 2025.
Duties
The appointee to the position will come to the position with prior experience in complex commercial litigation; prior trial or bankruptcy law experience is helpful but not necessary. The appointee will perform duties in the chambers of the judge overseeing the ongoing PROMESA debt restructuring proceedings for Puerto Rico. Although adjustment plans have been confirmed for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and certain of its instrumentalities, significant additional litigation work continues. The appointee will independently conduct legal research on complex matters, including issues of first impression, as well as on a wide range of issues coming before the Court, review and monitor case records / filings, draft proposed opinions, memorandum decisions, and orders, provide objective analytical and procedural advice to the judge, chambers staff, and court staff, provide information to attorneys and parties in interest, and have significant case management, and some staff management, responsibilities. Representative duties include :
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
Applicants must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents seeking U.S. citizenship. In order to be compensated with appropriated funds for a position within the continental United States, applicants must be : (1) U.S. citizen, (2) Lawful permanent resident (i.e., green card holder) who is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. §1324b(a)(3)(B). Note : Some noncitizen applicants who are permanent residents may not yet be eligible to apply for citizenship at the time they begin. Such individuals may still lawfully be employed if they provide an affidavit indicating that they intend to apply for citizenship when they become eligible to do so. Employees of the United States District Court are not included in the government's Civil Service classification and are at-will employees. All employees, interns and volunteers are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees available for public review on the USCourts.gov website.
Qualifications
MINIMAL REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS :
Applicants must have graduated with a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from a law school that has been accredited by a recognized accrediting authority or be admitted to practice before the highest court of a State, Territory, Commonwealth, or federal court of general jurisdiction of the United States. In addition, applicants must also have specialized experience as shown in the table below.
Level Minimum Experience Requirement
CL-29
Two years of specialized experience, including at least one year equivalent to work at CL-28; and Admission to practice before the highest court of a state, territory, commonwealth, or possession of the United States.
CL-30
Three years of specialized experience, including at least one year equivalent to work at CL-29; and Admission to practice before the highest court of a state, territory, commonwealth, or possession of the United States.
CL-31
Four years of specialized experience, including at least one year equivalent to work at CL-30; and Admission to practice before the highest court of a state, territory, commonwealth, or possession of the United States.
Education
Applicants must have graduated with a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from a law school that has been accredited by a recognized accrediting authority or be admitted to practice before the highest court of a State, Territory, Commonwealth, or federal court of general jurisdiction of the United States.
Additional information
The applicant must be intellectually curious and have an aptitude and willingness to work with complex procedures and legal and financial concepts. The applicant must possess excellent organizational, collaborative, leadership, and time management skills, sound judgment, and an ability to maintain all chambers work interactions and work product confidential. The applicant must also display strong analytical and research abilities, and exhibit excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate detailed and complex information to others. A thorough knowledge of Adobe Acrobat and MS Office applications including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is also required. Given the time sensitivity and complexity of the workload, the applicant must be capable of working quickly at a high level of sophistication and accuracy, be available to work on a flexible basis, and have a work history reflecting dependability. The ability to work a full-time schedule and additional night and weekend hours on a regular basis as needed is necessary. Successful candidates are likely to have had substantial prior legal practice and / or clerkship experience. Law review or moot court experience is desirable; knowledge of the Spanish language would be helpful.
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How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applicants will also be evaluated based on their application and interview.
Review our benefits
As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
Resume, legal analytical writing sample, cover letter, law school transcript, and three written professional and / or academic references.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements :
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and / or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To be considered for this position, please submit a resume detailing your education and work experience, along with a legal analytical writing sample, a cover letter, law school transcript, and three written professional and / or academic references, which must include contact information for the references. The cover letter must indicate the position for which you are applying, including the vacancy number, and explain how your education and / or experience relate to the duties and responsibilities of the position. Resumes without the cover letter addressing qualifications will not be considered.
It is preferred for the applications to be submitted in a single PDF document, and for candidates to include the vacancy number and position title in the subject field of the e-mail containing the application. Applications submitted as zip files, cloud files and / or links will not be accepted. Applications that do not conform to the above procedures will not be considered. Only candidates selected for interview will be contacted.
Please submit your resume, writing sample, references, and cover letter to : Personnel@nysd.uscourts.gov
Agency contact information
Human Resources
Personnel@nysd.uscourts.gov
Address
US District Court - Southern District of New York
500 Pearl Street
New York, NY 10007
Next steps
Only candidates selected for interview will be contacted.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
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Required Documents
Resume, legal analytical writing sample, cover letter, law school transcript, and three written professional and / or academic references.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements :
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and / or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
To be considered for this position, please submit a resume detailing your education and work experience, along with a legal analytical writing sample, a cover letter, law school transcript, and three written professional and / or academic references, which must include contact information for the references. The cover letter must indicate the position for which you are applying, including the vacancy number, and explain how your education and / or experience relate to the duties and responsibilities of the position. Resumes without the cover letter addressing qualifications will not be considered.
It is preferred for the applications to be submitted in a single PDF document, and for candidates to include the vacancy number and position title in the subject field of the e-mail containing the application. Applications submitted as zip files, cloud files and / or links will not be accepted. Applications that do not conform to the above procedures will not be considered. Only candidates selected for interview will be contacted.
Please submit your resume, writing sample, references, and cover letter to : Personnel@nysd.uscourts.gov
Agency contact information
Human Resources
Personnel@nysd.uscourts.gov
Address
US District Court - Southern District of New York
500 Pearl Street
New York, NY 10007
Next steps
Only candidates selected for interview will be contacted.
Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
