UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT– SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF IOWA

POSITION: Full-Time Pro Se Law Clerk and Part-Time Pro Se Law Clerk (20 hours per week)

LOCATION: Council Bluffs, Davenport or Des Moines, Iowa (Consideration will be given to a full-time telework assignment only for exceedingly qualified applications)

OPENING DATE: November 15, 2024

CLOSING DATE: Open Until Filled, applications received by December 6, 2024, will receive priority consideration for the full-time position.  Applications received by December 16, 2024 will receive priority consideration for the part-time position.

EXPECTED START DATE: January/February 2025

CLASSIFICATION LEVEL/SALARY RANGE: JSP 11-14 ($73,088-$123,098), depending on experience, qualifications, and bar membership.  Rate is based on Des Moines, IA duty station and may vary if incumbent is assigned to Council Bluffs or Davenport, IA or designated as a telework in another location.  Salary will be prorated based on number of hours worked for the part-time position.)

POSITION OVERVIEW

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa is seeking a full-time and a part-time pro se law clerk. The incumbent provides legal advice and assistance to the Court in connection with pro se and represented prisoner litigation and reports to the Chief Judge.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Maintain primary responsibility for a portion of the Court’s pro se prisoner docket.

Perform substantive screening of all pro se prisoner and other designated prisoner petitions and motions filed, including state habeas corpus petitions, motions to vacate sentence, and civil rights complaints. 

Provide substantive legal analysis of pleadings and make recommendations directly to district, judges regarding motion dispositions and proposed Court orders.

Review the docket of pending pro se prisoner litigation and other designated prisoner cases to assure the proper progress of such cases and advise the Court of those cases where action by the Court is appropriate.

Coordinate between the Court and litigants.  Act as liaison with U.S. Attorney, Federal Public Defender, United States Probation Office, and appointed attorneys, as required.

Conduct legal research and stay abreast of developments in the law regarding prisoner litigation in the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court;

Provide information, guidance, and advice to district judges, magistrate judges, and other personnel working in the pro se prisoner area. Provide periodic training to appointed attorneys interested in taking pro bono cases.

Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

To qualify for the position of pro se law clerk, the applicant must be a law school graduate (or be certified as having completed all law school studies and requirements and merely awaiting conferment of degree) from a law school of recognized standing, and have one or more of the following attributes:

• Standing within the upper third of the law school class from a law school on the approved list of either the American Bar Association or the Association of American Law Schools;
• Experience on the editorial board of a law review of such a school;
• Graduation from such a school with an LLM degree; or
• Demonstrated proficiency in legal studies which, in the opinion of the Chief Judge, is the equivalent of one of the above.

The applicant should have exceptional legal research and writing skills and be proficient with Westlaw and Microsoft Word. The applicant also must have the ability to communicate effectively with coworkers and others with professionalism and integrity. The applicant should be self-motivated and able to manage multiple tasks and competing deadlines. Federal court experience and/or expertise in federal appellate, civil, or criminal law are not required, nor are ties to the Midwest.

BENEFITS

Benefits include eleven paid holidays, paid vacation and sick leave, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. Optional participation in Federal Employees’ Health Benefits Program, Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance Program, Flexible Benefits Program, and Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Employees must be United States citizens or eligible to work in the United States.

Employees are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees which is available for review upon request. A background investigation with law enforcement agencies, including fingerprint and criminal record checks, will be conducted as a condition of employment. Any applicant selected for a position will be hired provisionally pending successful completion of the investigation. Unsatisfactory results may result in termination of employment. Employees of the United States District Court are at will and can be terminated with or without cause at any time.

MISCELLANEOUS

The Federal Financial Management Reform Act requires direct deposit of federal wages.

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please notify human resources. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis.

We reserve the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, to withdraw the announcement, or to fill the position sooner than the closing date, any of which may occur without prior written or other notice.

We do not reimburse for expenses associated with interviews or relocation.

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Candidates must submit, in a single pdf document: (1) a cover letter, (2) a resume, (3) writing sample, (4) law school transcript, (5) a list of references with contact information, and (6) two letters of recommendation. Applications submitted without all items will not be considered. Only applicants selected for an interview will be notified.  Applications materials should be submitted via email to: applications@iasd.uscourts.gov

The United States District Court is an Equal Opportunity Employer.