About This Position
The Pro Se Staff Attorney works closely with the district judges and chambers staff to resolve immigration litigation and § 1983 and post-conviction habeas litigation filed by pro se prisoners. The position involves performing initial case screening, preparing draft orders, and overseeing procedural compliance. This role is particularly critical given the urgent liberty interests at stake, the complexity of the underlying administrative records, and the frequency of self-represented detainees.
Qualifications
Law school graduate (top quarter or law review required), with at least three years of professional legal experience and one year of federal clerkship experience. Strong preference for attorneys with experience working on immigration litigation and § 1983 and habeas corpus issues. Computer proficiency in Windows applications, word processing ability in Microsoft Word, and experience with computer-assisted legal research are required.
Applicants must have the ability to analyze complex legal issues and understand a wide range of legal concepts, principles, and practices as they relate to immigration and post-conviction litigation; perform legal research and write accurately and expeditiously; communicate complex issues clearly with a professional demeanor; set priorities; and manage work with limited supervision.
Applicants must be detail-oriented and possess excellent organizational skills.
Major Duties
REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES: Taking primary responsibility for a portion of the Court's immigration and pro se prisoner dockets; Providing substantive legal analysis of pleadings and making recommendations directly to the district judges regarding the dispositions of motions; Drafting appropriate orders and opinions for review by district judges; Efficiently managing the flow of the Court's immigration and pro se prisoner litigation; Providing information to district judges and court staff on legal issues unique to immigration and prisoner post-conviction litigation; Evaluating existing procedures and developing and implementing improved processes for the adjudication of the Court's immigration and pro se prisoner litigation; Collaborating with other staff attorneys and chambers law clerks; and Performing other duties as assigned.
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.
Education
Law school graduate (top quarter or law review required).
How You Will Be Evaluated
All applications will be reviewed to identify the best qualified candidates. Only applicants selected for an interview will be notified. Applicants not selected for an interview will not receive notice concerning the status of their application. Preference will be given to candidates who are able to start as soon as possible.
Additional Information
Positions with the United States District Court Clerk's Office are Excepted Service appointments. Excepted service appointments are at will and can be terminated with or without cause by the Court. The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, to withdraw the job announcement, or to fill the position sooner than the closing date, if a closing date is shown; any of these actions may occur without any prior written or other type of notice.
To view the full job announcement please visit our website at www.vaed.uscourts.gov/job. The United States District Court is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
How to Apply
The application package should be sent via email in one combined PDF document to: Tammy Reno at: [email protected]. Priority consideration will be given to applications received by April 17, 2026.
Required Documents
Cover letter; Detailed resume including educational background, past employment, and references; Law school transcript; and Writing sample See 'How to Apply' for instructions.