United States District Court Eastern District of Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri

The position of Term Law Clerk is a full-time position.

This position duration is subject to a term time limit and the term begins the Fall 2024.

It involves working for both Chief United States Magistrate Judge Shirley P. Mensah and Judge Noelle C. Collins (a 50% workload for each).

The position is in St. Louis, Missouri.

Principal duties of the position include:
• Research substantive issues of federal and state law
• Draft legal memoranda, opinions and orders
• Prepare the Judges for hearings, trials or mediations
• Assist the Judges with case management
• Generally, provide legal counsel and support to the Judges
• Exhibit the highest standards of excellence and integrity


Job Number:  01-240329-01: Term Law Clerk


Company Name:  United States District Court Eastern District of Missouri


Posting Date:   03/27/2024
Vacancy Number:  TLC-0324
Position Title: Term Law Clerk to United States Magistrate Judges Noelle C. Collins and Chief Magistrate Judge Shirley P. Mensah
Salary Range: JSP 11: 74,299-$96,596, JSP 12: $89,054-$115,766, JSP 13: $105,896-$137,669 (dependent on qualifications)

Position Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Closing Date:  Open until filled  ** Anyone who has previously applied must submit a new application **


Qualifications: 
To qualify for the position of term law clerk, an individual 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 accredited by the American Bar Association or the Association of American Law Schools, and have demonstrated one of the following accomplishments or proficiencies:
(a) Standing within the upper third of the law school class from a law school of the approved list of either the American Bar Association or the Association of American Law Schools;
(b) Experience on the editorial board of a law review of such a school;
(c) Graduation from such a school with an LLM degree; or
(d) Proficiency in legal studies that, in the opinion of the appointing Judges, is the equivalency of one of the above.

Some examples of criteria that are considered to be acceptable as equivalent include:
1. Publication of a noteworthy article in a law school student publication or other scholarly publication; 
2. Special high-level honors for academic excellence in law school, such as election to the Order of the Coif;
3. Winning of a moot court competition or membership on a moot court team that represented the law school in competition with other law schools. 

This list is not all-inclusive; the determination of an acceptable equivalence rests with the appointing Judges. 

One or more years of practice experience as a litigation attorney is preferred.

The number of years of legal work experience possessed, as well as bar membership, impacts salary. Legal work experience is progressively responsible experience in the practice of law, in legal research, legal administration, 
or equivalent experience received after graduation from law school.

Benefits:
Benefits include federal employees’ group health insurance, life insurance, flexible spending accounts, commuter or parking subsidy, dental and vision insurance. 

Background Investigation Requirements:
The selectee considered for this position is required to undergo an FBI Background Check and/or Investigation and social media inquiry as a condition of employment. The selectee may be appointed provisionally, and retention will depend upon favorable suitability determination of the background investigation.




Interested Parties/How to Apply:     Application Procedure and Information


Applicants must be United States citizens or eligible to work in the United States. Appointment is contingent upon providing proof of United States citizenship or proof of authorization to work in the United States as 
required by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Applicants selected for interviews must travel at their own expense and relocation expenses will not be reimbursed. Judiciary employees serve under excepted 
appointments (not civil service). Excepted appointments are at will and can be terminated with or without cause. 

Qualified persons are invited to submit; current résumé, cover letter, and one legal writing sample. 

Candidates may, but are not required to, submit letters of recommendation, two or more professional or academic references, undergraduate transcripts, and law school academic transcripts.

Please note that if selected for an interview candidates are required to complete an application for judicial branch employment, form AO-78 (available at http://www.uscourts.gov/forms/AO078.pdf ), undergraduate academic transcripts, and law school academic transcripts.

Application materials may be e-mailed to MOED_Employment@moed.uscourts.gov with TLC-0324 in the subject line.

Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement or to withdraw the announcement, any of which may occur without prior written or other notice. In the event that a position becomes vacant in a similar classification, within a reasonable time of the original announcement, the Appointing Judges may elect to select a candidate from the applicants who responded to the original announcement without re-posting the position. Employees are required to adhere to a Code of Ethics and Conduct, which is available to applicants for review upon request.

Equal Opportunity Employer