United States District Court Eastern District of Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri is seeking a law clerk to work for three active district judges: the Honorable Henry Autrey, the Honorable Sarah Pitlyk, and the Honorable Matthew Schelp.

The position is full-time but short-term. It could start as soon as December 1, 2025. The end date will be September 30, 2026.

The law clerk will provide legal research, drafting, and case management support to all three judges in relation to district court cases of all kinds. 


Job Number: 01-251125-02: Shared Term Law Clerk for District Judges


Company Name:  United States District Court Eastern District of 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

Qualifications
To qualify, an individual must be a law school graduate (or 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:
(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 equivalent to one of the 
above.

Acceptable equivalents might include:
1. Publication of a noteworthy article in a legal journal or other scholarly publication;
2. High-level honors for academic excellence in law school, e.g., the Order of the Coif;
3. Winning a moot court competition or participation in a competitive moot court team.
This list is not all-inclusive. The appointing judges will determine whether the applicant has demonstrated sufficient proficiency in legal studies.
Experience as a practicing litigator is strongly preferred.
Years of legal work experience and bar membership impact 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 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:     

Applicants must be United States citizens or eligible to work in the United States. Appointment is contingent upon providing proof of United States citizenship, for requirements please see: 
https://www.moed.uscourts.gov/sites/moed/files/Citizenship-Requirements-Employment-Judiciary.pdf 

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.
Any interested applicant is invited to submit a current résumé, cover letter, and writing sample that has not been revised by anyone else. 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-1125 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 without prior notice, written or otherwise. 
If another position becomes vacant in a similar classification within a reasonable time of the original announcement, the appointing judge(s) may select a candidate from the applicants for either position without reposting any 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