The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has an immediate opening for a highly qualified attorney to serve as a court attorney. The court attorney supports the work of the Legal Division of the Office of the Clerk.
The caseload of the D.C. Circuit involves virtually every area of federal law and is unique in the number of cases filed against the executive branch. Because the court attorney must be able to advise the judges on difficult, varied, and important legal issues, the court is highly selective in its hiring. The court is looking for individuals who have demonstrated the ability to research and analyze complex legal issues in depth and to express themselves clearly, both orally and in writing. To qualify for the CL 30 level, you must be a member of the bar of a state or the District of Columbia and have at least three years of specialized experience after graduation from law school. The following may be credited as one year of specialized experience: Graduation in the upper third of class from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association or the Association of American Law Schools; Membership on the editorial board of a law review of such a school; Graduation from a law school on the approved list of the American Bar Association or that of the Association of American Law Schools with an advanced degree (LLM or equivalent); or Demonstrated proficiency in legal studies, which, in the opinion of the appointing official, is the equivalent of the above.
The Legal Division's principal responsibility is to recommend to the court the disposition of substantive and procedural motions, appeals decided without oral argument, and emergency matters. The court attorney will conduct legal research, prepare legal memoranda, draft proposed orders, respond to judges' inquiries, and make oral presentations. The court attorney will meet with three-judge panels in formal conferences about twice a month. At conference, the court attorney and staff attorneys answer any questions about their cases, and the panel discusses and votes on the attorneys' recommendations. The court attorney and staff attorneys may also present their recommendations orally to the judges when handling time-sensitive emergency motions.