Career Law Clerk for the Honorable Patricia Tolliver Giles

Law clerk duties will include but are not limited to reviewing briefs and other case filings; performing legal research; writing bench memoranda; and drafting orders and opinions in a wide variety of civil and criminal cases. Administrative duties will include serving as principal administrative manager of chambers; reviewing the active case docket daily and drafting standard scheduling orders as necessary; training and assisting the term law clerks; and managing the judges schedule. Exceptional writing and editing skills are required and candidates with prior federal judicial clerkship experience will be preferred. Respect for the role of the judiciary and the rule of law is required.

Law Clerk Duties

• Research and analyze novel and complex legal issues in diverse areas of federal criminal law and civil litigation.
• Draft orders and memorandum opinions in civil and criminal cases for the judges review.
• Prepare bench memoranda and other written materials for motions hearings and trial proceedings as directed.
• Provide information and guidance to the judge on individual cases as directed.
• Perform extensive computer legal research via Westlaw and/or Lexis.
• Monitor significant changes in federal statutes sentencing guidelines and Supreme Court and Fourth Circuit precedent.
• Review and edit orders opinions and memoranda drafted by term law clerks and staff attorneys.

• Closely monitor dockets of all pending cases and draft orders as appropriate for scheduling and discovery-related issues default proceedings service deficiencies and other miscellaneous matters.
• Serve as chambers liaison for all outside personnel including other District and Magistrate Judges the Clerk of Court the Clerks Office staff the Probation and Pretrial Services Office and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
• Train assist and supervise the two term law clerks extensively.
• Receive screen and refer telephone and in-person callers.
• Prepare in final form the judges written correspondence memoranda annual reports and other items. Assemble and attach supplemental material as required.
• Monitor all incoming mail and email communication.
• Maintain the judges calendar; schedule change and cancel meetings appointments and hearings as directed; relieve the judge of routine details and oversee chambers supply stock and general chambers management.
• Arrange all business travel itineraries for the judge including plane tickets hotel reservations lodging plans car rentals and other arrangements.
• Perform other miscellaneous administrative duties as assigned by the judge and as necessary for the efficient operation of chambers.

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 to applicants to review upon request.
• Employees of the United States District Court are Excepted Service Appointments. Excepted service appointments are At-Will and can be terminated with or without cause by the Court.
• Employees will be hired provisionally pending the results of a background investigation.
• Employees are required to use the Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) for payroll deposit.
• 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.

Qualifications

At the time of appointment the candidate must meet the following minimum requirements:

• A strong work ethic collaborative spirit and can do and resourceful attitude.
• The ability to thrive and lift up others in an environment that is mission-centered deadline- driven team-based and highly dynamic.
• Demonstrated excellence in performing legal research writing and analysis.
• Extensive skills in computer assisted research and proficiency in Microsoft Word Adobe PDF Outlook Zoom and Microsoft Teams is required.
• Strong attention to detail including meticulous editing skills.
• Ability and desire to work as part of a team including being a thought partner for others and to take collective ownership of the work and well-being of chambers.
• Exceptional verbal written and interpersonal skills including a demonstrated ability to communicate well and respectfully with persons of diverse backgrounds identities and abilities; a talent for adapting quickly and effectively; and awareness of what helps others do their jobs well.
• Work habits that result in being consistently prepared very organized and able to anticipate challenges and propose solutions.
• The capability to receive feedback well and to provide feedback constructively.
• Respect for the role of the judiciary within our constitutional structure.
• At least five years of legal experience after law school (federal judicial law clerk experience is strongly preferred).
• Eligibility for a Top Secret/SCI level national security clearance.