Career Law Clerk to United States Bankruptcy Judge (CRJ)

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Northern Division (CRJ), is accepting applications for a career law clerk. A career law clerk to a United States Bankruptcy Judge performs substantive legal research, writing, and review of matters pending before the Court and must have extensive knowledge of the Bankruptcy Code, the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, and bankruptcy court practice. A career law clerk must have strong organizational skills, pay attention to details, and have the ability to manage multiple assignments and deadlines. There are daily interactions with the Judge, members of his judicial staff, and employees of the bankruptcy clerk’s office.

Representative Duties and Responsibilities
The Career Law Clerk’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Drafting orders, memorandum opinions, and other documents;
  • Assisting with the preparation of dockets;
  • Performing legal research;
  • Reviewing and scheduling pleadings filed in Chapter 11 cases, Chapter 12 cases, and Adversary Proceedings;
  • Monitoring deadlines;
  • Attending and assisting with courtroom proceedings and case administration;
  • Drafting continuing legal education material;
  • Assisting with the review and electronic signature of orders;
  • Maintaining and updating the Court’s judicial conflict list;
  • Drafting the court calendar;
  • Assisting with administrative tasks of chambers;
  • Working cooperatively with other members of chambers staff and employees of the bankruptcy clerk; and
  • Performing other duties as assigned by the Court.

Qualification Requirements

For appointment at JSP Grade 11, an applicant must be a law school graduate at the time of appointment (or be certified as having completed all law school studies and requirements and merely awaiting conferment of degree) from a law school of recognized standing, and have one or more of the following attributes:

  • Standing within the upper third of the law school class from a law school on the approved list of either the American Bar Association or the Association of American Law Schools;
  • Experience on the editorial board of law review of such a school;
  • Graduation from such a school with an LLM degree; or
  • Demonstrated proficiency in legal studies, which in the opinion of the Judge, is the equivalent of one of the above.

For appointment at a JSP Grade 12, 13 or 14, an applicant must also be a member of the Bar of a federal, state, or territorial court of general jurisdiction, and must possess the following year(s) of full-time legal work experience after graduation from law school:

  • JSP 12 – one year of legal work experience;
  • JSP 13 – two years of legal work experience;
  • JSP 14 – three years of legal work experience (two of the three required years of legal work experience must have been served in the federal judiciary).

Benefits

Career law clerks are eligible for federal employment benefits, including paid federal holidays, paid leave, health insurance, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, flexible spending benefits, and retirement benefits.

Applicant Information

Interviews will be held in Huntsville, Alabama. Neither travel expenses nor relocation expenses will be reimbursed. Only qualified applicants will be considered for this position, and only the best-qualified applicants will be selected for interview. As conditions of employment, the candidate selected will be subject to a background check and a subsequent favorable suitability determination. An applicant may be hired provisionally pending successful completion of the necessary background check. A career law clerk is an “at will” employee serving at the discretion and instruction of the judge. Accordingly, a career law clerk’s employment may be terminated “at will” by either the judge or the employee. Law clerks are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees as well as human resource policies of the Judiciary. The Code of Conduct is available at https://www.uscourts.gov/rules-policies/judiciary-policies/code-conduct/code-conduct-judicial-employees. This position is subject to mandatory electronic funds transfer participation for payment of net pay. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement or to withdraw the announcement without any prior written notice or other notice.

Application Procedure

To be considered, qualified applicants must submit, and the Court must receive, the following information via email to hsvresume@alnb.uscourts.gov:

  • A cover letter;
  • A current resume;
  • One writing sample (10 pages or less);
  • Contact information for up to three professional references;
  • A completed Federal Judicial Branch Application for Employment (AO-78); and
  • A school transcript (an unofficial transcript or grade sheet is acceptable).

Please reference Vacancy Announcement 2026-04 on your email and cover letter.

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Northern Division, is an Equal Opportunity Employer.