Pro Se Law Clerk - Middle District of Alabama

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA

Vacancy Announcement – Vacancy 26-10

Pro Se Law Clerk

Judiciary Salary Plan: 11/1 – 14/10
Salary Range: $74,678 – $163,514

Starting classification level and salary dependent upon experience and qualifications.

Open to all applicants.

Opens: 9/22/2026
Closes: Open Until Filled (first preference given to applications received by 5:00pm CST on 10/5/2026)

Position is promotion eligible up to JSP 14 without further advertisement or competition.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama is accepting applications for the position of pro se law clerk. This position involves working directly with judges on managing prisoner and pro se complaints. Funding for the position is from year to year, reviewed annually, and based on the number of case filings. The Pro Se Law Clerk provides legal advice and assistance to the court in connection with pro se prisoner complaints.

SUMMARY OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The pro se law clerk will work independently, and draft all required daily and dispositive orders in cases filed by pro se prisoners. Completed orders are expected to be ready for judicial review and signature with minimal editing. Area of responsibility includes 28 U.S.C. § 2254, 28 U.S.C. § 2255, 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and Bivens actions. The pro se clerk is responsible for managing assigned prisoner caseload daily. Must be a subject matter expert on the Prison Litigation (PLRA), the Eighth Amendment, and Supreme Court and Eleventh Circuit precedent governing habeas corpus, conditions of confinement, and other areas of prisoner litigation. Must be able to draft clear and concise orders that are well-supported by the law and facts in each case. Must be able to effectively screen complaints to determine whether there are procedural or legal bars to relief and make recommendations accordingly. The incumbent communicates with other courts, federal and state agencies, counsel, litigants, and court staff regarding court rules, procedural requirements, calendaring, and other litigation matters. The incumbent must remain current on developments in the law, particularly decisions issued by the United States Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Ethical considerations prohibit the lawyer employed in this position from practicing law in any capacity for compensation outside or in addition to work for the Court. Remote work will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited law school with an exemplary academic record and excellent research and writing skills. Candidates who possess prior prisoner litigation experience or federal clerkship experience are preferred. Computer-assisted legal research and word processing ability are essential. Computer-assisted legal research and word processing ability are essential. Light lifting may be required. Some travel may be required.

LEGAL WORK EXPERIENCE

JSP 11: Graduation from an accredited law school

JSP 12: One year of post-law school graduation experience and bar membership

JSP 13: Two years of post-law school graduation experience and bar membership

JSP 14: Three years of post-law school graduation experience and bar membership

For JSP-14, two of the three required years of legal work experience must have been served in the federal judiciary as a chambers law clerk, staff attorney, pro se law clerk, bankruptcy appellate panel law clerk, or death penalty law clerk.

BENEFITS

Employees of the U.S. District Court have access to an excellent benefits package which includes the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), Thrift Savings Plan (similar to 401k), health, life, dental & vision insurance, long-term care insurance, flexible spending program, paid federal holidays, and a leave accrual program.

(NOTE: For FERS retirement, employees contribute to the Basic Benefit Plan through payroll deductions and receive a benefit, which is calculated at retirement. Employees appointed on or after January 1, 2014, automatically contribute 4.4% of their base pay each paycheck to the Basic Benefit plan.)

Additional information about federal judiciary employee benefits and compensation can be found at http://www.uscourts.gov/Careers.aspx.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

  • Only qualified applicants will be considered for this position.
  • Applicants must be United States citizens or eligible to work in the United States.
  • Applicants selected for interviews must travel at their own expense.
  • A background investigation with law enforcement agencies, including fingerprint and criminal record check, will be conducted as a condition of employment. Any applicant selected for the position will be hired provisionally pending successful completion of investigation. Unsatisfactory results may result in termination of employment.
  • Judiciary employees are considered “at will” and are not covered by federal civil service classifications or regulations. Employees must adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees.
  • All information provided by applicants is subject to verification. Applicants are advised that false statements or omission(s) of information on any application materials may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment or dismissal after being employed.
  • Payment of salary is subject to the mandatory electronic fund transfer (direct deposit) to a financial institution.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Submit a single PDF document via e-mail to almd_hr@almd.uscourts.gov that includes the following:

  • A cover letter addressing the qualifications, skills, and experience necessary to perform the job;
  • A resume, including a list of professional references;
  • A writing sample of no more than ten pages;
  • An official law school transcript; and
  • A completed AO 78 (available here), Application for Federal Judicial Branch Employment, including the optional background information section.

INCOMPLETE SUBMISSIONS AND SUBMISSIONS NOT RECEIVED IN A SINGLE PDF FILE MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED.

The United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, to withdraw the job announcement, or to fill the position earlier than the closing date, any of which may occur without prior written notice.

This Court is an Equal Opportunity / EDR Employer