Pro Se Staff Attorney

U.S. Courts

Alexandria, VA

JobSummary

The Pro Se Staff Attorney works closely with the district judges and chambers staff to resolve immigration litigation and § 1983 and post-conviction habeas litigation filed by pro se prisoners. The position involves performing initial case screening, preparing draft orders, and overseeing procedural compliance. This role is particularly critical given the urgent liberty interests at stake, the complexity of the underlying administrative records, and the frequency of self-represented detainees.

LowGrade

HighGrade

PromotionPotential

SubAgencyName

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

OrganizationCodes

JL/JL02

Relocation

False

HiringPath

public

MCOTags

TotalOpenings

AgencyMarketingStatement

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia is part of the judicial branch of the federal government. There are 94 U.S. District Courts in the country with at least one in every state and in all U.S. territories. Virginia is bifurcated geographically and consists of two Districts - the Eastern District and the Western District. The Eastern District of Virginia has four divisions: Alexandria, Norfolk, Newport News, and Richmond. There are approximately 6.5 million residents within the Eastern District of Virginia's jurisdiction. Federal courts hear cases involving the constitutionality of laws, disputes between states, and criminal cases originating from various federal agencies with law enforcement authority.

TravelCode

MajorDuties

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES: Taking primary responsibility for a portion of the Court's immigration and pro se prisoner dockets; Providing substantive legal analysis of pleadings and making recommendations directly to the district judges regarding the dispositions of motions; Drafting appropriate orders and opinions for review by district judges; Efficiently managing the flow of the Court's immigration and pro se prisoner litigation; Providing information to district judges and court staff on legal issues unique to immigration and prisoner post-conviction litigation; Evaluating existing procedures and developing and implementing improved processes for the adjudication of the Court's immigration and pro se prisoner litigation; Collaborating with other staff attorneys and chambers law clerks; and Performing other duties as assigned.

Education

Law school graduate (top quarter or law review required).

Requirements

Employees must be United States citizens or eligible to work in the United States. Employees will be hired provisionally pending the results of a background investigation. Employees are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees. Employees are required to use Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) for payroll deposit.

Evaluations

All applications will be reviewed to identify the best qualified candidates. Only applicants selected for an interview will be notified. Applicants not selected for an interview will not receive notice concerning the status of their application. Preference will be given to candidates who are able to start as soon as possible.

HowToApply

The application package should be sent via email in one combined PDF document to: Tammy Reno at: lmb_lcapplication@vaed.uscourts.gov. Priority consideration will be given to applications received by April 17, 2026.

WhatToExpectNext

Only applicants selected for an interview will be notified. Applicants not selected for an interview will not receive notice concerning the status of their application.

RequiredDocuments

Cover letter; Detailed resume including educational background, past employment, and references; Law school transcript; and Writing sample See 'How to Apply' for instructions.

Benefits

BenefitsUrl

https://www.uscourts.gov/careers/benefits

OtherInformation

Positions with the United States District Court Clerk's Office are Excepted Service appointments. Excepted service appointments are at will and can be terminated with or without cause by the Court. 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. To view the full job announcement please visit our website at www.vaed.uscourts.gov/job. The United States District Court is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

KeyRequirements

WithinArea

False

CommuteDistance

ServiceType

AnnouncementClosingType

AgencyContactEmail

lmb_lcapplication@vaed.uscourts.gov

SecurityClearance

Not Required

DrugTestRequired

False