United States Magistrate Judge

U.S. Courts

Johnstown, PA

JobSummary

The Judicial Conference of the United States has authorized the appointment of a full-time United States Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania at Pittsburgh and Johnstown. The vacancy for Pittsburgh will occur as of October 17, 2026, upon the retirement of current United States Magistrate Judge Maureen P. Kelly. The vacancy for Johnstown is expected to be filled on or after April 1, 2027.

LowGrade

HighGrade

PromotionPotential

None

SubAgencyName

United States District Court , Western District of Pennsylvania

OrganizationCodes

JL/JL02

Relocation

False

HiringPath

public

MCOTags

TotalOpenings

AgencyMarketingStatement

The Judicial Conference of the United States has authorized the appointment of a full-time United States Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania at Pittsburgh and Johnstown. The vacancy for Pittsburgh will occur as of October 17, 2026 upon the retirement of current United States Magistrate Judge Maureen P. Kelly. The vacancy for Johnstown is expected to be filled on or after April 1, 2027.

TravelCode

MajorDuties

The duties of the position are demanding and wide-ranging and will include, but are not limited to: (1) trial and disposition of civil cases upon consent of the litigants; (2) trial and disposition of misdemeanor cases; (3) conduct of various pretrial matters including motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment and discovery motions, and evidentiary proceedings on reference from the judges of the District Court; (4) conduct of most preliminary proceedings in criminal cases. The basic authority of a United States Magistrate Judge is specified in 28 U.S.C. § 636.

Education

The court may consider as substitute experience for the active practice of law any combination of the following: Experience as a judge of a state court of record or other state judicial officer. Experience as a United States magistrate judge, bankruptcy judge, or other federal judicial officer. Experience as an attorney for federal or state agencies. Experience as a law clerk to any judge or judicial officer, or as a staff attorney, or pro se law clerk in a court (limited to two years). Other legal experience suitable as a substitute in the opinion of the court.

Requirements

FBI full-field investigation and an IRS tax compliance check of the applicant selected by the court for appointment. The individual selected must comply with the financial disclosure requirements pursuant to the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, Pub. L. No. 95-521, 92 Stat. 1824 (1978) (as amended) (codified at 5 U.S.C. §§ 13101-13111) as implemented by the Judicial Conference of the United States.

Evaluations

A merit selection panel composed of attorneys and other members of the community will review all applicants and recommend to the district judges in confidence the five persons it considers best qualified. The panel will identify all qualified applicants without favoring or discriminating based on race, sex, gender, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, color, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, disability status, or political affiliation.

HowToApply

This public notice and the Application for United States Magistrate Judge form are available on the Court's website at http://www.pawd.uscourts.gov/employment or may be obtained from the Clerk's Office at each of the United States Courthouses located at: Joseph F. Weis Jr Courthouse, Suite 3110, 700 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219; U.S. Courthouse, 17 South Park Row, Room A-150, Erie, Pennsylvania 16501; and U.S. Courthouse, 208 Penn Traffic Building, 319 Washington Street, Johnstown, Pennsylvania 15901 Completed applications and any attachments should be emailed as one PDF to the attention of Brandy S. Lonchena, Clerk of Court at PAWD_MJApplications@pawd.uscourts.gov or alternatively, applications and any attachments may be hand delivered or mailed to: Brandy S. Lonchena, Clerk of Court Attention: Magistrate Judge position - (Pittsburgh or Johnstown) United States District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania Joseph F. Weis, Jr. U.S. Courthouse 700 Grant Street, Suite 3110 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Applications must be personally completed by potential nominees and must be received via email or in person or mail at the address above by 4:00 p.m. on April 6, 2026. Brandy S. Lonchena Clerk of Court 412-208-7500

WhatToExpectNext

All applications will be kept confidential, unless the applicant consents to disclosure, and all applications will be examined only by members of the merit selection panel and the United States District Judges of the District Court. The panel's deliberations will remain confidential.

RequiredDocuments

Application for United States Magistrate Judge See 'How to Apply' for instructions.

Benefits

BenefitsUrl

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

OtherInformation

The courts provide fair and impartial justice within the jurisdiction conferred by the Constitution and Congress. Public trust and confidence are enhanced when the judiciary's workforce is highly competent and dedicated to the cause of justice. The judiciary can and should strive to recruit and retain the best and the brightest from all backgrounds and life experiences. The term of the appointment is 8 years. THE DISTRICT COURT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

KeyRequirements

WithinArea

False

CommuteDistance

ServiceType

AnnouncementClosingType

AgencyContactEmail

pawdresume@pawd.uscourts.gov

SecurityClearance

Other

DrugTestRequired

False