Career Law Clerk for the Honorable Patricia Tolliver Giles Job in Alexandria, VA

Vacancy No. FY 25-020 Department U.S. Courts
Salary $120,579.00 to $185,234.00 Grade 13 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 6/13/2025 Close Date 9/12/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Alexandria, VA


Summary

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia invites applications for the position of Career Law Clerk for United States District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles. This position is available September 15, 2025, and is a permanent law clerk position rather than a term or temporary law clerk position.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open until filled. Selectees must be eligible for a Top Secret Security or Sensitive Compartmented Information Security Clearance.

Duties

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 judge's 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 judge's 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.
Administrative Duties
  • 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 Clerk's 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 judge's written correspondence, memoranda, annual reports, and other items. Assemble and attach supplemental material as required.
  • Monitor all incoming mail and email communication.
  • Maintain the judge's 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.

Requirements

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.
To qualify for JSP-13, an applicant must have at least five years of legal work experience after obtaining a juris doctor degree. Must have bar admittance.

To qualify for JSP-14, an applicant must have at least five years of legal work experience after obtaining a juris doctor degree, and two of the five years must be law clerk experience in the federal judiciary. Must have bar admittance.

Education

  • A graduate of an ABA accredited law school with an excellent law school record (top 10% ranking and law review editorial board experience is preferred).
  • Possess a legal license, with Virginia Bar membership preferred but not required.

Additional information

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.

The United States District Court of the Eastern District of Virginia is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Benefits

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

Review our benefits

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Please read the "Next steps" section for more information.

Required Documents

  • A cover letter describing the applicant's qualifications, skills and experience necessary to perform the job;
  • A current resume, including a list of at least three professional references;
  • A law school transcript;
  • A completed AO 78 Form, Application for Federal Judicial Branch Employment (document can be found under "Related Links" on the employment page of our website): https://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/; and
  • A writing sample.
Please note the writing sample should consist of an analysis of a complex civil matter. This sample should be primarily the work of the applicant and not heavily edited or rewritten by others.

Applications should note if a particular individual referred the candidate to Judge Giles.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Review the full job announcement at https://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/jobs. Qualified applicants should submit one document in PDF format via e-mail to jobbox4@vaed.uscourts.gov

Agency contact information

Human Resources
Address
US District Court and US Probation Office - Eastern District of Virginia
401 Courthouse Square
Alexandria, VA 22314
US

Next steps

To ensure priority consideration, applications must be received by June 27, 2025. Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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