Public Notice for Appointment of New Magistrate Judge Job in El Dorado, AR

Vacancy No. DEST-12669465-25-CEB Department U.S. Courts
Salary $277,608.00 to $277,608.00 Grade 00 to 00
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 1/23/2025 Close Date 2/14/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
El Dorado, AR


Summary

The Judicial Conference of the United States has authorized the appointment of a full-time U.S. Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court, Western District of Arkansas. The position will be created by the planned retirement of Judge Barry A. Bryant. The position's duty station will be El Dorado, AR. Travel will be required throughout the district, and frequent travel will include Texarkana and Hot Springs.

Duties

The duties of the position include presiding over initial proceedings in criminal cases; trials of misdemeanor cases, including petty offenses; pretrial matters and other proceedings in civil and criminal cases; conducting civil settlement conferences; and disposition of civil cases with the consent of the parties. The basic authority of a U.S. Magistrate Judge is specified in in 28 U.S.C. § 636 and Local Rule 72.1.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

https://www.arwd.uscourts.gov/job-openings.

Qualifications

To be qualified for appointment an applicant must:
  1. Be, and have been for at least five years, a member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Territory of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands of the United States, and have been engaged in the active practice of law for a period of at least five years (with some substitutes authorized);
  2. Be competent to perform all the duties of the office; be of good moral character; be emotionally stable and mature; be committed to equal justice under the law; be in good health; be patient and courteous; and be capable of deliberation and decisiveness;
  3. Be less than 70 years old; and
  4. Not related to a judge of the District Court.

Education

Please read the "Qualifications" section.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

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 court will make the appointment following an FBI full-field investigation and an IRS tax 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, 90 Stat. 1824 (1978) (codified at 5 U.S.C. app. 4 §§ 101-111) as implemented by the Judicial Conference of the United States. An affirmative effort will be made to give due consideration to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, age (40 and over), gender, religion, national origin, or disability. The current annual salary of the position is $277,608. The term of office is eight (8) years.

Required Documents

Please read the "How to Apply" section.

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

An application form and instructions are provided on the Court's website at: https://www.arwd.uscourts.gov/. Application materials may be submitted to the mailing or email address below:

Ronald E. Dowling, Clerk of Court
United States District Court - Western District of Arkansas
30 S. 6th Street, Suite 1038
Fort Smith, AR 72901

or

Email to: ronald_dowling@arwd.uscourts.gov

Application packets must include a completed application, cover letter and resume, and be received no later than 5:00 p.m. Central Time on Friday, February 14, 2025.

Agency contact information

Ronald E. Dowling - Clerk of Court
Address
United States District Court - Western District of Arkansas
30 S. 6th Street, Suite 1038
Fort Smith, AR 72901
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

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 Judges of the District Court. The panel's deliberations will remain confidential. The U.S. Courts are equal opportunity employers.


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


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