Summary

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.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Duties

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.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

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.

Qualifications

To be qualified for appointment an applicant must:

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;
Have been engaged in the active practice of law for a period of at least five years (with some substitutes authorized);
Be competent to perform all the duties of the office, of good moral character, emotionally stable and mature, committed to equal justice under the law, in good health, patient, courteous, and capable of deliberation and decisiveness;
Be less than 70 years old; and
Not be related to a judge of the district court.

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.

Additional information

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

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Review our benefits

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 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.

Required Documents

Application for United States Magistrate Judge

See 'How to Apply' for instructions.

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

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

Agency contact information

Human Resources Manager

Email: pawdresume@pawd.uscourts.gov

Address: US District Court, Western District of PA
700 Grant Street
Suite 3100
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
US

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 United States District Judges of the District Court. The panel's deliberations will remain confidential.

United States Magistrate Judge Job