United States District Court District of North Dakota Vacancy Announcement: No. 22-08
Position: Temporary Law Clerk to Judge Daniel M. Traynor
Location: Bismarck, North Dakota
Starting Salary Range: $66,214 - $94,373 (JSP 11 - 13)
Closing Date: November 14, 2022
Position Summary: United States District Judge Daniel M. Traynor is currently seeking a temporary law clerk to serve from December 5, 2022, to July 28, 2023.
Principal duties of the position include:
- Research substantive issues of federal and state law;
- Draft legal memoranda, opinions and orders;
- Prepare the Judge for hearings, trials or mediations;
- Assist the Judge with case management;
- Generally provide legal counsel and support to the Judge; and
- Exhibit the highest standards of excellence and integrity.
Qualifications: To qualify for the position of temporary law clerk, an individual must be a law school graduate from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association or the Association of American Law Schools, and have demonstrated one of the following accomplishments or proficiencies:
- Standing within the upper third of the law school class from a law school of the approved list of either the American Bar Association or the Association of American Law Schools;
- Experience on the editorial board of a law review of such a school;
- Graduation from such a school with an LLM degree; or
- Proficiency in legal studies that, in the opinion of the appointing judge, is the equivalency of one of the above. Some examples of criteria that are considered to be acceptable as equivalent include:
o Publication of a noteworthy article in a law school student publication or other scholarly publication;
o Special high-level honors for academic excellence in law school, such as election to The Order of the Coif or The Order of Barristers; or
o Winning of a moot court or trial advocacy competition or membership on a moot court or trial advocacy team that represented the law school in competition with other law schools. This list is not all-inclusive; the determination of an acceptable equivalence rests with the appointing judge.
Salary and Benefits: The actual pay level will be established on the basis of the successful applicant’s qualifications and experience. The position does not carry the tenure rights of positions in the competitive Civil Service. Other federal government benefits (e.g., holidays, life and health insurance, and Health Savings Accounts) are applicable. The position is subject to mandatory Electronic Funds Transfer (direct deposit) of net pay.
Background Investigation Requirements: The selectee considered for this position is required to undergo an FBI Background Check and/or Investigation and social media inquiry as a condition of employment. The selectee may be appointed provisionally, and retention will depend upon favorable suitability determination of the background investigation.
Miscellaneous: The United States District Court is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO). Additional EEO information is available from the Office of the Clerk of Court. All applications will be maintained in strict confidence. Only the hiring authority will have knowledge of the applicant’s identity.
Application Procedure: Submit the following application materials in .pdf format to NDD_J-Traynor@ndd.uscourts.gov:
Qualified persons are invited to submit:
- Cover letter;
- Résumé;
- Completed application for judicial branch employment, form AO-78 (available at http://www.uscourts.gov/forms/AO078.pdf );
- Writing sample;
- Undergraduate and law school academic transcripts; and
- Two professional or academic references.
