Term Law Clerk

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California, Oakland Division, invites applications for a full-time term law clerk with administrative duties.  The law clerk will serve in the chambers of a newly appointed U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for approximately one year, with the opportunity for a one-year extension.  The start date will be determined by the timing of the judge’s appointment.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Primary responsibilities include conducting legal research, drafting memoranda and opinions for the judge’s review, reviewing court orders, proofreading, cite-checking, and handling day-to-day law clerk assignments.

Administrative duties include answering the telephone, advising appropriate court personnel and parties on the status of particular cases, assisting the judge with scheduling meetings and appointments, assisting with travel arrangements, and submitting expense reports.

QUALIFICATIONS

At the time of the appointment, applicants must be a law school graduate (or be certified as having completed all law school studies and requirements and merely awaiting conferment of degree) from a law school of recognized standing. 

Applicants must possess excellent writing, research, analytic, and administrative skills, an interest in bankruptcy law, and be proficient with word processing and computer-assisted research.  Applicants must have the ability to relate well with others in a small chambers group and maintain good rapport with the clerk’s office and the Bar. 

• One year of post-graduate legal work experience and bar membership are required to qualify for JS-12 salary.
• Two years of post-graduate legal work experience and bar membership are required to qualify for JS-13 salary.

BENEFITS:

Employees of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court are not included in the government’s Civil Service classification.  However, they are entitled to the same benefits as other federal government employees.  For a list of benefits please visit our Benefits at a Glance at http://www.canb.uscourts.gov/jobs.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Please submit via OSCAR the following four documents in PDF format:

1. cover letter highlighting relevant experience
2. resume
3. law school transcript (unofficial is acceptable), and
4. writing sample

Candidates shall not submit letters of recommendation.  References will be requested if you are selected for an interview.

Applicants who are non-United States citizens must meet the requirements for federal employment.  Only qualified applicants will be considered for this position.  Relocation expenses will not be reimbursed.  Applicants selected for interviews must travel at their own expense.  The court will, however, consider conducting video interviews for applicants located outside the Bay Area.

The court may close this announcement at any time and therefore recommends the submission of applications as soon as possible.  The judge will schedule and conduct interviews as soon as qualified applicants are identified, no earlier than July 1, 2026.

As a condition of employment, the selected candidate will be subject to a background check, and a mandatory electronic direct deposit of salary payment.  All court employees are at will, and therefore the selected candidate may be removed from this position at any time if, after reasonable on-the-job training, the selected candidate fails to perform at a satisfactory level.  In addition, employees are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees.

The court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, to withdraw this 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 prior written notice.  The court will communicate only with those qualified applicants selected for an interview.  If you are not notified, please understand that another applicant was selected.

The United States Bankruptcy Court is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.