Job Details for Pro Se Staff Attorney (Pro Se Law Clerk)

To qualify for the position of Pro Se Staff Attorney, an individual must be a graduate from a law school of recognized standing. Competitive applicants will have at least two years of post-law school relevant legal experience. This may include working as a pro se or death penalty law clerk or other experience in areas of legal work that come before the pro se law clerk programs, particularly civil rights claims brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.

Applicants should highlight one or more of the following where applicable:

1. Standing within the upper third of the law school class from a law school on the approved list of either the American Bar Association or the Association of American Law Schools;
2. Experience on the editorial board of a law review of such a school;
3. Graduation from such a school with an LLM degree; or
4. Proficiency in legal studies that, in the opinion of the appointing judge, is the equivalent of one of the above. Some examples of criteria that are considered to be acceptable as equivalent include, but are not limited to:
   1. Publication of a noteworthy article in a law school student publication or other scholarly publication;
   2. Special high-level honors for academic excellence in law school, such as election to the Order of the Coif;
   3. Winning of a moot court competition or membership on a moot court team that represents the law school in competition with other law schools;
   4. Participation in the legal aid or other law school clinical program sanctioned by the law school;* or
   5. Summer experience as a law clerk to a state or local judge or law clerk experience on a continuing basis in a private firm while attending school (i.e., working one's way through college).*

(*To receive credit, participation and experience could not have been for academic credit.)

Applicants must have demonstrated exceptional research and writing abilities; experience working collaboratively in a team and/or part of an institution; and experience managing a caseload independently or other experience that requires meeting competing deadlines and evaluating relative urgency. Experience in a federal judicial clerkship highly desired.

Legal Work Experience: Legal work experience is progressively responsible experience in the practice of law, in legal research, legal administration, or equivalent experience received after graduation from law school. Major or substantial legal activities while in military service may be credited, on a month-for-month basis whether before or after graduation, but not to exceed one year if before graduation.