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Job Details for Judicial Law Clerk

Court Name/Organization Colorado District Court
Overview of the Position The U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado has an opening for a judicial law clerk (term) in the chambers of Senior U.S. District Judge John L. Kane. The duty station is located at 901 19th Street, Denver, Colorado. The judicial law clerk is a permanent full-time position and is eligible for federal government benefits. The position is expected to commence in January 2026 and will be a one-year term clerkship but may be extended up to four years.
Location Denver, CO
Opening and Closing Dates 12/16/2025 - Open Until Filled
Appointment Type Permanent
Classification Level/Grade JSP 11 - JSP 13
Salary $82,440 - $117,501
Link to Court Careers Information https://www.cod.uscourts.gov/HR/EmploymentOpportunities.aspx
Announcement Number 2026-08-USDC
Link to Job Announcement

Position Description

The law clerk will provide legal support to the Judge by conducting legal research, preparing memoranda, drafting orders, attending trials and other court proceedings, and acting as legal advisor. The clerk also must maintain a courteous and professional demeanor within chambers, the court, the bar, and with the public at large. The law clerk will be given significant responsibility within chambers and will be called upon to exercise independent judgment and discretion in advising the judge as to the status of cases, pending motions, and discovery disputes. This job will also demand significant interaction with counsel and pro se parties, and prior experience working as a litigating lawyer (with experience in discovery, depositions, and dispositive motion practice) is preferred.

Qualifications

To qualify for a JSP 11/1, a person 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, and have demonstrated one of the following accomplishments or proficiencies:

  • 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.
  • Experience on the editorial board of a law review of such a school.
  • Graduation from such a school with an LLM degree.
  • Proficiency in legal studies that, in the opinion of the appointing judge, is the equivalent of one of the above.*

To qualify for a JSP 12/1, a person must meet the above but also have at least one year of full-time legal work experience after graduation from law school and must be a member of the bar of a state, territorial, or federal court of general jurisdiction.

To qualify for a JSP 13/1, a person must meet the above but also have at least two years of full-time legal work experience after graduation from law school and must be a member of the bar of a state, territorial, or federal court of general jurisdiction.

Preferred Qualifications

Senior Judge Kane strongly prefers applicants with the following qualifications:

  1. Two-years or more of legal work experience after graduation from law school, and/or
  2. Prior experience as a federal or state court law clerk after graduation from law school, and
  3. Experience on the editorial board of a law review of such a school.

*If you are unsure whether you fulfill these requirements but believe that you could excel as a law clerk, Senior Judge Kane encourages you to apply. He appreciates applications from candidates with varied workplace experiences and backgrounds.

Miscellaneous

The law clerk will provide legal support to the Judge by conducting legal research, preparing memoranda, drafting orders, attending trials and other court proceedings, and acting as legal advisor. The clerk also must maintain a courteous and professional demeanor within chambers, the court, the bar, and with the public at large. The law clerk will be given significant responsibility within chambers and will be called upon to exercise independent judgment and discretion in advising the judge as to the status of cases, pending motions, and discovery disputes. This job will also demand significant interaction with counsel and pro se parties, and prior experience working as a litigating lawyer (with experience in discovery, depositions, and dispositive motion practice) is preferred.

Application Info

Please submit application packets as a single pdf document to kane_chambers@cod.uscourts.gov and include the following:

  1. Cover letter
  2. Current résumé
  3. Two substantial writing samples which reflect no more than de minimis editing by a third person.

Please note “Vacancy Announcement: 2026-08-USDC” in the subject line of the email. Incomplete applications may not be considered. Please do not send any application materials to us through any other means, including in hard copy, fax or via OSCAR.

The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.