Job Details for Administrative Assistant
| Court Name/Organization | California Southern District Court |
| Overview of the Position | The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California is accepting applications for the position of Administrative Assistant. The position is located in the Executive Unit of the Clerk’s Office. The incumbent processes and files incoming documents, manages court records, acts as backup to the Executive Assistant to the Clerk of Court, and provides administrative support to the Executive Unit of the Clerk's Office. |
| Location | San Diego, CA |
| Opening and Closing Dates | 02/26/2026 - Open Until Filled |
| Appointment Type | Permanent |
| Classification Level/Grade | CL 25 |
| Salary | $56,386 - $91,688 |
| Link to Court Careers Information | https://www.casd.uscourts.gov/Careers.aspx |
| Announcement Number | 26-12 |
| Link to Job Announcement | |
Position Description
Representative Duties
- Manages incoming documents, ensuring conformity with appropriate rules, practices and/or court requirements. Distributes copies of documents pursuant to court orders. Prepares documents for destruction as per their disposition schedule outlines. In depth CM/ECF knowledge is required to complete tasks as outlined above.
- Participates with designated staff members in designing, editing and distributing the court’s Annual Report.
- Drafts, composes and edits various documents (including general orders, local rules, memoranda, legal documents, naturalization schedules, attorney admission programs and/or brochures) and other materials, for the court unit executive’s review and/or signature.
- Manages a variety of projects by determining the steps, skills and resources needed to obtain results.
- Creates and maintains court specific disposition schedule.
- Screens incoming communications via telephone, voice mail, email, and personal visitors. Maintains the confidentiality of sensitive matters. Serves as liaison to judges, chambers staff and all other court support units, as well as the Administrative Office, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Federal Judicial Center.
- Provides backup for mail processing.
- Establishes and maintains subject matter files pertaining to the Executive Office including certain reference materials, general orders and local rules. Updates files and disposes of materials as necessary.
- Receives and reviews incoming powers of attorney to determine conformity with appropriate rules, practices and/or court requirements.
- Schedules courtrooms and assists with logistical arrangements for visiting judges and committee meetings. Schedules Clerk’s Office conference room use. Arranges meetings or other events. Prepares agendas and other materials for meetings and conferences.
- Arranges for the most economical travel and lodging for the unit executive. Prepares travel payment vouchers in accordance with existing policies and regulations.
- Operates office computer hardware and software (including, but not limited to word processing, case management, organizer and spreadsheet software), as well as other office machinery, such as photocopy machines, binding equipment, and the like, as required.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
To qualify, applicants must be a high school graduate or equivalent and have at least one year of specialized experience.
General Experience
- A bachelor’s degree.
- Previous experience in federal or state judiciary administration.
- Thorough knowledge of, and skill in using executive office procedures and a variety of other office equipment.
- Excellent customer service skills and a detail-oriented focus.
- A notary public certification is preferred.
Specialized Experience
Specialized experience is defined as progressively responsible clerical or administrative experience that is in, or closely related to, the work of the position and which has demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the position's duties successfully and involves the routine use of automated software and keyboarding for word processing, data entry and report generation.
The work in this position is performed in an office setting and is not a full-time telework position.
Employee Benefits
Salary is just one component of the comprehensive compensation package offered by the Federal Court. Federal court employees are eligible for a full range of benefits that include 13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid holidays per year, a flexible work schedule, immediate matching Thrift Savings Plan, pre-tax programs (health, dependent care and transportation), and insurance plans (i.e., health, life, disability, and long-term care), car-pooling options and a transportation subsidy.
Employer benefit contributions equate to no less than 33% of an employee’s total compensation. Please see the chart below for an estimated total compensation based on a sample position and salary. Be advised that eligibility may vary by appointment type and length.
Miscellaneous
Representative Duties
- Manages incoming documents, ensuring conformity with appropriate rules, practices and/or court requirements. Distributes copies of documents pursuant to court orders. Prepares documents for destruction as per their disposition schedule outlines. In depth CM/ECF knowledge is required to complete tasks as outlined above.
- Participates with designated staff members in designing, editing and distributing the court’s Annual Report.
- Drafts, composes and edits various documents (including general orders, local rules, memoranda, legal documents, naturalization schedules, attorney admission programs and/or brochures) and other materials, for the court unit executive’s review and/or signature.
- Manages a variety of projects by determining the steps, skills and resources needed to obtain results.
- Creates and maintains court specific disposition schedule.
- Screens incoming communications via telephone, voice mail, email, and personal visitors. Maintains the confidentiality of sensitive matters. Serves as liaison to judges, chambers staff and all other court support units, as well as the Administrative Office, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Federal Judicial Center.
- Provides backup for mail processing.
- Establishes and maintains subject matter files pertaining to the Executive Office including certain reference materials, general orders and local rules. Updates files and disposes of materials as necessary.
- Receives and reviews incoming powers of attorney to determine conformity with appropriate rules, practices and/or court requirements.
- Schedules courtrooms and assists with logistical arrangements for visiting judges and committee meetings. Schedules Clerk’s Office conference room use. Arranges meetings or other events. Prepares agendas and other materials for meetings and conferences.
- Arranges for the most economical travel and lodging for the unit executive. Prepares travel payment vouchers in accordance with existing policies and regulations.
- Operates office computer hardware and software (including, but not limited to word processing, case management, organizer and spreadsheet software), as well as other office machinery, such as photocopy machines, binding equipment, and the like, as required.
- Other duties as assigned.
Application Info
Qualified candidates must submit a cover letter, resume, a minimum of three references with contact information, and the AO-78 Application Form (available for download in the application portal). All application materials must be submitted in the CASD HR Application Portal.
Preference will be given to applicants who submit application materials before 4:30pm, Friday March 13, 2026.
The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.