Job Details for Judicial Assistant
| Court Name/Organization | Illinois Northern District Court |
| Overview of the Position | The U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois is now accepting applications for a Judicial Assistant. Consideration will only be given to those who apply through the Court's online applicant tracking system, submit a cover letter, resume, and two professional references. |
| Location | Chicago, IL |
| Opening and Closing Dates | 03/13/2026 - 03/27/2026 |
| Appointment Type | Permanent |
| Classification Level/Grade | JSP 07/01 to JSP 11/10 |
| Salary | $56,409 - $108,533 |
| Link to Court Careers Information | https://www.ilnd.uscourts.gov/LandingPage.php?page=hr |
| Announcement Number | 2026-23 |
| Link to Job Announcement | |
Position Description
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois is recruiting for the position of Judicial Assistant to the Hon. Elaine E. Bucklo. The incumbent will serve as an assistant to the Judge assuming full responsibility for management and administration of the Chambers.
Position Duties and Responsibilities:
- Performing a wide variety of administrative functions in support of chambers, including receiving telephone calls and visitors, coordinating staff responsibilities, and making arrangements for official travel
- Acting as liaison between chambers and other court offices
- Resolving questions that require full knowledge of the business of the court
- The ability to exercise independent judgement, good communication skills, and excellent grammar, punctuation and spelling
- Experience with CMECF (PACER) is preferred
- Perform other duties as assigned
Qualifications
General Experience
Progressively responsible general clerical or administrative experience which provided a good knowledge of office clerical practices such as filing, telephone usage, and typing.
Specialized Experience
Progressively responsible secretarial experience that involved responsibility as the principal office assistant to a supervisor who was dealing with law-related matters (such as might be found in a law, insurance or real estate office).
Compensation will be based on qualifications and the experience level of the successful candidate:
Educational Substitutions
Education in a college, university or secretarial school of recognized standing may be substituted for a maximum of one year of general experience on the basis of 30 semester (45 quarter) hours equals nine months of experience.
A bachelor's degree from a college or university of recognized standing may be substituted for two years of general experience. Preferably, such degree should have included courses in law, government, public or business administration or related fields.
Education in a legal or paralegal curriculum may be substituted for a maximum of two years of specialized experience on the basis of one full academic year (30 semester or 45 quarter hours) equals one year of experience. Less than one full year of study will be credited on a pro-rata basis.
Employee Benefits
The U.S. District Court offers a generous benefits package to full-time, permanent employees, which includes:
- Paid leave time for federal holidays, vacation, sick, and Parental Leave
- Medical, dental, vision insurance
- Access to an infant and toddler care near the Courthouse.
- The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program is available to full-time employees with qualifying student loans.
- Life insurance
- Thrift Savings Plan with matching funds (401k & Roth 401k style)
- Participation in Federal Employees Retirement System
- Health, dependent care, and parking reimbursement programs
- Public Transit Subsidy Program
- Onsite employee gym
- Employee Assistance Program, which provides free counseling, financial assistance, and basic legal services
Further details regarding Federal benefits may be viewed at: ILND Benefits.
Miscellaneous
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois is recruiting for the position of Judicial Assistant to the Hon. Elaine E. Bucklo. The incumbent will serve as an assistant to the Judge assuming full responsibility for management and administration of the Chambers.
Position Duties and Responsibilities:
- Performing a wide variety of administrative functions in support of chambers, including receiving telephone calls and visitors, coordinating staff responsibilities, and making arrangements for official travel
- Acting as liaison between chambers and other court offices
- Resolving questions that require full knowledge of the business of the court
- The ability to exercise independent judgement, good communication skills, and excellent grammar, punctuation and spelling
- Experience with CMECF (PACER) is preferred
- Perform other duties as assigned
Application Info
Consideration will only be given to those who apply through the court’s online applicant tracking system and provide a cover letter and resume by March 27, 2026. To view openings and to apply, visit our applicant tracking system at: ILND Jobs
Due to the volume of applications received, the Court will only communicate with those applicants who will be interviewed. Applicants selected for interviews will be communicated to only through email and must travel at their own expense and relocation expenses will not be reimbursed. Applicants will be screened to determine their experience and qualifications.
The U.S. District Court requires employees to follow the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees. Reference checks with current and former employers will be conducted. Only qualified applicants will be considered for this position. A preliminary background investigation with law enforcement agencies, including fingerprint and criminal record checks will be conducted as a condition of employment. Unsatisfactory results may result in termination of employment. The selected candidate will be subject to an FBI fingerprint check as a condition of employment and may be subject to periodic updates.
Direct deposit is required for payment of compensation for employees. Employees of the District Court, Northern District of Illinois are excepted service appointments. Employees are considered at-will and are not covered by federal civil service classifications or regulations.
Diversity is important to the Judiciary. It is an essential component of services that the Judiciary is charged with providing to maintain justice, equality, fairness, respect, and dignity in society. To fulfill its duties, the Judiciary must include all members of society—not just regardless, but also inclusive of race, gender, disability, and the many other variables that make up the citizens of our nation. The Judiciary has a duty to promote a fair, just, and sustainable model of inclusive democracy and social justice that surpasses any governmental entity in the history of this nation or of any other nation.
In order to be eligible for employment, applicants must meet one of the following requirements:
- U.S. citizen;
- Person who owes allegiance to the U.S. (i.e., nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island and the Northern Mariana Islands);
- Person admitted as a refugee or granted asylum who has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible; or
- Lawful permanent resident (i.e., green card holder) who is seeking citizenship. A lawful permanent resident "seeking citizenship":
- May not apply for citizenship until he or she has been a permanent resident for at least five years (three years if seeking naturalization as a spouse of a citizen);
- Must apply for citizenship within six months of becoming eligible; and
- Must complete the process within two years of applying (unless there is a delay caused by the processors of the application).
The Courts reserve the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, or to withdraw the announcement, any of which may occur without prior written or other notice.
The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.