Job Details for U.S. Bankruptcy Judge
| Court Name/Organization | California Southern Bankruptcy Court |
| Overview of the Position | The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit invites applications from highly qualified candidates for a Bankruptcy Judgeship for the Southern District of California beginning March 16, 2026. This position is available immediately; however, the selection process may take up to 18 months to complete. The official duty station for this position is San Diego, California. |
| Location | San Diego, CA |
| Opening and Closing Dates | 03/16/2026 - 06/18/2026 |
| Appointment Type | Temporary |
| Salary | Starting: $229,908 |
| Link to Job Announcement | |
Position Description
Basic qualifications for consideration include: (1) admission to practice before the highest court of at least one state, the District of Columbia, or one of the United States territories; (2) membership in good standing in every bar in which membership is held; and (3) at least five years of legal practice experience (certain other legal experience may be substituted). Applicants are considered without regard to race, sex, gender (including pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, and parenthood), color, creed, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, or past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed forces, in addition to any other status or characteristic protected under applicable federal law.
Miscellaneous
Basic qualifications for consideration include: (1) admission to practice before the highest court of at least one state, the District of Columbia, or one of the United States territories; (2) membership in good standing in every bar in which membership is held; and (3) at least five years of legal practice experience (certain other legal experience may be substituted). Applicants are considered without regard to race, sex, gender (including pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, and parenthood), color, creed, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, or past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed forces, in addition to any other status or characteristic protected under applicable federal law.
Application Info
The Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Judge Application Instructions and Application Form are available on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals website at www.ca9.uscourts.gov. A copy may also be obtained by emailing personnel@ce9.uscourts.gov. Applicants are advised to allow sufficient time to complete and submit the application. Once completed and signed, the original application and supporting materials must be sent in hard copy to the Office of the Circuit Executive, 95 7th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103. Additionally, an electronic copy of the completed and signed application and supporting materials must be emailed to personnel@ce9.uscourts.gov. Applicants must submit their own applications in the format required by the Bankruptcy Judge Application Instructions.
Letters of reference are optional. To be considered, a maximum of three letters may be submitted with the original and electronic application and supporting materials.
Deadline for receipt of all application materials, including hard copy via mail delivery and electronic copy via email: 5 p.m. PT on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
The U.S. Courts is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to equity and inclusion in its hiring practices.
The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.