Job Details for Counsel
| Court Name/Organization | Virginia Eastern Federal Public Defender |
| Overview of the Position | The new Federal Defender Supreme Court Project (SCP) is an institutional resource devoted to Supreme Court litigation. Federal public and community defenders, together with attorneys appointed under the Criminal Justice Act (CJA), represent numerous indigent criminal defendants before the Supreme Court each term. Recognizing that Supreme Court litigation is a unique and highly specialized area, the defender community seeks to staff SCP with individuals who can help improve the representation of indigent defendants at the Supreme Court. |
| Location | Remote, Anywhere in the U.S. |
| Opening and Closing Dates | 05/27/2026 - 06/12/2026 |
| Appointment Type | Permanent |
| Salary | $87,815 - $197,100 |
| Link to Court Careers Information | https://vae.fd.org/employment |
| Announcement Number | 26-01 |
| Link to Job Announcement | |
Position Description
We invite candidates to apply for the position of counsel. Counsel will work with Project leadership to support all aspects of the Project’s work, including by providing litigation support in individual cases at the certiorari- and merits- stage. Counsel will also assist the Project in educating the defender community, including by developing training materials and offering resources to improve representation of individual defendants.
Qualifications
- Law degree from an accredited law school
- Active bar membership in at least one state or Washington, D.C.
- Commitment to indigent criminal defense
- Significant federal appellate litigation experience
- Exceptional academic background
- Federal appellate clerkship or Supreme Court clerkship (strongly preferred)
- Exceptional research and writing skills
- Strong oral advocacy skills
- Ability to work remotely and collaboratively
Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States. The physical demands of the position are those required to successfully perform the duties described above. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.
Although the position is remote, preference may be given to applicants who live near or are willing to relocate or travel regularly to the Washington, D.C. area.
Some travel may be required.
Employee Benefits
The position offers federal employment benefits that include paid vacation, paid sick time, paid holidays, health insurance, life insurance, retirement plan and participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (401k). Salary is payable only by Electronic Funds Transfer (direct deposit).
Miscellaneous
The position is “at-will” employment in the excepted service and does not carry the tenure rights of the competitive civil service. The final candidate will undergo a background investigation and employment is conditional upon completion with satisfactory determination. This position will remain open until filled and is subject to the availability of funds. All responses will remain confidential. More than one position may be filled from this announcement.
Application Info
Applicants should submit a single PDF containing a cover letter explaining your interest in SCP’s mission, a resume, a list of three references, and two representative writing samples. Please email your application package to FPDedva_hiring@fd.org with the position number and title in the subject line. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis with preference given to applications submitted by June 12. Incomplete applications, or those not adhering to the application instructions, will not be considered.
The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.