Job Details for Pro Se Law Clerk
| Court Name/Organization | Kentucky Western District Court |
| Overview of the Position | The Pro Se Law Clerk reviews prisoner complaints and petitions, and prepares dispositive and non-dispositive recommendations and orders under the supervision of the Court. |
| Location | Louisville, KY |
| Opening and Closing Dates | 10/06/2026 - 11/30/2026 |
| Appointment Type | Permanent |
| Classification Level/Grade | JSP 11 - 14 |
| Salary | $74,678 - $163,514 |
| Link to Court Careers Information | https://www.kywd.uscourts.gov/employment/ |
| Announcement Number | 27-01 |
| Link to Job Announcement | |
Position Description
This position is located in the Clerk’s Office of the U.S. District Court, Western District of Kentucky. Preferred duty station is Louisville, but may be Owensboro, Bowling Green, or Paducah if necessary. Generous telework is available. Funding for the position beyond Dec. 31, 2028, is contingent on future Pro Se and prisoner case filings.
Representative Duties
- Perform substantive legal review after filing of all prisoner petitions and motions, including state habeas corpus petitions, motions to vacate sentence, and civil rights complaints.
- Research case law and draft appropriate orders and opinions for judicial review.
- Provide information to all judges and court staff on legal issues unique to pro se cases.
- Evaluate present procedures to identify improvements in handling and processing pro se cases.
- Assist the clerk’s office in resolving procedural and case management issues related to pro se cases.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Applicant must be a graduate from an ABA accredited law school of recognized standing. Preferred qualifications include superior writing skills and experience in prisoner litigation. Bar membership is also strongly preferred. Incumbent must have the ability to analyze complex legal issues and understand a wide range of legal concepts, principles, and practices as they relate to pro se litigation; write and perform legal research accurately and expeditiously; communicate complex issues in simple terms; set priorities; and manage work with limited supervision. Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Outlook required.
The list below shows the number of years of legal work experience required to qualify for appointment as a law clerk at the applicable JSP grade levels. Please note that appointment to JSP 12 or above requires that the candidate be a member of the bar of a state, territory, or federal court of general jurisdiction. For appointment at the JSP 14 level, at least two of the three required years of legal work experience must have been served in the federal judiciary as a chambers law clerk, staff attorney, pro se law clerk, bankruptcy appellate panel law clerk, or death penalty law clerk.
- JSP Grade 11: Zero years of legal work experience. Bar membership not required.
- JSP Grade 12: One year of legal work experience. Bar membership required.
- JSP Grade 13: Two years of legal work experience. Bar membership required.
- JSP Grade 14: Three years of legal work experience. Bar membership required.
Legal experience is progressively responsible experience in the practice of law, in legal research, legal administration, or equivalent experience received after graduation from law school. Major or substantial legal activities while on military duty may be credited on a month-for-month basis whether before or after graduation, but not to exceed one year if before graduation from law school.
Candidate must also demonstrate:
- Excellent organizational skills and experience handling multiple tasks at once
- Superior customer service skills and excellent oral and written communications skills
- Demonstrated ability to work with a variety of automated systems
- Ability to communicate effectively and respectfully with customers at all levels
Employee Benefits
For more information the benefits available to you as an employee of the federal judiciary, please review the extensive benefits section of the U.S. Courts website.
Benefits available include:
- 13 days paid vacation per year for the first three years of full-time employment. Thereafter, 20 to 26 days per year dependent upon length of federal service
- 13 days of paid sick leave per year (unlimited accumulation)
- A minimum of 11 paid holidays per year
- Federal Employees Retirement System and Thrift Savings Plan
- Credit for prior federal government service
- Employee Assistance Program
- On-site Federal Fitness Center if stationed in Louisville
- Optional Health, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance Programs
- Optional Flexible Spending, Health Savings, and other Pre-tax Accounts for Health Care, Child Care, Vision and Dental, and Commuter and Parking Expenses
Application Info
Apply via the job announcement.
You will need to upload the following as four separate PDF documents:
- A cover letter describing your relevant experience
- Your resume
- Three professional references
- A judiciary application (available for download here)
Information for Applicants
- This position is regular and full-time.
- Employees of the U.S. District Court are not covered by the Office of Personnel Management’s civil service classification system or regulations, and are considered “at will” employees.
- Applicant must be a U.S. citizen or a person who owes allegiance to the United States or is in the U.S. under certain legal status and actively seeking citizenship. Learn more about citizenship requirements here.
- Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for payroll deposit is required.
- As a condition of employment, an FBI Background Investigation is required.
- We will not pay relocation or interview travel expenses.
- Only the most qualified applicants will be interviewed.
- The Court reserves the right to withdraw or to modify the conditions of this job announcement or to fill the position earlier than the closing date, any of which may occur without written notice.
For additional information on the U.S. District Court, visit our website.
The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.