Job Details for Term Law Clerk to U.S. District Judge Ohta
| Court Name/Organization: | California Southern District Court |
| Overview of the Position: | The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Term Law Clerk to U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta. Please note that Judge Ohta is seeking to fill two term law clerk positions, one with an expected start date in June 2025 and the other in February 2026. Each term will be two years. |
| Location: | San Diego, CA |
| Opening and Closing Dates: | 06/24/2024 - 09/22/2024 |
| Appointment Type: | Permanent |
| Salary: | $82,633 - $153,113 |
| Link to Court Careers Information: | http://www.casd.uscourts.gov |
| Announcement Number: | 24-20 |
| Link to Job Announcement | |
Position Description
Law clerks work closely with Judge Ohta on pending civil and criminal litigation. Law clerks conduct research and prepare drafts of opinions and orders. Law clerks will also have the opportunity to work on various long-term projects and be involved in courtroom proceedings. The law clerk will also be responsible for administrative duties in chambers, will assist in running chambers, and will assist in oversight for externs.
Qualification
Judge Ohta highly prefers applications from individuals who will have one or more years of either legal work experience, prior clerkship experience, or work experience by the start of the clerkship. Applicants must be able to conduct advanced legal research, prepare bench memos, draft orders, and opinions, verify citations, assist the Judge during courtroom proceedings, supervise student externs, and perform other duties as assigned.
Specialized Experience
Legal work 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 in military service 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.
Miscellaneous
The ideal applicant must be able to work efficiently and independently, and should possess excellent organizational skills. This position is best suited for an applicant who is familiar with the federal court system and who can train and adapt quickly. The applicant must be computer literate, proficient in Microsoft Word, and familiar with CM/ECF and/or PACER, Lexis Nexis, and Westlaw. Most importantly, the applicant must have excellent writing skills and must be prepared to work as part of a team. Finally, although a strong academic background is important, serious consideration will be given to those applicants who have also demonstrated a level of excellence in non-legal and non-academic pursuits.
How To Apply
To apply for this position, qualified applicants should prepare the following materials for submission:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Law school transcript (unofficial copy acceptable)
- Undergraduate transcript (unofficial copy acceptable)
- Two writing samples
- Three letters of recommendation
All applications must be submitted electronically through the OSCAR system located at https://oscar.uscourts.gov/. The OSCAR posting can be found under the account of U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta.
The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.