Job Details for Court Attorney (Elbow Law Clerk for PROMESA Cases)
| Court Name/Organization | New York Southern District Court |
| Overview of the Position | This listing is for a two-year clerkship position starting in late June/early July 2025. The appointee to the position will come to the position with prior experience in complex commercial litigation; prior trial or bankruptcy law experience is helpful but not necessary. The appointee will perform duties in the chambers of the judge overseeing the ongoing PROMESA debt restructuring proceedings for Puerto Rico. This position is subject to annual renewal in support of the PROMESA matter. |
| Location | New York, NY |
| Opening and Closing Dates | 02/07/2025 - Open Until Filled |
| Appointment Type | Permanent |
| Classification Level/Grade | CL 29 - CL 31 |
| Salary | $99,325 - $195,200 |
| Link to Court Careers Information | https://nysd.uscourts.gov/about/employment |
| Announcement Number | 25-02 |
| Link to Job Announcement | |
Position Description
This listing is for a two-year clerkship position starting in late June/early July 2025. The appointee to the position will come to the position with prior experience in complex commercial litigation; prior trial or bankruptcy law experience is helpful but not necessary. The appointee will perform duties in the chambers of the judge overseeing the ongoing PROMESA debt restructuring proceedings for Puerto Rico. Although adjustment plans have been confirmed for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and certain of its instrumentalities, significant additional litigation work continues. The appointee will independently conduct legal research on complex matters, including issues of first impression, as well as on a wide range of issues coming before the Court, review and monitor case records/filings, draft proposed opinions, memorandum decisions, and orders, provide objective analytical and procedural advice to the judge, chambers staff, and court staff, provide information to attorneys and parties in interest, and have significant case management, and some staff management, responsibilities. Representative duties include:
- Perform initial procedural and substantive review of submissions to determine proper course of action.
- Research and analyze complex legal issues and communicate results orally and in writing.
- Review pleadings and briefs and prepare draft orders, memoranda, or opinions resolving requests for relief.
- Keep up with developments in the law of the circuit and the district and bankruptcy courts, as well as with national and territorial legislative, executive branch, and administrative actions, and update judge and chambers colleagues on such matters.
- Develop specialized expertise in insolvency and governmental debt matters.
- Ability to travel regularly to Puerto Rico as required.
Qualifications
Applicants must have graduated with a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from a law school that has been accredited by a recognized accrediting authority or be admitted to practice before the highest court of a State, Territory, Commonwealth, or federal court of general jurisdiction of the United States.
In addition to meeting the minimum qualification requirements, applicants must also have specialized experience as shown below.
- CL 29: Two years of specialized experience, including at least one year equivalent to work at CL 28; and Admission to practice before the highest court of a state, territory, commonwealth, or possession of the United States.
- CL 30: Three years of specialized experience, including at least one year equivalent to work at CL 29; and Admission to practice before the highest court of a state, territory, commonwealth, or possession of the United States.
- CL 31: Four years of specialized experience, including at least one year equivalent to work at CL 30; and Admission to practice before the highest court of a state, territory, commonwealth, or possession of the United States.
The applicant must be intellectually curious and have an aptitude and willingness to work with complex procedures and legal and financial concepts. The applicant must possess excellent organizational, collaborative, leadership, and time management skills, sound judgment, and an ability to maintain all chambers work interactions and work product confidential. The applicant must also display strong analytical and research abilities, and exhibit excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate detailed and complex information to others. A thorough knowledge of Adobe Acrobat and MS Office applications including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is also required.
Given the time sensitivity and complexity of the workload, the applicant must be capable of working quickly at a high level of sophistication and accuracy, be available to work on a flexible basis, and have a work history reflecting dependability. The ability to work a full-time schedule and additional night and weekend hours on a regular basis as needed is necessary.
Successful candidates are likely to have had substantial prior legal practice and/or clerkship experience. Law review or moot court experience is desirable; knowledge of the Spanish language would be helpful.
Specialized Experience
Progressively responsible experience in the practice of law, in legal research, legal administration, or equivalent experience, gained after graduation from law school.
The following may be credited as one year of specialized experience:
- Graduation in the upper third of class from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association or the Association of American Law Schools;
- Membership on the editorial board of a law review of such a school;
- Graduation from a law school on the approved list of the American Bar Association or that of the Association of American Law Schools with an advanced degree (LLM or equivalent); or
- Demonstrated proficiency in legal studies which, in the opinion of the appointing official, is the equivalent of the above.
Employee Benefits
- Paid Annual & Sick Leave
- 11 Paid Holidays
- Employer subsidized Health Insurance
- Group Life Insurance
- Supplemental Vision/Dental Insurance
- Retirement Benefits Plan (FERS)
- Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Transit Subsidy Program (pursuant to eligibility requirements)
- Onsite fitness center
- Pre-tax benefit programs
- Employee assistance program (EAP)
Miscellaneous
This listing is for a two-year clerkship position starting in late June/early July 2025. The appointee to the position will come to the position with prior experience in complex commercial litigation; prior trial or bankruptcy law experience is helpful but not necessary. The appointee will perform duties in the chambers of the judge overseeing the ongoing PROMESA debt restructuring proceedings for Puerto Rico. Although adjustment plans have been confirmed for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and certain of its instrumentalities, significant additional litigation work continues. The appointee will independently conduct legal research on complex matters, including issues of first impression, as well as on a wide range of issues coming before the Court, review and monitor case records/filings, draft proposed opinions, memorandum decisions, and orders, provide objective analytical and procedural advice to the judge, chambers staff, and court staff, provide information to attorneys and parties in interest, and have significant case management, and some staff management, responsibilities. Representative duties include:
- Perform initial procedural and substantive review of submissions to determine proper course of action.
- Research and analyze complex legal issues and communicate results orally and in writing.
- Review pleadings and briefs and prepare draft orders, memoranda, or opinions resolving requests for relief.
- Keep up with developments in the law of the circuit and the district and bankruptcy courts, as well as with national and territorial legislative, executive branch, and administrative actions, and update judge and chambers colleagues on such matters.
- Develop specialized expertise in insolvency and governmental debt matters.
- Ability to travel regularly to Puerto Rico as required.
Application Info
To be considered for this position, please submit a resume detailing your education and work experience, along with a legal analytical writing sample, a cover letter, law school transcript, and three written professional and/or academic references, which must include contact information for the references. The cover letter must indicate the position for which you are applying, including the vacancy number, and explain how your education and/or experience relate to the duties and responsibilities of the position. Resumes without the cover letter addressing qualifications will not be considered.
It is preferred for the applications to be submitted in a single PDF document, and for candidates to include the vacancy number and position title in the subject field of the e-mail containing the application. Applications submitted as zip files, cloud files and/or links will not be accepted. Applications that do not conform to the above procedures will not be considered. Only candidates selected for interview will be contacted.
Please submit your resume, writing sample, references, and cover letter to: Personnel@nysd.uscourts.gov.
The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.