Vacancy Announcement
United States District Court
Western District of Missouri
Position: Pro Se/Death Penalty Law Clerk
Position Number: PSDPLC – 060124
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Salary Range: JSP 11/01-14/10 ($73,690 – $161,349)
(Salary based on qualifications, legal
experience, bar admission, and/or current
grade)
Opening Date: June 4, 2024
Closing Date: June 28, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. CST
NOTE: This position is funded through December 31, 2025. Continuation
beyond this date is based on additional funding and case filings.
Court Overview
The United States Courts for the Western District of Missouri was established in the year 1822. The Western
District of Missouri has approximately 280 total employees (judges and staff) and is a fully consolidated court
which includes the District and Bankruptcy Courts and Probation and Pretrial Services Office. The Western
District is divided into five divisions: Western (Kansas City), Central (Jefferson City), Southern (Springfield),
Southwestern (Joplin), and the St. Joseph division. The primary office is in Kansas City with two divisional
offices located in Jefferson City and Springfield.
Position Overview
The Court is currently seeking a Pro Se/Death Penalty Law Clerk (staff attorney) to handle pro se prisoner
cases and death penalty cases. Applicants from other Districts within the Judiciary that are willing to relocate
are welcome to apply, and all applicants should visit www.mow.uscourts.gov
for general information about the
court. This is a full-time position. All applicants must possess prior experience handling prisoner litigation.
The successful candidate will team with other staff attorneys to manage the court’s prisoner pro se docket,
providing legal research, and drafting orders and recommendations for the district judges on all pro se prisoner
complaints and filings. Prisoner Pro Se (PPS) staff attorneys screen all prisoner submissions, handling cases
from inception through discovery, dispositive motions, and orders on the merits. If a case will proceed to trial, it
is then typically forwarded to chambers law clerks.
The primary types of cases handled by the PPS Office are habeas corpus petitions filed pursuant to Sections
2254, 2255 and 2241, and civil rights complaints filed pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §1983 and 28 U.S.C. § 1331. The
Office also handles any type of civil case a pro se prisoner files, including diversity cases, FOIA, FTCA,
mandamus and Rule 60(b) motions.
Primary Duties
Duties of the Pro Se/Death Penalty Law Clerk include but are not limited to the following:
• Provide legal advice and assistance to the Court in connection with unrepresented prisoner
petitions and complaints as well as represented death penalty litigation.
• Perform substantive screening after filing of all pro se prisoner petitions and motions, including
state habeas corpus petitions, motions to vacate sentence, and civil rights complaints.
• Perform research, as required, to assist the Court in preparing opinions.
• Draft appropriate recommendations and orders for the district judges.
• Review all complaints, petitions, and pleadings that have been filed in assigned cases to determine
issues involved and basis for relief.
• Maintain liaison between the Court and pro se litigants (as well as family and other representatives)
regarding the handling and progress of cases.
• Correspond with other officials, such as U.S. Attorneys, as required.
• Evaluate present procedures to determine new innovations for increasing efficiencies in handling
complaints, petitions, and pleadings.
• Review the docket of pending prisoner and death penalty litigation to assure the proper progress
of such cases and advises the Court of those cases where action by the Court is appropriate.
• Compile statistics and prepare periodic reports, as required, which reflect the status and flow of
cases.
• Identify problem areas, make recommendations, and offer solutions, as required by the Court,
Administrative Office, and other officials.
• Keep abreast of changes in the law to aid the Court in adjusting to new legislation in the pro se
prisoner and death penalty areas.
• Provide general information, guidance, and advice to judges, chambers staff and the Court
Executive regarding pro se prisoner and death penalty cases.
• Work with the Information Technology (IT) department to utilize technology to improve PPS case
processing and to further the mission of the Office.
• Advise appropriate personnel on the status of cases.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
• A Juris Doctorate degree from a law school of recognized standing and current bar membership in good
standing. (Applicants with less than three years of post-graduate work experience should have
graduated in the top quarter of their class. Law review membership is not required but highly desirable).
• Prior work experience involving prisoner habeas or civil rights litigation is required. Prior work
experience within the federal court system or directly with pro se litigants is highly desirable.
• Ability to analyze complex legal issues and to comprehend a wide range of legal concepts, principles,
and practices as they relate to pro se/death penalty litigation.
• Outstanding legal research/writing skills and the ability to perform legal research accurately and
expeditiously.
• Ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and informatively, both orally and in writing.
• Experience reviewing documents and extracting data
• Proficiency in the use of computers and applicable software applications, particularly Microsoft Office
applications (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel), legal research databases and the CM/ECF database.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to manage priorities with limited supervision.
• Ability to communicate effectively with others, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to prioritize work to meet deadlines, maintain confidentiality, and interact tactfully with litigants,
attorneys, and co-workers.
• Ability to understand statistical data, and to perform data analysis using various evaluation
methodologies and tools.
• High ethical standards and a positive work attitude.
Benefits
The following benefits are available for this position:
11 Paid Holidays each calendar year
Annual and Sick Leave
• 13 days of paid annual leave (for up to three years of federal service)\
• 20 days of paid annual leave (from 3-14 years of federal service)
• 26 days of paid annual leave (15 or more years of federal service)
• 13 days of paid sick leave (unlimited accumulation)
Insurance plans: Health, Life, Dental, Vision, Long-Term Care and Long-Term Disability
Flexible Spending Accounts (Health Care and Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts)
Retirement System
Thrift Savings Plan participation (with up to 5% employer matching contributions)
All judiciary positions are subject to mandatory electronic funds transfer (direct deposit) of salary payments.
Application Procedures
Qualified applicants must submit one PDF file containing all the following to be considered:
A cover letter;
A detailed resume;
Contact information for three professional references;
A legal writing sample; and
A completed application for Judicial Branch Federal Employment (Form AO78) with exact dates of
employment and salary history.
Link to Form AO78: http://www.uscourts.gov/forms/AO078.pdf
Submit application packet to: Kathy Popejoy, Human Resources at kathy_popejoy@mow.uscourts.gov
Miscellaneous Information
Only qualified applicants who submit all the items listed above will be considered for this position. Only those
candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. The court is not authorized to reimburse expenses to
travel for interviews or for relocation. The court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this vacancy
announcement without prior notice. The Western District of Missouri is an equal opportunity employer and
values diversity in the workplace.
Conditions of Employment
• Applicants who are non-United States citizens must meet the
Citizenship Requirements for Employment
in the Judiciary. Only qualified applicants will be considered for this position. All application information
is subject to verification.
• As a condition of employment, the selectee must undergo an FBI background check. Employment will
be considered provisional until the FBI background check is completed.
• Court employees must adhere to all Judicial Conference regulations, must follow the policies outlined in
the Guide to Judicial Policy
, and are bound by the ethical standards established by the chief judge of
the court and the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees. The United States District and Bankruptcy
Courts are part of the federal judiciary.
• Although positions in the federal judiciary are comparable to civil service in salary, leave accrual and
benefits, this position is an Excepted Appointment and considered an “at-will” employment opportunity
serving at the pleasure of the court and, as a rule, can be terminated by the court with or without cause.
Successful employment with the U.S. Courts is based on acceptable performance.
