Chief Counsel to the District Court (Supervisory Pro ...

OverviewCourt Name/Organization: New York Southern District CourtThe Chief Counsel to the District Court supervises one of the largest Pro Se Litigation Offices in the Federal Judiciary. This position reports to the Chief Judge of the District Court, with policy guidance from the Court’s Pro Se Committee, and oversees an office responsible for assisting the District and Magistrate Judges with their pro se docket, currently over 2200 pro se cases courtwide.The principal responsibility is to lead the Office of Pro Se Litigation, which currently comprises seven attorneys, and to support the District and Magistrate Judges in handling the civil pro se docket. The Office assists the Court in carrying out its statutory obligations under 28 U.S.C. §1915(e)(2) and §1915A to screen civil complaints filed by incarcerated people and those with in forma pauperis status. These cases are predominantly civil rights actions, including employment discrimination actions, and petitions for writs of habeas corpus. The Chief Counsel works with the Clerk’s Office leadership to establish and maintain efficient systems that are appropriately solicitous to pro se litigants, including preparing manuals, guides, and other memoranda for pro se litigants and chambers. The Chief Counsel co‑runs the Pro Bono Program, connecting pro se litigants with volunteers from the SDNY bar.The Chief Counsel reports to the Chief Judge on legal matters in pro se cases on the Chief Judge’s docket and on internal management of the Office, and also to the District Executive’s Office on operational matters. The role collaborates with the Pro Se Committee, a team of judges, on internal initiatives. The Chief Counsel maintains external relationships that support the SDNY pro se docket, serving as a primary liaison to the Pro Se Clinic (managed by the City Bar Justice Center) which provides legal advice to pro se litigants, and communicates with counterparts around the country and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to stay abreast of budgetary developments. Court initiatives may require collaboration with local stakeholders, including the offices of the United States Attorney, the New York State Attorney General, and the New York City Corporation Counsel, as well as with prisons and jails within the district. In connection with the Pro Bono Program, the Chief Counsel coordinates programs and events with the private bar and participates in bar activities and committees. Duties and ResponsibilitiesThe Chief Counsel, under the direction of the Chief Judge, is responsible for hiring, training, supervision, and general management of the staff attorneys, including performance evaluation. The Chief Counsel ensures the Office’s screening duties remain responsive to developments in the law, appropriately solicitous to pro se litigants, and operationally manageable. Day-to-day duties include reviewing the staff attorneys’ written work and legal analysis, coordinating with Clerk’s Office staff on operational matters relevant to the pro se docket, and managing and promoting the Court’s Pro Bono Program. The Pro Bono Program involves advising chambers on cases in need of counsel, frequent communication with the private bar, distributing a monthly newsletter that solicits volunteer lawyers, and collaborating with bar associations. Project management of internal initiatives includes scheduling check-ins with participants and communicating developments to the relevant stakeholders. QualificationsApplicants must possess a Juris Doctor degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association and be admitted to the bar in a federal court of general jurisdiction. Applicants must have excellent academic credentials and superior analytical, research, and writing skills with law review or equivalent legal research experience. Competitive applicants will have at least three years of post‑law school relevant legal experience such as working as a pro se or death penalty law clerk or other experience in areas before the pro se and death penalty law clerk programs, including civil rights claims brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Applicants with significantly more experience are preferred. Emphasize supervisory and/or managerial experience; experience directing workflow within an office; experience reviewing professional legal staff work products; and experience training law clerks or other professional legal staff on standards of performance. Applicants must possess a solid grounding in federal jurisdiction and civil procedure. The Court seeks highly qualified applicants with diverse backgrounds and experience. Employee BenefitsDuring the first three years of full-time employment, employees receive 13 days of paid vacation. Thereafter, between 20 and 26 days of paid vacation are provided, depending upon the length of federal service.Employees receive 13 days of paid sick leave (unlimited accumulation) and twelve paid federal holidays a yearEligible for medical coverage with pre-tax employee premiums and flexible benefits program for health care, dependent care, and commuter/parking expensesEligible for Group Life Insurance, Long Term Disability, and Long-Term Care coverageParticipation in the Thrift Savings Plan (similar to 401K plan) with employer matching contributionsParticipation in the Federal Employees Retirement SystemCreditable service time in other federal agencies or the military will be added to judiciary employment Application InfoTo be considered for this position, applicants must submit a cover letter, resume (including law school class rank and/or percentile if available), law school transcript, self-edited writing sample, and a list of at least three professional references. Only applications submitted via e-mail will be accepted. It is preferred that applications be submitted in a single PDF document, and that candidates include the vacancy number and position title in the subject field of the e-mail. 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 the next step in the hiring process will be contacted.The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. #J-18808-Ljbffr

Created: 2025-09-17