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The following job postings are listed in reverse chronological order. Under the Employer heading, you will see the position title, followed by the position location(s), and the closing date. All information in each posting has been provided by the employer.
Employer Information
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Melissa L. Wood, Senior Staff Attorney
,
Email: Melissa_Wood@ca4.uscourts.gov
Recruiting for office(s) in: Richmond, VA
Type of organization: Government
Job Title: Staff Attorney
The Office of Staff Counsel is soliciting applications for staff attorney
positions from attorneys with experience in immigration law or
agency benefits matters, and/or criminal and postconviction law.
Upon completion of a one-year probationary period, successful
applicants will be appointed to career positions. Applicants interested
in part-time work may be considered.
The office reviews an average of 2,800 appeals each year. The office
has a pressing need for attorneys who have experience in immigration
or agency work; the office also needs attorneys who have experience
with prisoner civil rights and postconviction relief appeals, direct
appeals from criminal convictions in federal district courts, and
counseled and pro se appeals from federal civil judgments.
We are looking for strong candidates who share our vision of
excellence and passion for the administration of justice. Successful
candidates will be expected to commence their service in Spring
2026.
Time period of employment: full time, ongoing
- Deadline to apply: 16 April 2026
- Anticipated start date:
- Response method(s): https://oscar.uscourts.gov/
- Materials requested: Résumé, Grade sheet (unofficial transcript), Cover letter, 3 professional
Hiring criteria
• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an AALS-accredited law school, or admission to practice before the highest court of a State, Territory, Commonwealth, or federal court of general jurisdiction of the United States.
• Excellent academic achievement. Rank in the top 10% of the applicant’s law school graduating class is strongly preferred.
• Writing experience on law review or similar legal publication, or as a member of an interscholastic moot court competition team.
• Proficiency in legal analysis and writing ability.
• Professional experience working on cases involving immigration (removal, asylum, and the like), Social Security claims, or black lung benefits, and/or significant criminal and prisoner law experience.
Applicants should possess a genuine interest in subject areas including criminal law and procedure, agency law, immigration, constitutional law, evidence, employment law, civil rights litigation, federal jurisdiction, and prisoner postconviction relief law.