Temporary Staff Attorney

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
Southern District of Indiana
Indianapolis Division
Vacancy Announcement # 26-01

Position Title: Temporary Staff Attorney

Terms of Employment: Full-time, 12 weeks beginning on May 18, 2026

Classification Level: JSP 12
-14 (depending on qualifications and experience)

Salary Range: $90,341- $126,947

JSP Grade Level: JSP 12 $ 90,341 - Maximum starting salary for first-time federal employees with 1 full-time year experience plus Bar Membership
JSP 13 $ 107,428 – Salary for qualified applicant with 2 full-time years' legal experience plus Bar Membership
JSP 14 $ 126,947 – Salary for qualified current/former federal employees with 2 years' federal experience plus Bar Membership

Position Location: United States District Court, 46 East Ohio Street, Indianapolis, IN
Remote work will also be considered

Final date to receive applications: 4:00 pm (Eastern), February 13, 2026, or until filled
Applications received after this deadline may be considered only if position remains unfilled.

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana is accepting applications for a temporary Staff Attorney to assist the Court for a 12-week period beginning on May 18, 2026. Staff Attorneys work within the Staff Attorney Office, which assists the Court in managing its prisoner civil rights and habeas corpus docket. For this position, the Temporary Staff Attorney will be managing a prisoner civil rights caseload.

The Temporary Staff Attorney is appointed by the Chief Judge, but performs duties and responsibilities for all District Judges, including legal research, substantial drafting of proposed entries; screening of prisoner civil rights complaints; reviewing motions to determine issues involved and bases for relief; assisting judicial officers in conducting hearings, conferences, and trials; providing case management of prisoner litigation; and providing information to other court personnel regarding prisoner cases.

Given the limited duration of this position, the Court will give priority to candidates with working knowledge of prisoner and constitutional law or federal clerkship experience. Remote applicants with relevant experience are encouraged to apply.

• Conduct legal research related to prisoner civil rights cases
• Substantially draft proposed entries for prisoner civil rights complaints
• Screen prisoner civil rights complaints
• Review motions to determine issues involved and bases for relief
• Assist judicial officers in conducting hearings, conferences, and trials
• Provide case management of prisoner litigation
• Provide information to other court personnel regarding prisoner cases

• Law school graduation in the top quarter of the graduating class (top 25% preferred)
• Law review/journal experience
• Good character and maturity
• Excellent skills in research, case management, writing, proofreading, communication, and source and cite checking (including use of proper Bluebook form)
• Proficiency in computer-assisted legal research, Windows, and MS Word
• Minimum of one year's experience (five preferred) in the practice of law, in a judicial clerkship, or other comparable position demanding high quality legal writing and management of a heavy volume of cases
• Ability and willingness to work collegially with others

Qualified applicants should submit a cover letter, résumé, writing sample (no more than 10 pages), and a completed AO 78 Application for Judicial Branch Federal Employment (application form is on the court website (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).) in a single PDF to Staff Attorney Appourts .gov and ensure that your name and the words "Staff Attorney" appear in the subject line of your email.

Applications must be emailed before 4:00 pm (Eastern), Friday, February 13, 2026. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and the position may be filled before the Final date to receive applications.

The Court is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants are subject to a complete FBI fingerprint check and background investigation. Employment will be provisional and contingent upon the satisfactory completion of the required background investigation. The Federal Financial Reform Act requires direct deposit of federal wages for court employees. The United States District Court is a smoke‑free environment. All judicial employees are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or eligible to work in the United States.