Clerk Panel

Court Name/Organization Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation

Overview of the Position The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (the panel) is accepting applications for the full-time, permanent position of clerk of the panel. The clerk reports directly to the panel executive. The clerk has delegated authority for managing the panel’s programmatic areas and supervises operations of the clerk’s office, including such responsibilities as case and records management, budgeting, financial planning, statistical reporting, personnel management, and automation.

The clerk’s office currently includes fifteen employees. The panel is a statutory national court under federal jurisdiction and is governed principally by 28 U.S.C. § 1407. Created by Congress in 1968, the panel consists of seven Article III judges appointed by the Chief Justice, each of whom must reside in a different circuit. The statute authorizes the panel to centralize related actions that share factual questions but are pending in different districts by ordering the transfer of all such actions into a single district for pretrial management.

The panel is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Location Washington, DC

Opening and Closing Dates 01/27/2026 – Open Until Filled

Appointment Type Permanent

Classification Level/Grade JSP 16 – JSP 17

Salary $198,534 – $249,900

Announcement Number 26-01 JPML-CLK

The Clerk’s duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Consulting with and making recommendations to the panel executive regarding panel policies and procedures.
• Analyzing statutes, local rules, and procedures affecting the operations of the panel.
• Managing clerk’s office personnel, including staff responsible for case management operations, and designing and managing training programs.
• Overseeing additional administrative functions, such as statistical analysis, reporting requirements, and human resources management.
• Preparing and managing the panel’s annual budget.
• Serving as the certifying and disbursing officer, and directing the panel’s financial functions including contracting, purchasing, disbursing, and accounting.
• Issuing process and maintaining the official records in the custody of the panel.
• Managing staff responsible for automation and information technology services, including electronic case filing system (CM/ECF).
• Providing logistical planning support for panel hearings and an annual judicial conference.
• Serving as a liaison to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts for administrative and facilities-related activities.
• Conducting presentations about and responding to queries from the judiciary, the bar, and the public concerning panel procedural operations.
• Performing other related duties as required by the panel executive.

To be qualified for appointment, a full‑time, two‑year commitment is required. Candidates must meet the following standards:

General: Applicants must have ten years of progressively responsible legal or administrative experience in public service or business that demonstrates a thorough understanding of the organizational, procedural, and human aspects of managing an organization. At least three of the applicant’s ten years of experience must have been in a position of substantial management responsibility, defined below.

Substantial Management Experience

Substantial management experience is high‑level administrative experience that provided a thorough understanding of the organizational, procedural, and human aspects of managing an organization. Such experience typically includes financial management, space and facilities management, oversight of the information technology, and human resources functions, and long and short‑range planning.

Preferred Experience

Desired attributes include familiarity with panel practice, a law degree, and academic and professional achievement in law, management, and/or a related field.

The preferred candidate also will have:

• Prior managerial experience in the federal judiciary, including operational knowledge of the courts, financial management, human resources management, and CM/ECF/information technology.
• Strong…