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Need a Job? 4th Circuit is Hiring Librarians, Chief Staff Attorney

By William Peacock, Esq. on March 28, 2014 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Hiring freeze? Budget crunch?

Hah! It seems that budget deal that ended the shutdown, and alleviated the effects of sequestration on the courts, has freed up some funds for a few staff positions at the Fourth Circuit. The Court of Appeals is looking for two librarians familiar with digital and electronic resources, and for an experienced attorney to lead the Office of Staff Counsel.

Sound intriguing? Read on for the official job descriptions, and click the links for the full vacancy announcements, including duties and required qualifications:

Digital Services Librarian - Apply by April 27, 2014 ($47,303)

The Digital Services Librarian provides outreach and technical services for the circuit library system, which includes developing and promoting digitally-based products and services that support the research needs of the judges and court staff, providing training and assistance in the use of resources, and providing professional research services. The Fourth Circuit library program serves the judges and all court personnel in the states of Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia with headquarters in Richmond, Virginia. In addition to the Library Headquarters, there are five staffed satellite libraries throughout the Circuit.

Of the two librarian gigs, this one seems to be the more "traditional" of the two, with the predictable responsibilities of helping judges do research, training staff on how to use electronic resources, and evaluating and recommending which resources the library should use.

Electronic Resources Librarian - Apply by April 27, 214 ($47,303)

The Electronic Resources Librarian provides professional research and technical services to judges and court staff, which includes developing and promoting electronic research and resource aids, and training court staff in the use of electronic resources. The Fourth Circuit library program serves the judges and all court personnel in the states of Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia with headquarters in Richmond, Virginia. In addition to the Library Headquarters, there are five staffed satellite libraries throughout the Circuit.

How does this differ from the "Digital Services" librarian? Not by much, it seems, though this one has web design and training materials development responsibilities, so bone up on your HTML, CSS, SEO, and other alphabet soup.

Executive Director and Chief of the Office of Staff Counsel - Apply by April 30, 2014 ($137,449-$171,444)

The Executive Director and Chief of the Office of Staff Counsel position is an executive position for a licensed and qualified attorney that is appointed by the Chief Judge with the approval of the Court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §715. The Executive Director and Chief of the Office of Staff Counsel supervises the Office of Staff Counsel, a unit of the Court that employs approximately 40 attorneys and support personnel. The primary responsibility of the Executive Director and Chief is to ensure the high quality of all substantive work performed by the legal and support staff employed by the Office of Staff Counsel. In addition, the Executive Director and Chief has administrative responsibility for all aspects of the Office's operations, including, but not limited to, human resources management, recruitment and training, budget preparation and fiscal oversight, procurement management, statistical reporting, and records management.

Ah, it's good to be king. Just a fair warning, this job is not for recent graduates. The prerequisites include ten years of post-J.D. experience, including three years in federal court and five years of "executive management." You'll also be in charge of a department that handles pro se appeals, habeas and Bivens work, a lot of civil work on matters like employment discrimination, contract disputes, immigration, and even some administrative appeals. (It's the Fourth Circuit, so obviously Black Lung appeals will be big.)

Good luck!

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