Career Law Clerk for the Honorable Patricia Tolliver Giles

Summary

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia invites applications for the position of Career Law Clerk for United States District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles. This position is available September 15, 2025, and is a permanent law clerk position rather than a term or temporary law clerk position.

Duties

• Law clerk duties will include, but are not limited to, reviewing briefs and other case filings; performing legal research; writing bench memoranda; and drafting orders and opinions in a wide variety of civil and criminal cases.
• Administrative duties will include serving as principal administrative manager of chambers; reviewing the active case docket daily and drafting standard scheduling orders as necessary; training and assisting the term law clerks; and managing the judge’s schedule.
• Exceptional writing and editing skills are required, and candidates with prior federal judicial clerkship experience will be preferred.
• Respect for the role of the judiciary and the rule of law is required.
• Law Clerk Duties Research and analyze novel and complex legal issues in diverse areas of federal criminal law and civil litigation.
• Draft orders and memorandum opinions in civil and criminal cases for the judge’s review.
• Prepare bench memoranda and other written materials for motions hearings and trial proceedings, as directed.
• Provide information and guidance to the judge on individual cases, as directed.
• Perform extensive computer legal research via Westlaw and/or Lexis.
• Monitor significant changes in federal statutes, sentencing guidelines, and Supreme Court and Fourth Circuit precedent.
• Review and edit orders, opinions and memoranda drafted by term law clerks and staff attorneys.
• Administrative Duties Closely monitor dockets of all pending cases and draft orders, as appropriate, for scheduling and discovery-related issues, default proceedings, service deficiencies, and other miscellaneous matters.
• Serve as chambers liaison for all outside personnel, including other District and Magistrate Judges, the Clerk of Court, the Clerk’s Office staff, the Probation and Pretrial Services Office, and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
• Train, assist and supervise the two term law clerks extensively.
• Receive, screen, and refer telephone and in-person callers.
• Prepare in final form the judge’s written correspondence, memoranda, annual reports, and other items.
• Assemble and attach supplemental material as required.
• Monitor all incoming mail and email communication.
• Maintain the judge’s calendar; schedule, change, and cancel meetings, appointments, and hearings as directed; relieve the judge of routine details and oversee chambers supply stock and general chambers’ management.
• Arrange all business travel itineraries for the judge, including plane tickets, hotel reservations, lodging plans, car rentals, and other arrangements.
• Perform other miscellaneous administrative duties as assigned by the judge and as necessary for the efficient operation of chambers.

Requirements

• Employees must be United States citizens or eligible to work in the United States.
• Employees are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees, which is available to applicants to review upon request.
• Employees of the United States District Court are Excepted Service Appointments.
• Excepted service appointments are “At-Will” and can be terminated with or without cause by the Court.
• Employees will be hired provisionally pending the results of a background investigation.
• Employees are required to use the Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) for payroll deposit.
• The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, to withdraw the job announcement, or to fill the position sooner than the closing date, if a closing date is shown; any of these actions may occur without any prior written or other type of notice.

Education

A graduate of an ABA accredited law school with an excellent law school record (top 10% ranking and law review editorial board experience is preferred). Possess a legal license, with Virginia Bar membership preferred but not required.

How You Will Be Evaluated

Please read the “Next steps” section for more information.

Benefits

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have – whether you’re a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you’re eligible under their policies.

Required Documents

• A cover letter describing the applicant’s qualifications, skills and experience necessary to perform the job; A current resume, including a list of at least three professional references; A law school transcript; A completed AO 78 Form, Application for Federal Judicial Branch Employment (document can be found under “Related Links” on the employment page of our website): https://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/; and A writing sample.
• Please note the writing sample should consist of an analysis of a complex civil matter.
• This sample should be primarily the work of the applicant and not heavily edited or rewritten by others.
• Applications should note if a particular individual referred the candidate to Judge Giles.