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SJ
San Joaquin College of Law
United States Magistrate Judge - Eastern District of California (Sacramento)
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What they do
A Judge oversees the legal process in court cases. Interprets law, advises jurors during trials, writes opinions and decisions, and gives verdicts in cases decided without a jury. May decide on a sentence for the defendant in a criminal case, or liability of a defendant in a civil case; may facilitate negotiations between parties in a dispute. Works in a county, state or federal court system.
$136,197 / year median in California
+10% projected growth
Job Description
Job Summary United States Magistrate Judge - Eastern District of California (Sacramento) The Judicial Conference of the United States has authorized the appointment of a fulltimeUnited States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of California at Sacramento,California to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of United State Magistrate Judge AllisonClaire on January 2, 2027. The courts provide fair and impartial justice within the jurisdictionconferred by the Constitution and Congress. Public trust and confidence are enhanced when thejudiciary's workforce is highly competent and dedicated to the cause of justice. The judiciarycan and should strive to recruit and retain the best and the brightest from all backgrounds and lifeexperiences.
The duties of the position are demanding and wide-ranging and will include:
Conduct of most preliminary proceedings in criminal casesTrial and disposition of misdemeanor casesConduct of various pretrial matters and evidentiary proceedings on delegation from a district judgeTrial and disposition of civil cases upon consent of the litigantsHearing of habeas corpus prisoner petitions and Social Security cases. The basic authority of a United States Magistrate Judge is specified in 28 U.S.C. § 636.To be qualified for appointment an applicant must:
Be, and have been for at least five years, a member in goodstanding of the bar of the highest court of a state, the District ofColumbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Territory ofGuam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or theVirgin Islands of the United States;Have been engaged in the active practice of law for a period of atleast five years (with some substitutes authorized);Be competent to perform all the duties of the office; be of goodmoral character; be emotionally stable and mature; be committedto equal justice under the law; be in good health; be patient andcourteous; and be capable of deliberation and decisiveness;Be less than seventy (70) years old at the time of initialappointment; andNot be related to a judge of the District Court within the degreespecified in 28 U.S.C. § 458.A merit selection panel composed of attorneys and other members of the community willreview all applications and recommend to the district judges in confidence the five persons itconsiders best qualified. The court will make the appointments following an FBI full-fieldinvestigation and an IRS tax compliance check of the applicant selected by the court forappointment. The individual selected must comply with the financial disclosure requirementspursuant to the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, Pub. L. No. 95-521, 90 Stat. 1824 (1978)(codified at 5 U.S.C. app. 4§§ 101-111) as implemented by the Judicial Conference of the UnitedStates. The panel will identify all qualified applicants without favoring or discriminating basedon race, sex, gender, ethnicity, religion, national origin, color, sexual orientation, gender identity,pregnancy, disability status, or political affiliation. The current annual salary of the position is$229,908. The term of office is eight (8) years.
An application form and more information can be found on the "Careers" page of theinternet website of the United States District Court - Eastern District of California atwww.caed.uscourts.gov . For consideration, applicants must submitAn introductory cover letter not more than two pages in lengthA chronological resumeA completed "Application for the Position of United States Magistrate Judge" form posted on the website pageApplications may only be submitted by applicants on their own behalf (i.e., the nomination of another person will not be accepted). The application packet must be received by Monday, March 9, 2026, as a PDF file sent to email address CAED-HR@caed.uscourts.gov.
Incomplete packets and those submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
To ensure impartiality, please do not have references contact the court or members of themerit selection panel.
All applications will be kept confidential, unless the applicant consents to disclosure, andall applications will be examined only by members of the merit selection panel and the judges ofthe district court. The panel's deliberations will remain confidential.#J-18808-Ljbffr Job Description United States Magistrate Judge - Eastern District of California (Sacramento) The Judicial Conference of the United States has authorized the appointment of a fulltimeUnited States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of California at Sacramento,California to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of United State Magistrate Judge AllisonClaire on January 2, 2027. The courts provide fair and impartial justice within the jurisdictionconferred by the Constitution and Congress. Public trust and confidence are enhanced when thejudiciary's workforce is highly competent and dedicated to the cause of justice. The judiciarycan and should strive to recruit and retain the best and the brightest from all backgrounds and lifeexperiences.
The duties of the position are demanding and wide-ranging and will include:
Conduct of most preliminary proceedings in criminal casesTrial and disposition of misdemeanor casesConduct of various pretrial matters and evidentiary proceedings on delegation from a district judgeTrial and disposition of civil cases upon consent of the litigantsHearing of habeas corpus prisoner petitions and Social Security cases. The basic authority of a United States Magistrate Judge is specified in 28 U.S.C. § 636.To be qualified for appointment an applicant must:
Be, and have been for at least five years, a member in goodstanding of the bar of the highest court of a state, the District ofColumbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Territory ofGuam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or theVirgin Islands of the United States;Have been engaged in the active practice of law for a period of atleast five years (with some substitutes authorized);Be competent to perform all the duties of the office; be of goodmoral character; be emotionally stable and mature; be committedto equal justice under the law; be in good health; be patient andcourteous; and be capable of deliberation and decisiveness;Be less than seventy (70) years old at the time of initialappointment; andNot be related to a judge of the District Court within the degreespecified in 28 U.S.C. § 458.A merit selection panel composed of attorneys and other members of the community willreview all applications and recommend to the district judges in confidence the five persons itconsiders best qualified. The court will make the appointments following an FBI full-fieldinvestigation and an IRS tax compliance check of the applicant selected by the court forappointment. The individual selected must comply with the financial disclosure requirementspursuant to the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, Pub. L. No. 95-521, 90 Stat. 1824 (1978)(codified at 5 U.S.C. app. 4§§ 101-111) as implemented by the Judicial Conference of the UnitedStates. The panel will identify all qualified applicants without favoring or discriminating basedon race, sex, gender, ethnicity, religion, national origin, color, sexual orientation, gender identity,pregnancy, disability status, or political affiliation. The current annual salary of the position is$229,908. The term of office is eight (8) years.
An application form and more information can be found on the "Careers" page of theinternet website of the United States District Court - Eastern District of California atwww.caed.uscourts.gov . For consideration, applicants must submitAn introductory cover letter not more than two pages in lengthA chronological resumeA completed "Application for the Position of United States Magistrate Judge" form posted on the website pageApplications may only be submitted by applicants on their own behalf (i.e., the nomination of another person will not be accepted). The application packet must be received by Monday, March 9, 2026, as a PDF file sent to email address CAED-HR@caed.uscourts.gov.
Incomplete packets and those submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
To ensure impartiality, please do not have references contact the court or members of themerit selection panel.
All applications will be kept confidential, unless the applicant consents to disclosure, andall applications will be examined only by members of the merit selection panel and the judges ofthe district court. The panel's deliberations will remain confidential.#J-18808-Ljbffr
The duties of the position are demanding and wide-ranging and will include:
Conduct of most preliminary proceedings in criminal casesTrial and disposition of misdemeanor casesConduct of various pretrial matters and evidentiary proceedings on delegation from a district judgeTrial and disposition of civil cases upon consent of the litigantsHearing of habeas corpus prisoner petitions and Social Security cases. The basic authority of a United States Magistrate Judge is specified in 28 U.S.C. § 636.To be qualified for appointment an applicant must:
Be, and have been for at least five years, a member in goodstanding of the bar of the highest court of a state, the District ofColumbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Territory ofGuam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or theVirgin Islands of the United States;Have been engaged in the active practice of law for a period of atleast five years (with some substitutes authorized);Be competent to perform all the duties of the office; be of goodmoral character; be emotionally stable and mature; be committedto equal justice under the law; be in good health; be patient andcourteous; and be capable of deliberation and decisiveness;Be less than seventy (70) years old at the time of initialappointment; andNot be related to a judge of the District Court within the degreespecified in 28 U.S.C. § 458.A merit selection panel composed of attorneys and other members of the community willreview all applications and recommend to the district judges in confidence the five persons itconsiders best qualified. The court will make the appointments following an FBI full-fieldinvestigation and an IRS tax compliance check of the applicant selected by the court forappointment. The individual selected must comply with the financial disclosure requirementspursuant to the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, Pub. L. No. 95-521, 90 Stat. 1824 (1978)(codified at 5 U.S.C. app. 4§§ 101-111) as implemented by the Judicial Conference of the UnitedStates. The panel will identify all qualified applicants without favoring or discriminating basedon race, sex, gender, ethnicity, religion, national origin, color, sexual orientation, gender identity,pregnancy, disability status, or political affiliation. The current annual salary of the position is$229,908. The term of office is eight (8) years.
An application form and more information can be found on the "Careers" page of theinternet website of the United States District Court - Eastern District of California atwww.caed.uscourts.gov . For consideration, applicants must submitAn introductory cover letter not more than two pages in lengthA chronological resumeA completed "Application for the Position of United States Magistrate Judge" form posted on the website pageApplications may only be submitted by applicants on their own behalf (i.e., the nomination of another person will not be accepted). The application packet must be received by Monday, March 9, 2026, as a PDF file sent to email address CAED-HR@caed.uscourts.gov.
Incomplete packets and those submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
To ensure impartiality, please do not have references contact the court or members of themerit selection panel.
All applications will be kept confidential, unless the applicant consents to disclosure, andall applications will be examined only by members of the merit selection panel and the judges ofthe district court. The panel's deliberations will remain confidential.#J-18808-Ljbffr Job Description United States Magistrate Judge - Eastern District of California (Sacramento) The Judicial Conference of the United States has authorized the appointment of a fulltimeUnited States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of California at Sacramento,California to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of United State Magistrate Judge AllisonClaire on January 2, 2027. The courts provide fair and impartial justice within the jurisdictionconferred by the Constitution and Congress. Public trust and confidence are enhanced when thejudiciary's workforce is highly competent and dedicated to the cause of justice. The judiciarycan and should strive to recruit and retain the best and the brightest from all backgrounds and lifeexperiences.
The duties of the position are demanding and wide-ranging and will include:
Conduct of most preliminary proceedings in criminal casesTrial and disposition of misdemeanor casesConduct of various pretrial matters and evidentiary proceedings on delegation from a district judgeTrial and disposition of civil cases upon consent of the litigantsHearing of habeas corpus prisoner petitions and Social Security cases. The basic authority of a United States Magistrate Judge is specified in 28 U.S.C. § 636.To be qualified for appointment an applicant must:
Be, and have been for at least five years, a member in goodstanding of the bar of the highest court of a state, the District ofColumbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Territory ofGuam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or theVirgin Islands of the United States;Have been engaged in the active practice of law for a period of atleast five years (with some substitutes authorized);Be competent to perform all the duties of the office; be of goodmoral character; be emotionally stable and mature; be committedto equal justice under the law; be in good health; be patient andcourteous; and be capable of deliberation and decisiveness;Be less than seventy (70) years old at the time of initialappointment; andNot be related to a judge of the District Court within the degreespecified in 28 U.S.C. § 458.A merit selection panel composed of attorneys and other members of the community willreview all applications and recommend to the district judges in confidence the five persons itconsiders best qualified. The court will make the appointments following an FBI full-fieldinvestigation and an IRS tax compliance check of the applicant selected by the court forappointment. The individual selected must comply with the financial disclosure requirementspursuant to the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, Pub. L. No. 95-521, 90 Stat. 1824 (1978)(codified at 5 U.S.C. app. 4§§ 101-111) as implemented by the Judicial Conference of the UnitedStates. The panel will identify all qualified applicants without favoring or discriminating basedon race, sex, gender, ethnicity, religion, national origin, color, sexual orientation, gender identity,pregnancy, disability status, or political affiliation. The current annual salary of the position is$229,908. The term of office is eight (8) years.
An application form and more information can be found on the "Careers" page of theinternet website of the United States District Court - Eastern District of California atwww.caed.uscourts.gov . For consideration, applicants must submitAn introductory cover letter not more than two pages in lengthA chronological resumeA completed "Application for the Position of United States Magistrate Judge" form posted on the website pageApplications may only be submitted by applicants on their own behalf (i.e., the nomination of another person will not be accepted). The application packet must be received by Monday, March 9, 2026, as a PDF file sent to email address CAED-HR@caed.uscourts.gov.
Incomplete packets and those submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
To ensure impartiality, please do not have references contact the court or members of themerit selection panel.
All applications will be kept confidential, unless the applicant consents to disclosure, andall applications will be examined only by members of the merit selection panel and the judges ofthe district court. The panel's deliberations will remain confidential.#J-18808-Ljbffr