Pro Se Legal Assistant
Court Name/Organization District of New Jersey
Overview of the Position The Clerk's Office of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey is seeking a Pro Se Legal Assistant position in the Trenton Prisoner Litigation Office (PLO) for a period to begin April 6, 2026, and end on Sept. 30, 2026. If hired, the position may be extended beyond September 30, 2026, depending upon the needs of the office and funding.
Location Trenton, NJ
Opening and Closing Dates 03/17/2026
- 03/25/2026
Appointment Type Temporary
Classification Level/Grade CL 24
- CL 25
Salary $52,678
- $94,588
Announcement Number 26-06 Position Description Representative Duties
Assists the court by performing duties needed for effective management and processing of civil cases filed by prisoners and immigration detainees.
Performs the duties of the position in conjunction with, and under the guidance of, pro se staff attorneys. Performs basic case management to ensure fair and efficient movement of cases to resolution, including running reports and tracking progress. Assists with identification of emergency filings and undertake special handling requirements as directed. Assists in legal research using Westlaw and Lexis, including cite-checking. Edits and prepares documents, and other duties as assigned. Court Preferred Knowledge and Skills
The Court is seeking an applicant with a strong work ethic, initiative, and dependability. An understanding of professional office procedures and the ability to work both independently and in a team environment is preferable. Interaction will be with various individuals; therefore, the candidate should possess excellent interpersonal and written and verbal communication skills. The ability to handle multiple priorities and tasks is essential. Proficiency and experience in the use of computer systems, including but not limited to Microsoft Office applications, such as, Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams, is highly preferred. Case Management/ Electronic Case Files ("CM/ECF") experience and general knowledge of Court and/or legal terminology is preferred. Prior case management experience is helpful. Qualifications The successful candidate must have at a minimum a high school diploma and the equivalent of two years of general experience. A college degree is desirable. To qualify for the CL 24
- CL 25 level, at least one year of specialized experience is required.
Generalized experience is defined as progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that demonstrates the possession of or the ability to acquire, the knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position. This includes but is not limited to knowledge of professional office procedures, excellent customer service initiatives and excellent organizational, analytical, communication and interpersonal skills. Specialized experience includes progressively responsible clerical or administrative experience requiring the regular and recurring application of clerical procedures that demonstrate the ability to apply a body of rules, regulations, directives, and laws that involve the routine use of specialized terminology and automated software and equipment for word processing, data entry and report generation. Employee Benefits To learn more about the Judiciary's benefits: https://www.uscourts.gov/careers/benefits Miscellaneous Representative Duties
Assists the court by performing duties needed for effective management and processing of civil cases filed by prisoners and immigration detainees. Performs the duties of the position in conjunction with, and under the guidance of, pro se staff attorneys. Performs basic case management to ensure fair and efficient movement of cases to resolution, including running reports and tracking progress. Assists with identification of emergency filings and undertake special handling requirements as directed. Assists in legal research using Westlaw and Lexis, including cite-checking. Edits and prepares documents, and other duties as assigned. Court Preferred Knowledge and Skills
The Court is seeking an applicant with a strong work ethic, initiative, and dependability. An understanding of professional office procedures and the ability to work both independently and in a team environment is preferable. Interaction will be with various individuals; therefore, the candidate should possess excellent interpersonal and written and verbal communication skills. The ability to handle multiple priorities and tasks is essential. Proficiency and experience in the use of computer systems, including but not limited to Microsoft Office applications, such as, Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams, is highly preferred. Case Management/ Electronic Case Files ("CM/ECF") experience and general knowledge of Court and/or legal terminology is preferred. Prior case management experience is helpful.
