Pro Se Staff Attorney

Full Job Description

The Pro Se Staff Attorney carries primary responsibility for managing Social Security appeals by conducting legal research and preparing draft reports and recommendations, or memorandum opinions and orders, including cases involving self-represented claimants.

Law school graduate (top quarter or law review required), with at least three years of professional legal experience.

Strong preference for attorneys with experience working on social security and prisoner immigration, § 1983, and habeas corpus matters.

Computer proficiency in Windows applications, word processing ability in Microsoft Word, and experience with computer-assisted legal research are required.

Applicant must have the ability to analyze complex legal issues and understand a wide range of legal concepts, principles, and practices as they relate to social security appeals and prisoner litigation; perform legal research and write accurately and expeditiously; communicate complex issues in simple terms with a professional demeanor; set priorities; and manage work with limited supervision.

Applicant must be detail-oriented and possess excellent organizational skills. Major Duties:

• taking primary responsibility for the Court's social security docket; taking primary responsibility for a portion of the Court's immigration and pro se prisoner docket; providing substantive legal analysis of pleadings and making recommendations directly to the judges regarding the dispositions of motions; drafting appropriate reports and recommendations, orders, and opinions for review by judges; efficiently managing the flow of the Court's social security, immigration, and pro se prisoner litigation; providing information to judges and Court staff on legal issues unique to social security, immigration, and pro se prisoner litigation; evaluating existing procedures and developing and implementing improved processes for the adjudication of the Court's social security, immigration and pro se prisoner litigation; preparing periodic reports for judges on trends in the respective dockets; conducting legal research and keeping abreast of developments in the law including but not limited to social security appeals, prisoner immigration cases, § 1983 cases, and capital habeas cases in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court; reviewing voluminous administrative and state court records and trial transcripts; collaborating with other staff attorneys and chambers law clerks; and performing other duties as assigned.