Staff Attorney

About the role

The Third Circuit Court of the 20th Judicial District of Tennessee is seeking a part-time, permanent staff attorney with a start date of September 1, 2026. The position is 37.5 hours per week.

Responsibilities

• Performs substantive legal research and analysis and communicates results to the Judge orally and in writing.
• Reviews trial briefs, and records and prepares draft orders, reports, memoranda, and opinions.
• Affords assistance to the Judge in preparing for hearings, trials, and other proceedings.
• Provides legal counsel and support to the Judge.
• Interacts with chambers staff and other Court Personnel.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• To qualify for the Position, one must be a law school graduate and must possess the following traits and skills:
• Proficiency in Westlaw and/or Lexis Nexis
• Familiarity with the Tennessee Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure, Title 36 of the Tennessee Code Annotated, and Court Procedures.
• Superior research and writing skills
• Strong Organizational skills
• Self-motivated with the ability to manage time effectively, independently establish priorities, juggle competing demands, meet tight deadlines, and perform well under pressure, while working independently under limited guidance and/or direction.
• Exceptional ability to communicate, articulate, and relate to co-workers and others with professionalism and integrity.
• Proficient typing and personal computer skills.

Qualifications

• Must be an U.S. citizen or eligible to work in the United States.
• Must be able to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees.
• Must comply with confidentiality requirements, including handling confidential information in a variety of contexts.
• Understand and accept that all Employees of the Third Circuit Court are “at will” employees and can be terminated at any time with or without cause.

Benefits

• Approximately 13 paid State and Local holidays per year
• Health Benefits
• Supplemental dental and vision benefits
• Life Insurance benefits
• Retail benefits
• Paid time off, as set by Judge Mance along with the ability to Work from home on occasions.

Conditions of Employment

• Subject to background checks and subsequent favorable suitability determination.

Application Process

• A letter of interest
• Most recent resume
• A writing sample that has not been edited or drafted by anyone other than the applicant.
• The writing sample should be limited to a pre-trial brief, proposed findings of facts and conclusions of law, or appellate brief that applicant has submitted to a Court within the last two (2) years.
• If the applicant has been engaged in the practice of law for less than 2 years or is a recent law school graduate, they should submit a granted writing sample analogous to a pre-trial brief, proposed findings of facts and conclusions of law or appellate brief in response to a law school call assignment.
• The best qualified applicants will be invited for a personal interview.

Equal Opportunity Employer