Judicial Staff Attorney Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Salary: $89,000.00 - $98,000.00 Annually
Location : Godwin Courts Building, Suffolk, VA
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: 4649
Department: CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE
Opening Date: 08/26/2026
Closing Date: 9/13/2026 11:59 PM Eastern
Description
**The Judicial Staff Attorney is a Judicial appointed position that qualifies for City employee benefits**
The Judges of the Fifth Judicial Circuit seek a Virginia licensed attorney to perform professional legal services for the Judges including the reviewing of civil and criminal motions, researching whether matters are properly served and noticed, conducting legal research, and drafting legal memoranda, prospective civil orders and legal opinions for the Court. The law clerk/staff attorney will work within broad policy and organization guidelines established by the Judges of the Fifth Judicial Circuit. The Employee's function is necessary to ensure that the Circuit Court serves the public in an effective and efficient manner. Employee must also exercise tact, courtesy, and discretion in frequent contact with attorneys, public officials and employees, and the general public. Reports to the Chief Circuit Court Judge.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.
Essential Job Functions
Serves as staff attorney for the four (4) Circuit Court Judges.
Responsible for legal research and analysis of legal issues for the weekly motions docket of the judges; including: 1) checking each motion for compliance with procedural legal requirements; 2) calling non-compliant lawyers/legal staff, to enable them to bring their motions into compliance before motions day; 3) providing the judges with statutes and rules, for their review, on simple legal issues; 4) writing bench briefs involving legal research and analysis on complex legal issues; 5) assisting with and attending motions arguments in court, and 6) drafting opinion letters for the judges as requested.
Reviews a variety of Orders, Petitions and Motions, submitted daily to the Judges, to address compliance with statutory and other legal requirements, and responds to the parties and their counsel regarding such Orders. Examples of cases requiring such Orders are City tax sales, Church petitions for appointment of trustees and acquisition or disposition of real property, Adoptions, Orders pertaining to support, custody, visitation, and disposition of marital property, Rules to Show Cause and enforcement of prior Orders, Final divorce decrees, Name changes, Appointments of Guardians ad litem, and Garnishments.
Prepares draft Orders for various matter, including but limited to Orders for matters involving Pro se parties and Orders related to concealed weapon permits and Orders to vacate, dismiss, remand and continue.
Coordinates with Circuit Court Clerk's Office as needed, including but not limited to questions regarding files on behalf of Pro se parties.
Responds to emails and telephone inquiries by unrepresented parties or attorneys, concerning procedural matter, or to review Orders to determine their compliance with statutory and/or court requirements.
Attend and/or review recordings of dockets, per Judge's request, to note the Judge's ruling or to record Pro se parties' agreement to incorporate.
Coordinate hearings and Orders for Judges, when Judges are appointed to special Virginia Supreme Court matters, included but limited to, Virginia State Bar Three-Judge Panels, Election Recount Courts and Supreme Court Commission assignments.
Performs legal research and analysis of legal issues for habeas corpus petitions, including writing bench briefs, and drafting legal opinions regarding the same.
Prepares and/or reviews proposed responses to correspondence received by the Judges and the Clerk of the Court from prisoners and/or their counsel, including requests for sentence reconsideration, requests for approval of in forma pauperis status, requests for documents, complaints, and other miscellaneous requests.
Ability to prepare civil support guidelines for Pendente Lite hearings.
Performs other related duties as required.
Required Qualifications
Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school; License to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia; with 1 to 2 years of experience in the practice of civil and/or criminal law preferred. Requires a valid driver's license.
***Applicants MUST also attach a writing sample upon application in order to be considered.***
Supplemental Information
Knowledge of Virginia criminal law and procedure.
Knowledge of Virginia civil law and procedure.
Knowledge of the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia.
Knowledge of the rules of evidence and professional responsibility.
Ability to interpret and apply laws and court decisions, and to use legal source material in technical research.
Ability to express ideas effectively, orally and in writing.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships as necessitated by work assignments.
Ability of speaking and/or signaling people to convey or exchange information. Includes receiving assignments and/or directions from superiors.
Ability to read a variety of reports, letters, and memos, contracts, deeds, ordinances, resolutions, legal briefs, etc. Requires the ability to prepare correspondence, reports, legal briefs, etc., using prescribed formats and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style.
Requires proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook.
Proficiency in the use of legal research tools such as Westlaw.
Requires the ability to speak before groups of people with poise, voice control and confidence.
Ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems; and to deal with a variety of abstract and concrete variables.
Ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract totals; to multiply and divide; and to determine percentages and decimals; understand and apply the theories of algebra, geometry, trigonometry, descriptive statistics, and statistical inference.
Seasonal Employees- No Benefits
Part-time Employees - Sick Leave (See below)
Full Time Employees are eligible for the following benefits;
Retirement (Virginia Retirement System employer) for employees hired on or after 1/1/14 - Hybrid Members
Hybrid plan members contribute 4 percent of creditable compensation to the defined benefit plan and 1 percent to the defined contribution plan each month. Members may voluntarily contribute up to an additional 4 percent in 0.5 percent increments to the defined contribution plan each month. Members can increase or decrease their voluntary contributions on a quarterly basis. With the mandatory and voluntary contributions to the defined contribution component of the plan, members can contribute a maximum of 5 percent with a 3.5 percent match from the employer. Members invest in various investment options that best fit their needs.
Vested after 5 years in the defined benefit part of the plan. Vested in phases based on years in the Defined Contribution part of the Plan. The retirement eligibility for a full or reduced retirement pension in the Hybrid Plan is very detailed. Please contact the Virginia Retirement System or the Human Resources Department for details.
Paid Time Off (PTO)Yearly earnings
120 Hours (1-59 months), 144 Hours (60-119 months), 168 Hours (120- 179 months), 192 Hours (180 and over)
Sick Leave
Part Time employees earn 4 hours per month Sick leave accrues at the end of the month and may be accrued with no ceiling.
Personal Leave
All regular full time employees are granted 24 hours of personal leave each calendar year. Personal leave must be preapproved and is not cumulative.
Health Insurance
Coverage available for you and your eligible dependents using pre-tax payroll deductions if elected.
Supplemental Insurances
Employees may purchase the following supplemental insurance policies: short term and long term disability, cancer, accident, supplemental hospitalization, and group universal life insurance.
Employer Sponsored Short Term and Long Term Disability
Provides disability coverage for employees work and non-work related disabilities. Work related disabilities are covered starting on day one (1). Non work related disabilities are covered starting on day eight (8), after you have been employed for one year.
Flexible Spending Accounts
Employees may participate in the Health Reimbursement, Dependent Care Reimbursement and Premium Reimbursement Accounts. All deductions are made on a pre-tax basis and will reduce your taxable income.
Life Insurance
The city pays the entire premium for life insurance coverage in the amount of 2 times annual salary for natural death and 4 times annual salary for accidental death.
Optional Life Insurance
Employees have the option of electing additional life insurance coverage in the amount of 1, 2, 3 or 4 times their annual salary. Employees may only purchase optional life insurance on spouses and children if they are enrolled in optional life insurance for themselves.
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
12 weeks of job protected leave for leaves approved in accordance with the Family Medical Leave Act. Employees receive continuation of health insurance, job protection and consideration for a comparable job when available, or an equivalent job, upon return to work.
Funeral Leave
24 hours of paid leave of absence in case of death in immediate family.
Holidays
Suffolk follows the Virginia State holiday calendar as set by the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Jury Duty
Time off with pay with difference between jury pay and regular pay or use annual leave and keep check.
457 Deferred Compensation, ROTH IRA, Traditional IRA
Offered through ICMA Retirement Corporation as a way to shelter a portion of your salary from income taxes and save for retirement.
Employee Assistance Program
Offers employees and immediate family members (3) free, confidential counseling sessions related to a broad range of issues such as marital or family conflict, job or personal stress, alcohol or drug abuse, financial or legal worries, etc.
Worker's Compensation
Should an employee have an on the job injury, he/she could be eligible for Workmen's Compensation Benefits, except in cases of willful neglect.
Pay Days
Employees will be paid on the 15th and last working day of each month.
Credit Union
A Suffolk Credit Union is available to employees.
Legal Services
Employees may prepay for access to legal assistance.
Notary Public Services
Services available in the Human Resources Department.
Alternative Work ScheduleFor some positions -Offers 4 Alternative Work Schedule options to provide employees with greater control over their personal and professional time, as well as reducing absences.
01
Did you graduate from an accredited school of law with a Juris Doctorate degree?

• Yes
• No

02
Do you have a valid driver's license?

• Yes
• No

03
Are you currently licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia and in good standing?

• Yes
• No

04
Do you have any experience working for a local government or municipality?

• Yes
• No

05
Which of the following best represents your experience in the practice of law?

• None
• Less than 1 year
• 1 - 2 years
• 2 - 3 year
• 3 - 4 years
• 4 - 5 years
• More than 5 years

06
Which of the following reflects your current status?

• Currently Licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• Passed the Virginia Bar Exam awaiting entrance into the Virginia Bar.
• NOT licensed to practice law in Virginia and have NOT passed the Virginia Bar Exam
• NOT licensed to practice law in Virginia, but scheduled to take the Virginia Bar Exam in February/July
• Eligible for admission into Virginia Bar via reciprocity
• Other

07
If you selected Other to the previous question, please explain below:
08
Do you have previous experience clerking or working for a Judge, Attorney or Law Firm?

• Yes
• No

09
Were you a member of Law Review or a similar publication during Law School?

• Yes
• No

Required Question