Masters In Legal Studies Jobs in Spring, TX (NOW HIRING)

Salary: Depends on Qualifications
Location : McAllen, TX
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: 26-58
Department: Chambers
Opening Date: 06/29/2026
Position Overview
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas is seeking two full-time term judicial law clerks to United States District Judge John G.E. Marck in McAllen, Texas. Appointment would be for a minimum of one term from August 2026 to September 2027, with potential for another 12-15 month term.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas is one of the largest district courts among the country's 94 federal judicial districts. The Southern District of Texas consists of the following seven divisional offices: Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Galveston, Houston, Laredo, McAllen and Victoria.
Salary Range: JSP 11 ($74,678) to JSP 14 ($163,514), depending on qualifications and/or prior federal judicial law clerk experience.
Representative Duties
The law clerk reviews legal submissions, performs legal research, prepares bench memoranda, and drafts orders and opinions addressing a wide assortment of issues arising in civil and criminal litigation. The law clerk may also perform case management duties through the Case Management/Electronic Case Filing (CM/ECF) system as well as administrative office functions such as editing, proofreading, telephone communications, written correspondence, and scheduling as needed.
The law clerk works cooperatively with other members of the judge's staff, as well as staff in other chambers and other court units, in order to effectively support the judge in fulfilling his judicial responsibilities.
Qualifications
Applicant must attach all of the following:

• Current resume
• At least one writing sample;
• No fewer than three letters of recommendation;
• Undergraduate and law school transcripts.

Letters of recommendation may be mailed or delivered to:
Honorable John G.E. Marck Law Clerk Recruitment
c/o Yumna Rabaa, Human Resources Specialist
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
515 Rusk, Room 1215
Houston, Texas 77002
Minimum Qualifications
The law clerk must be a law school graduate (or be certified as having completed all law school studies and requirements and merely awaiting conferment of degree) from a law school approved by either the American Bar Association or the Association of American Law Schools and have demonstrated one or more of the following accomplishments or proficiencies:

• Standing within the upper 25% of the law school class;
• Experience on the editorial board of a law review of such a school or a moot court participant;
• Graduation from such a school with an LLM degree; or
• Proficiency in legal studies which, in the opinion of the judge, is the equivalent of one of the above.

To qualify for JSP grade 12, one year of legal work experience following law school graduation is required.
To qualify for JSP grade 13, two years of legal work experience following law school graduation is required.
To qualify for JSP grade 14, three years of legal work experience following law school graduation is required, and two of the three required years must have been served as a law clerk in the federal judiciary.
With the exception of JSP grade 11, a bar membership is also required.
Preferred Qualifications

• Excellent academic credentials, as well as superior research and writing skills. Proficiency with Westlaw and/or Lexis.
• Exceptional ability to communicate, articulate, and relate to coworkers and others with professionalism and integrity.
• Self motivated, able to manage multiple tasks and meet competing deadlines.
• Detail oriented, reliable and able to work independently and with minimum supervision.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and keen analytical skills.
• An understanding of court processes and procedures.

Familiarity with the federal judicial system's electronic case filing system, experience with prisoner civil rights litigation, and prior experience as a judicial clerk are preferred but not required.
Miscellaneous
Participation in the interview process is at the applicant's own expense and may include a short writing assignment. The judge will only communicate with those qualified applicants who are selected for an interview. If you are not notified, another applicant was selected.
Employees of the United States Courts are not included in the government's Civil Service classification. They are, however, entitled to some of the same benefits as other federal government employees, such as medical, dental, vision, and life insurance and flexible spending accounts. Employees who work for the Court are considered "at will" and work at the pleasure of the judge. As a condition of employment, successful applicants will be subject to a background check, credit check and/or records check with law enforcement agencies. Also, this position is subject to mandatory electronic funds transfer participation for payment of net pay.
Applicants must be United States citizens or able to prove that they are actively seeking citizenship. Go to www.uscourts.gov for more information on the citizenship requirement.
The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this announcement, withdraw the announcement, or fill the position at any time before the closing date, any of which may occur without prior written notice.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Benefits include participation in the retirement system, health and life insurance programs, holiday and leave accrual, and periodic salary increases. The Court is not authorized to reimburse candidates for travel or moving expenses. This position is subject to mandatory Electronic Funds Transfer participation for payment of net pay.
For additional information regarding benefits, go to http://www.uscourts.gov/careers/benefits.