Description
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA
Evansville Division
JUDICIAL TERM LAW CLERK
Magistrate Judge - the Honorable Crystal S. Wildeman
Salary: JSP 11-13 ($74,678 - $106,437)
depending on qualifications and experience
Application Deadline: August 28, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. central time or until filled
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana is accepting
applications for a term Judicial Law Clerk to United States Magistrate Judge Crystal
Wildeman. Judge Wildeman sits in the Evansville Division in Evansville, Indiana. This
position is in Evansville. Responsibilities include management of civil cases, research,
preparation of legal memoranda, orders, opinions, reports and recommendations. Other
duties include proofreading, verification of citations, assistance in courtroom
proceedings, and special projects. Employment will commence in August 2027.
Starting salary is dependent upon qualifications and prior years of legal work experience.
For appointment at JSP Grade 12, the applicant must have one year of legal work
experience and bar membership. For appointment at JSP Grade 13, the applicant must
have two years of legal work experience and bar membership. Salary may be higher with
previous experience as a law clerk to a federal judge. The initial term of employment will
be one year with possibility of extension and/or opportunity for career clerkship.
Preference will be given to those with post JD litigation experience, as well as federal
court experience. First consideration may be given to those who apply early.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates must have the following minimum
qualifications: (1) law school graduation in the top quarter of the graduating class
(exception criteria below); (2) law review/journal experience or other significant legal
writing experience; (3) good character, maturity, and willingness to work long hours
when needed; (4) excellent skills in research, writing, proofreading, communication,
and source and cite checking (including use of proper Bluebook form); (5) proficiency in
computer-assisted legal research; and (6) proficiency in Windows and Word. Prior law
clerk experience, experience researching and writing motions, memoranda of law, and
appellate briefs in federal court, or post-graduate litigation experience is preferred and
may be considered as a valid substitute for class rank. Candidates must demonstrate an
ability and willingness to work collegially with others and to maintain confidentiality.
HOW TO APPLY: Email the following documentation in one PDF document to:
[email protected]
1. Cover letter;
2. Résumé, including email and telephone contact information;
3. Contact information for references from three work-related sources;
4. Writing sample (no more than 15 pages);
5. Law school transcript;
6. Completed AO 78 Application for Judicial Branch Federal Employment
(application form is on the court website www.insd.uscourts.gov)
Be sure to include your surname and the words "Wildeman - Term Law Clerk" in the
email subject line. The deadline for receipt of applications is August 28, 2026, 12:00 pm
Central Time. Faxed and mailed résumés will not be accepted.
In order to be considered for this position, candidates must submit the entire application
package in the manner prescribed by the instructions. Failure to do so may invalidate the
application without further acknowledgement from the Court. Some applicants may be
invited for an in-person interview, which will occur in Evansville, Indiana. Costs will be
borne by the applicant. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and a selection
may be made prior to the Application Deadline. There may be more than one judicial
term law clerk position available that may be filled by this posting.
The Court is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or eligible
to work in the United States. Applicants are subject to a complete FBI fingerprint check
and background investigation. Employment will be provisional and contingent upon the
satisfactory completion of the required background investigation. The Federal Financial
Reform Act requires direct deposit of federal wages for court employees. The United
States District Court is a smoke-free environment. Please note that federal judicial law
clerks are governed by certain ethical guidelines that generally prohibit the practice of
law and significantly restrict the ability to engage in pro bono legal representation and
outside employment. Law clerks also are prohibited from engaging in any political
activities, whether partisan or nonpartisan.
