Can term law clerks make it to JS-14? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I will have over three years of post-JD legal experience starting sometime in the middle of my clerkship. Would I get bumped up to a JS-14? I read somewhere on here that one of the judge's chambers staff can be a JS-14.

[legalese_retard]

If an appointee has three years of post-graduate legal work experience (with at least two years as a judicial law clerk, staff attorney, pro se law clerk, death penalty law clerk, or bankruptcy appellate panel law clerk in the federal judiciary) plus bar membership, he or she qualifies for appointment at JSP-14, step 1, with an annual base salary of $85,544 (plus applicable locality rate). Judicial Conference policy permits only one grade 14 law clerk per chambers. Incoming law clerks who have prior federal experience may be eligible to match their highest previous rate of federal pay within the grade for which they qualify. Specific information about salary can be made available prior to accepting an offer from the employing court's personnel representative.

https://oscar.uscourts.gov/qualificatio ... y_benefits

So if at least two of your three years experience was as a judicial law clerk, then you would qualify for JSP 14.

[Anonymous User]

If an appointee has three years of post-graduate legal work experience (with at least two years as a judicial law clerk, staff attorney, pro se law clerk, death penalty law clerk, or bankruptcy appellate panel law clerk in the federal judiciary) plus bar membership, he or she qualifies for appointment at JSP-14, step 1, with an annual base salary of $85,544 (plus applicable locality rate). Judicial Conference policy permits only one grade 14 law clerk per chambers. Incoming law clerks who have prior federal experience may be eligible to match their highest previous rate of federal pay within the grade for which they qualify. Specific information about salary can be made available prior to accepting an offer from the employing court's personnel representative.

https://oscar.uscourts.gov/qualificatio ... y_benefits

So if at least two of your three years experience was as a judicial law clerk, then you would qualify for JSP 14.

"Judicial Conference policy permits only one grade 14 law clerk per chambers" ---if your chambers already has a career clerk in chambers, then...

[Anonymous User]

Q for those who have experienced the JSP11 to JSP12 bump: does the switch happen (1) after one year of experience or (2) after one year of being admitted to the bar? I started my first clerkship a few months before being sworn in.

[A. Nony Mouse]

One year of legal experience, not bar admission.

[rpupkin]

One year of legal experience, not bar admission.

Yes. Though it's worth noting that you generally need bar admission to make it past JS-11.

[tww909]

One year of legal experience, not bar admission.

Yes. Though it's worth noting that you generally need bar admission to make it past JS-11.

Also, at least in my district, it is one continuous year. In other words HR took a year from the date on which I started my first post-grad legal job, and then added days for the 2.5 week period between ending that job and starting my clerkship. The end result is that something like 1 year and 2.5 weeks after starting my first post-grad job I will get the bump.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone have any experience interpreting this phrase? "Incoming law clerks who have prior federal experience may be eligible to match their highest previous rate of federal pay within the grade for which they qualify."

a) Does this only apply to clerks with prior post-law school federal experience?
b) What on earth does "match their highest previous rate of federal pay within the grade for which they qualify" mean?

I was GS-12 in a prior life (i.e., pre-law school) and am wondering if that will make any difference re: law clerk salary. I assume no, but hey, a boy a can dream.