APPOINTMENT OF NEW MAGISTRATE JUDGE

U.S. DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DIST.OF AR Fort Smith, AR Full-time Legal Services

Posted on January 16, 2025

The Judicial Conference of the United States has authorized the appointment of a full-time U.S. Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court, Western District of Arkansas. The position will be created by the planned retirement of Judge Barry A. Bryant. The position’s duty station will be El Dorado, AR. Travel will be required throughout the district, and frequent travel will include Texarkana and Hot Springs. The duties of the position include presiding over initial proceedings in criminal cases; trials of misdemeanor cases, including petty offenses; pretrial matters and other proceedings in civil and criminal cases; conducting civil settlement conferences; and disposition of civil cases with the consent of the parties. The basic authority of a U.S. Magistrate Judge is specified in in 28 U.S.C. § 636 and Local Rule 72.1. To be qualified for appointment an applicant must: (1) Be, and have been for at least five years, a member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Territory of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands of the United States, and have been engaged in the active practice of law for a period of at least five years (with some substitutes authorized); (2) Be competent to perform all the duties of the office; be of good moral character; be emotionally stable and mature; be committed to equal justice under the law; be in good health; be patient and courteous; and be capable of deliberation and decisiveness; (3) Be less than 70 years old; and (4) Not related to a judge of the District Court. A merit selection panel composed of attorneys and other members of the community will review all applicants and recommend to the district judges in confidence the five persons it considers best qualified. The court will make the appointment following an FBI full-field investigation and an IRS tax check of the applicant selected by the court for appointment. The individual selected must comply with the financial disclosure requirements pursuant to the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, Pub. L. No. 95-521, 90 Stat. 1824 (1978) (codified at 5 U.S.C. app. 4 §§ 101-111) as implemented by the Judicial Conference of the United States. An affirmative effort will be made to give due consideration to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, age (40 and over), gender, religion, national origin, or disability. The current annual salary of the position is $277,608. The term of office is eight (8) years. An application form and instructions are provided on the Court’s website at www.arwd.uscourts.gov. Application materials may be submitted to the mailing or email address below: Ronald E. Dowling, Clerk of Court United States District Court – Western District of Arkansas 30 S. 6th Street, Suite 1038 Fort Smith, AR 72901 or Email to: ronald_dowling@arwd.uscourts.gov Application packets must include a completed application, cover letter and resume, and be received no later than 5:00 p.m. Central Time on Friday, February 14, 2025. All applications will be kept confidential, unless the applicant consents to disclosure, and all applications will be examined only by members of the merit selection panel and the Judges of the District Court. The panel’s deliberations will remain confidential. The U.S. Courts are equal opportunity employers.