Magistrate Judge

One vacancy in the Office of the Magistrate Judges in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia is anticipated. The new Magistrate Judge will be appointed to serve four-year terms in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

Duties

The successful applicant for this position will be assigned to the Family Court division of the Superior Court based on the needs of the Court at the time the position is filled. Magistrate judges assigned to the Family Court division of the Superior Court will be responsible for, among other things, presiding over hearings in uncontested and contested matters within the jurisdiction of the Family Court and Domestic Unit. The Family Court includes calendars involving domestic relations, child custody, child support, neglected and abused children, juvenile delinquency, children in need of supervision, mental health, and related subject matters. The current salary for this position is $199,654 per annum. 

Salary

• $199,654/year

Conditions of Employment

An Advisory Merit Selection Panel (“Panel”) composed of lawyers and other members of the community has been established by the Court to assist the Board of Judges in identifying and recommending persons who are best qualified to fill the position of Magistrate Judge. The Committee on the Selection and Tenure of Magistrate Judges (“Committee”), comprised of Associate Judges of the Superior Court, will also recommend persons who are best qualified to serve as a Magistrate Judge.  The Chief Judge shall consider all persons recommended by the Panel and the Committee and may consider other qualified applicants.  After the closing date for submitting applications and completion of background investigations, the Chief Judge shall nominate and, with the approval of a majority of the sitting judges of the Court, appoint a new Magistrate Judge.

Qualifications

To be qualified for appointment, an applicant must:

• be a citizen of the United States;
• be an active member in good standing of the unified District of Columbia Bar;
• for five (5) years immediately preceding appointment, have been engaged in the active practice of law in the District of Columbia, or on the faculty of a law school in the District of Columbia, or employed as a lawyer by the District of Columbia or United States Government, or any combination of the foregoing;
• be a bona fide resident of the District of Columbia and have maintained an actual place of abode in the District for at least ninety (90) days immediately prior to appointment and retain such residency during service as Magistrate Judge.  C. Code § 11-1732 (c)(3).
• be competent to perform the duties of the office and be of good moral character; and
• make formal application to the court for the position.

Other Information Application forms for the position may be obtained on DC Courts internet page at https://www.dccourts.gov/superior-court/superior-court-judges/magistrate-judge-application. The application must be accompanied by the applicant's resume, a signed and notarized “Authorization to Release Information for the applicable jurisdiction, and IRS Form 14767. The entire application package (the application form, IRS Form 14767, resume, and Authorization to Release Information) must be submitted electronically on or before the close of business on June 1, 2026, to Judge Michael O'Keefe, co-Chair, Committee on the Selection and Tenure of Magistrate Judges at MagistrateJudgeCommittee@dcsc.gov. Each of the above forms should be scanned and sent as separate documents. The Committee does not require letters of recommendation, letters of support, or endorsements, but will accept them. Such letters must be received by the Committee via email to MagistrateJudgeCommittee@dcsc.gov by June 15, 2026. If you have applied for a vacancy within the past 12 months, you only need to file a letter of interest for this vacancy along with any updates to your prior application. A new Authorization to Release Information and IRS Form 14767 are also required. It is the policy and practice of the District of Columbia Courts to hire and promote employees based upon qualifications and merit only, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, disabilities, national origin, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, source of income, or place of residence or business. Required Documents

Complete the application. 

How to Apply

The entire application package (the application form, the tax form 14767, the Resume, and the Authorization to Release Information) must be submitted electronically on or before the close of business on June 1, 2026 to Judge Michael O’Keefe, Chair, Committee on the Selection and Tenure of Magistrate Judges at MagistrateJudgeCommittee@dcsc.gov.  Each of the above forms should be scanned as separate documents.

Benefits This is not a federal position. The District of Columbia Courts is an independent agency of the District of Columbia Government and is not under the authority of the City Mayor or the D. C. Council. DC Courts' appropriation comes directly from Congress. All DC Courts non-judicial employees receive federal benefits for the following programs: Life Insurance, Retirement Benefits, Health Insurance and Workers Compensation. Please click on the following for more information about these benefits: http://www.opm.gov/Insure/health/enrollment/new_employees.asp The DC Courts leave policy is as follows: Annual Leave: New full-time employees earn four (4) hours of annual leave biweekly. After three years of service this increases to six (6)hours biweekly, and at 15 years it increases to eight(8)hours biweekly. Most military, federal and District of Columbia government service counts toward the time required to go into the next higher annual leave category. Employees can carry over no more than 240 hours of annual leave into the next leave year. Sick Leave is used for personal medical needs, care of a family member, or adoption related purposes. Full-time employees earn four(4)hours of sick leave biweekly. This leave can be accrued without limit.