About This Role
This appointment as a full-time U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of Florida is for a legal professional with a strong commitment to justice. The role involves a wide range of judicial duties in both criminal and civil cases, supporting the District Court's function.
Responsibilities
- Conduct most preliminary proceedings in criminal cases
- Trial and disposition of misdemeanor cases
- Conduct various pretrial matters and evidentiary proceedings on delegation from the Judges of the District Court
- Trial and disposition of civil cases upon consent of the litigants
- Assist the District Court with any additional duties not inconsistent with the Constitution and Laws of the United States
Requirements
- 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
- Have been engaged in the active practice of law for a period of at least five years (with some substitutes authorized)
- 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
- Be capable of deliberation and decisiveness
- Be less than 70 years old
- Not be related to a Judge of the District Court
Important Details
- Appointment type: Permanent
- Term of office: eight years
- Application deadline: August 9, 2026, 5 p.m.
Application Process
- Merit Selection Panel, composed of attorneys and other community members, will review all applicants
- The panel will recommend five best-qualified persons to the District Judges
- The Court will make the appointment following an FBI full-field investigation and an IRS tax compliance check of the selected applicant
- The individual selected must comply with the financial disclosure requirements pursuant to the Ethics in Government Act of 1978
- Instructions for completion and submission of the application are included on each application form
- Applicants should not initiate contact with members of the Merit Selection Panel
Miscellaneous
- 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.