Job Description

The Alaska Court System is accepting applications from qualified individuals to serve as a Magistrate Judge 4 in the Anchorage Trial Court.

A Magistrate Judge is responsible for the legal work required to conduct hearings and other related activities in accord with appropriate state statutes, municipal codes, and court rules. Duties require a high degree of independent judgment to determine if the action cited in the case is supported by the facts.



Under general direction of the Presiding Judge, and pursuant to Alaska Statute (AS 22.15) and Alaska Rules of Court, the children's magistrate judge team's caseload includes presiding over child in need of aid and juvenile delinquency cases. Additionally, the magistrate judge will handle domestic violence/stalking protection cases; dissolution & default divorce/custody cases; mental health commitments; and change of name matters.



The incumbent will have occasional "on-call" after-hours/weekend duty dealing with search warrants; arrest warrants; telephonic bail hearings; and telephonic delinquency arraignments.

A Magistrate Judge 4 requires substantial knowledge of:

Alaska Statutes and Alaska Rules of Court. Regulations and local ordinances. Formal courtroom proceedings. Advanced legal research techniques. Principles of law and complex office and policy management.




Magistrate Judges are appointed to a four-year term and serve a one-year probationary period. Following successful completion of the probationary period, an incumbent may only be removed from office for cause. A Magistrate Judge may be reappointed to additional four-year terms

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Graduation from an accredited law school with a JD degree AND active membership in the Alaska Bar Association (ABA).

TO BE CONSIDERED:

Please attach a letter of interest, comprehensive resume, a list of three professional references, and a writing sample no more than 10 pages in length.

NOTE:

Applicants invited to interview will be required to provide information regarding their involvement in any legal proceedings in which they were a party in a non-representative capacity, and undergo a criminal background and credit check.

Exceptional Benefits for Full-Time Employees

We offer a competitive benefits package that includes

12 paid holidays

,

medical, dental, and optional vision coverage

, and

employer-paid life insurance

. Employees are enrolled in the

Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)

and the

Alaska Supplemental Annuity Plan (SBS)

, with access to the

Alaska Deferred Compensation Plan

.

Personal leave

is accrued for vacation, illness, or personal needs.


Enjoy peace of mind and long-term security while serving your community.





See http://doa.alaska.gov/drb/index.html for additional information.

IMPORTANT: Please attach a letter of interest in employment with the Alaska Court System. Failure to submit a letter may disqualify you from consideration for an interview.

For more information on the Alaska Court System, please visit:

http://www.courts.alaska.gov

For information about what state courts do, please watch the following short video:

VIDEO: The who, what, when, where and how of state courts

The Alaska Court System is an EEO employer and proudly promotes diversity.

Minimum Qualifications

--------------------------


1. Must be a citizen of the United States of America and of the State of Alaska.

2. Must be at least 21 years of age.

3. Must be a resident of Alaska for at least six months immediately preceding appointment as magistrate.

Preferred Qualifications:

Graduation from an accredited law school with an LLB or JD degree.

AND

Active membership in the Alaska Bar Association.

Additional Required Information

-----------------------------------

This applies to your application submission.

Documents to be Attached to the Application (REQUIRED):

A letter of interest, completed per the instructions below. Post-secondary transcripts, if using education to meet minimum qualifications.

Documents to be Submitted at the Time of Interview (REQUIRED):

If you are selected to advance to the interview phase of the recruitment process, you must provide the following at the time of the interview (if not already attached to your application):

Copies of your most recent (2) performance evaluations or two (2) letters of recommendation. A list of three (3) professional references who have had supervisory authority over you along with their daytime contact phone numbers and email addresses.

LETTER OF INTEREST

Please attach a professional letter of interest to your application before submitting it online or, if unable to attach to your application, email it to recruitment@akcourts.gov.

Your letter of interest should:

1) Be professionally written and include proper format, grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

2) Explain how you meet the minimum qualifications of the position.

3) Express your interest in employment with the Alaska Court System. The letter will be used to help determine which applicants will advance to the interview phase of the recruitment and selection process.

WORK HISTORY

If using work experience not already documented in your application, provide the employer's name, your job title, dates of employment and whether full or part-time. Applications will be reviewed to determine if the responses are supported and Minimum Qualifications are clearly met. If they are not, the applicant will not advance to the interview and selection phase of the recruitment.

EDUCATION

If post-secondary education is required to meet the Minimum Qualifications, you must fill in the Education and Training section of the application. If you have not obtained a degree, please indicate the number of credit hours earned in the Degree Obtained field. Copies of academic transcripts will be required at time of interview.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

Applicants will be required to meet the Minimum Qualifications as outlined above. Unfortunately, we cannot always interview all applicants. If your application is considered "not qualified," you will be sent a notice within two weeks after the closing date for this recruitment. If you believe your application was improperly disqualified, you may appeal this decision to the Human Resources Director at 820 West 4th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501-2005 within five workdays from the date the notice is mailed to you. Qualified applications will be forwarded to the hiring supervisor.

NEPOTISM REVIEW

To avoid a conflict of interest and the appearance of impropriety, applicants who have a spouse, close relative, and/or regular member of their household employed by the Alaska Court System may not be considered for employment without the approval of the Administrative Director.

BACKGROUND AND CREDIT CHECKS

A criminal background check and credit check will be conducted prior to an employment offer being made. Applicants who have prior convictions that have been set aside under the terms of a suspended imposition of sentence (SIS) may answer "no" to these questions. If you are not sure if your situation requires disclosure, please contact the Human Resources Department at (907) 264-8242. The Court System reserves the right to confirm all background information.

Contact Information

-----------------------


Contact Title:

Recruitment

E-Mail:

recruitment@akcourts.gov

Mailing Address: 820 West 4th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501


Phone Number: (907) 264-8242

The Alaska Court System provides a variety of benefits for eligible employees, which are a significant part of the total compensation package. The following are typical benefits available to full-time employees. Actual benefits received may differ by position type or be prorated for other than full time work.

Membership in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)

Alaska Supplemental Annuity Plan (SBS) in lieu of contributions to Social Security

Medical and dental coverage for employee and eligible dependents

Vision plan (optional)

Employer paid Basic Life Insurance with additional coverage available

12 paid holidays per year

Personal leave accrual based on years of creditable state service

Option to enroll in the Alaska Deferred Compensation Plan

For more information on the Alaska Court System, please visit:

http://www.courts.alaska.gov