Law Clerk for Klamath County Circuit Court at State of Oregon

Initial Posting Date

07/31/2025

Application Deadline

12/31/2025

Agency

Judicial Department

Salary Range

$6,870 - $7,953

Position Type

Employee

Position Title

Law Clerk for Klamath County Circuit Court

Job Description

Continuous Recruitment: This announcement is open until filled. Therefore, the announcement may close at any time.

Klamath County Circuit Court, the 13th Judicial District within the Oregon Judicial Department (the judicial branch of government) is hiring a Law Clerk. We are anticipating a fall start date for this position.

Are you looking for a change of pace? Are you seeking a slower, more deliberate way of life but are worried small-town living can’t offer the kind of career and compensation you need? The Klamath County Circuit Court in beautiful Southern Oregon is seeking a highly motivated, energetic person to be our next Law Clerk!

Klamath Falls, Oregon is a beautiful mid-sized city in the mountains of Southern Oregon. The City of Klamath Falls and Klamath County offer a dramatically lower cost of living compared to larger urban areas in the Pacific Northwest, over 300 days of sunshine per year, excellent schools, and an endless supply of year-round outdoor recreation, parks and activities. With just over 20,000 residents, Klamath Falls is small enough to offer a sense of community and affordable living while still offering all the amenities and conveniences of a more densely populated region. If you’ve been wanting a better work-life balance and more bang for your hard-earned buck, this just might be the place for you.

Why Oregon Judicial Department (OJD)?

• Affordable health insurance – we pay up to 99% of your premium.
• Pay equity – pay based on experience and education, not former wages.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness – we are an eligible employer.
• Separate sick leave and vacation leave accruals – you don’t have to use vacation time if you get sick.
• Eligibility to join Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) after six months.
• Although OJD employees are paid monthly, for information purposes, the hourly equivalent rate for the Law Clerk classification is $39.64 - $45.88, and the annual salary range is $82,440 - $95,436 (before PERS eligibility). Candidates new to the department are not typically hired at the highest steps of the range.
• Oregon Judicial Department will pay you 5% allowance for your bilingual skills (includes ASL) if you can pass a skill test and are assigned to use those skills on the job!
• Law Clerks who are members of the Bar may also be eligible for Bar dues payments up to the cost of Bar dues for the Oregon State Bar.
  
  

OJD Mission

The mission of the Oregon judicial branch is to provide fair and accessible justice services that protect the rights of individuals, preserve community welfare, and inspire public confidence. As part of that mission, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive staff to reflect the diversity of the people we serve across the state.

Important How-To And Requirements Information

• Workday times out after approximately 15 minutes of inactivity.
• Prepare your cover letter before starting your Workday application.
• REQUIRED: a cover letter AND a completed work history, either through your completion of the Job History (internal candidate) or Work Experience (external candidate) portion of your Workday profile, OR by attaching an updated resume. Law and undergraduate transcripts, writing sample, and three (3) letters of recommendation.
• Your cover letter and work history must demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications, Special Qualifications, and Requested Skills and Attributes, listed below.
• You must follow all Instructions to be considered for this position.
• Failure to provide a completed work history and cover letter will result in your removal from consideration.
  
  

Interviews: Interviews will be scheduled within two weeks of the application deadline.

As a Law Clerk…

As the court’s law clerk, you will provide legal research and draft various legal documents in all case types for five judges in Klamath County and one judge in Lake County. In addition to these duties, you will be the court’s Probate Commissioner and directly support the Probate Judge to handle simple to complex issues with probate matters. You will also serve as the lead mediator in all Landlord/Tenant matters and will have some involvement with family law facilitation and support.

The court needs an excellent communicator who can respond with tact and diplomacy to a variety of court customers, agency and community stakeholders, fellow court staff and its judges. You will have frequent interaction with people who may be facing challenging life circumstances, highly stressful situations, or trauma. You will need to be organized because the workload can be heavy at times, and you should have a desire to learn about the different case types and their business processes that come before the court.

This position offers a rare opportunity for those at any point in their legal career to gain experience in the legal system from the judicial perspective as well as provide future career and networking opportunities.

Assigned tasks may be changed to accommodate workload and organizational needs. We welcome all candidates who are inspired by our work and mission. Veterans are highly encouraged to apply.

What can help you get a chance to interview?

It’s important to know your application will be read by an actual person, not a computer algorithm. When we read your cover letter, we are looking to see if you are writing to us, at OJD, and whether you have addressed the Requested Skills and Attributes listed below. Using a generic cover letter is likely not going to get you an interview, so please take the time needed to personalize your cover letter.

Instructions for REQUIRED Cover Letter and Work History/Resume, and other documents

Cover Letter (REQUIRED)

• Attach your cover letter (not to exceed two pages) in the Resume / CV / Cover Letter section of the application. The attached cover letter file should include your name.
• In the body of your cover letter, please include responses to each of the Requested Skills and Attributes listed below.
• Address the cover letter “To the Hiring Manager.”
  
  

Work History/Resume (REQUIRED)

• Attach your updated resume in the Resume / CV / Cover Letter section of the application. The attached resume file should include your name.
  
  

OR

• Complete the Job History/Work Experience portion of your Workday profile if you are not using an updated resume.
  
  

Other REQUIRED Documents – Must Be Non-password Protected Versions

• Law and Undergraduate Transcripts – Unofficial Transcripts are accepted
• Writing Sample – must be 10 pages or less (5-7 is preferred). Please choose a sample that contains legal analysis and, on a cover page, describe how, if at all, the sample was edited by others.
• Three (3) Letters of Recommendation – You may attach letters of recommendation to your application OR you or your recommenders can submit letters via email: [email protected]. File name must show position, location, and name (ex: Law Clerk for Klamath County Circuit Court – Jane Doe)
  
  

The Oregon Judicial Department’s Recruitment Team will notify you by email before the application deadline if we have not received one or more of your letters of recommendation.

Failure to follow these instructions may result in rejection of your application.

All application materials will be evaluated for consistency of information, and your letter will be evaluated for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and language use in addition to demonstrated experience.

Minimum Qualifications

(These must be evident in your resume or work history for full consideration.)

You must possess a Juris Doctor degree (or equivalent) from an ABA-accredited academic institution by the start date of employment.

NOTE: An Oregon State Bar (OSB) is not required for this position.

Special Qualifications

(These must be verifiable in your application.)

None.

Requested Skills And Attributes

(These must verifiable in your application and addressed in your cover letter for full consideration.)

• Active membership with the Oregon State Bar is preferred, but not required.
• Experience handling or researching probate matters, landlord/tenant matters, or family law matters is desirable.
• Experience performing a variety of clerical or administrative support tasks with frequent deadlines or shifting priorities.
• Experience interacting with people who are facing challenging life circumstances, highly stressful situations, or trauma.
• Experience maintaining accuracy and meeting deadlines despite frequent interruption or distracting surroundings.
• Experience explaining processes, procedures, or policies to a wide audience, and refraining from giving legal advice.
• Experience identifying and safeguarding confidential information and materials.
• Experience using computers to enter and retrieve data, perform legal research, and complete a variety of tasks.
  
  

WORKING CONDITIONS

• This is a full-time position, and the work schedule currently is 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is not eligible for overtime compensation for hours worked in excess of 40 per work week.
• Occasional after-hours work may be required.
• Frequent phone and in-person contact with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Frequent phone and in-person contact with people who may be facing challenging life circumstances or highly stressful situations.
• Regular use of the following equipment: telephone, personal computer with multiple monitors, copy machine, fax machine, and scanner.
  
  

Additional Information

Criminal Background Check

You will be subject to a criminal background check if you are a finalist. Adverse results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and may result in disqualification if the circumstances are directly related to the duties and responsibilities of the position.

Reference Checks

By submitting your application to OJD, you consent to reference checks about your qualifications, your workplace performance, and your work product.

United States Employment Eligibility

OJD does not offer visa sponsorships. Within three days of hire, you will be required to complete the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s I-9 form confirming authorization to work in the United States. OJD will use E-Verify to confirm that you are authorized to work in the United States.

Future Vacancies

Apply now if you are interested in this or future vacancies. This job announcement may be used to fill future vacancies in this class of work.

Veterans' Preference

Eligible veterans who meet the qualifications will be given preference in the recruitment process. To receive preference, veterans must attach the appropriate documentation after they receive an email in their Workday inbox requesting the information to verify eligibility. The action item, asking veterans to attach their documentation, will arrive after they have submitted their initial application materials. Visit the Oregon job opportunities Veterans web page for additional details, information, and resources.

Conduct Expectations

Because of OJD's role in providing justice and upholding the rule of law, employees of the department are required to meet the highest standards of professional conduct and ethics while on the job, and also to maintain those same high standards when taking actions in their personal lives that could reflect on the department. As an employee, you will be expected to preserve the confidentiality of information received in the course of OJD employment.

Pay Equity

The Oregon Judicial Department complies with Oregon’s pay equity laws. Salary offers are made with consideration of the applicant's education and post-law-graduation experience.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

The Oregon Judicial Department is an eligible employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

Employee Benefits

Click here to access information specific to Oregon Judicial Department employee benefits.

Questions and Support

• If you require an alternate format to complete the application process, call 503-986-5930, or TTY: Oregon Relay Service 711 for the hearing impaired. Be prepared to describe the alternate format needed.
• Workday related information and resources are available at https://www.oregon.gov/jobs/Pages/index.aspx.
• For questions about a specific Oregon Judicial Department job posting, call 503-986-5930 OR email [email protected].
  
  

The Oregon Judicial Department embraces equal opportunity and affirmative action. We are committed to building a diverse team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.