The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is accepting applications for a full-time Magistrate Judge position at New York, NY. The duties of the position are demanding and wide ranging and will include: (1) conduct of preliminary proceedings in criminal cases; (2) trial and disposition of misdemeanor cases; (3) conduct of various pretrial matters, including settlement proceedings, and evidentiary proceedings on delegation from the judges of the district court; (4) trial and disposition of civil cases upon consent of the litigants; (5) inquests and reports and recommendations on dispositive motions and evidentiary matters on reference from the judges of the district court; and (6) assignment of additional duties not inconsistent with the Constitution and laws of the United States.
The basic jurisdiction of the United States Magistrate Judge is specified in 28 U.S.C., Section 636. To be qualified for appointment, an applicant must: (a) be a member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands for at least five years; (b) have been engaged in the active practice of law for a period of at least five years (with some substitutions authorized); (c) be competent to perform all the duties of the office, of good moral character, emotionally stable and mature, committed to equal justice under the law, in good health, patient and courteous, and capable of deliberation and decisiveness; (d) be less than 70 years old; and (e) not be related to a judge of the district court.
A Merit Selection Panel composed of attorneys and other members of the community will review all applications and recommend in confidence to the judges of the district court five persons whom it considers best qualified. The Court will make the appointment(s) following an FBI and IRS investigation of the appointee(s). Each individual selected must comply with the financial disclosure requirements of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 and the Courthouse Ethics Act (CETA) of 2021. The Court seeks a wide range of highly qualified candidates. The current salary of the position is $229,908 per annum (effective 1/1/2026).
Candidates should submit hard copies of the applications to the physical address below and email a copy to: [email protected].
Edward A. Friedland
District Court Executive
United States Courthouse
500 Pearl Street, Room 820
New York, NY 10007-1312
Tel: 212-805-0500
An original plus fifteen (15) copies of a cover letter, resume and application must be received by May 1, 2026. Application forms are available on the Court’s web site: www.nysd.uscourts.gov.
If you are interested in this opportunity, please note that the AABANY Judiciary Committee is hosting the “Pathway to the Bench: Federal Magistrate Judges” event on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm, virtually on ZOOM. This program will provide valuable insight into the process of becoming a Federal Magistrate Judge, including practical guidance, application tips, and firsthand perspectives from the bench. Please register by April 21, 2026.