Job Description

$69,637 - $113,198 (CL 27) with promotion potential to CL-28

$83,453 - $135,693 (CL 28) depending on experience and qualifications

Pasadena, CA

Position Overview

The Ninth Circuit Court Libraries are currently accepting applications for a Librarian in our Pasadena location.

The Ninth Circuit Library system serves all the federal courts within the jurisdiction of the Ninth Circuit, including more than 400 judges in the Circuit, district, and bankruptcy courts. The Library system includes a headquarters library in San Francisco and approximately 20 staffed branch locations.

This position is based in the Richard H. Chambers Court of Appeals Building in Pasadena, CA. Under the direction of the Pasadena Branch Librarian, the Assistant Librarian serves as a primary point of contact for Pasadena based federal judges and court staff and other judges and staff supported by the Ninth Circuit Library system. The position also supports local library operations and collection maintenance. In addition, the successful candidate will be part of a team of librarians located throughout the Ninth Circuit committed to developing innovative resources and services for our users and will have the opportunity to participate in systemwide activities and initiatives.

Representative Duties

• Provides legal and non-legal research and reference services for judges, court staff, and other library users
• Works as a team member in the development and maintenance of web-based and other electronic information delivery services
• Provides group and individual training to court staff on Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg Law, and other research resources
• Develops print and online training materials, library promotional materials, and research guides
• Creates and distributes newsletters
• Assists with current awareness library products and projects
• Facilitates library access for judges, court staff, and other library users
• Coordinates library events and may assist with other events in the courthouse
• Participates in collection development, acquisitions, and/or cataloging
• Maintains the Pasadena Branch Library collection
• Works as a team member in coordinating services with other branch libraries throughout the Circuit
• May serve on local court committees and/or on Circuit-wide or national library committees and working groups
• May participate in local bar activities and/or partner with other librarians or agencies on court related projects
• May support civic education initiatives and/or court archives
• Occasional travel to other Library Branch locations and to other courthouses/judicial chambers
• Occasional moderate to heavy physical activity
• Other duties and projects as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Education and Experience
  • M.L.S. degree (or equivalent) from an ALA-accredited library school and either
    • one year of law library experience or
    • one year of legal research experience and one year of library experience
• OR
  • J.D. Degree and
    • one year of law library experience and
    • an additional year of library (law or other library) experience
  • For CL-28: Two years of professional law library experience equivalent to a CL-27 (Work performed at the CL-28 level is more complex and requires more independent responsibility.)
• Excellent research skills
• Experience working with people at all levels; effective oral and written communication skills
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills
• Aptitude for performing functions requiring a high degree of accuracy and careful attention to detail
• Ability to work as part of a small onsite team, including ability to be the sole onsite library staff member, when the Branch Librarian is offsite
• Ability to prioritize demands from multiple users
• Ability to travel to court locations and other locations within the Circuit
• Ability to handle occasional moderate to heavy physical activity

Preferred Qualifications

• Two (2) years of professional law library experience
• Demonstrated skills in legal reference and research
• Experience in the development of SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, LibGuides, or other web-based information delivery services
• Practical experience in acquisitions, cataloging, and technical services
• J.D. degree

Total Rewards

• Salary: depending on qualifications and experience
• Time off: 13 days of paid vacation for the first three years, increasing with tenure thereafter, 13 sick days accrued per year, 11 paid holidays
• Benefits:
  • Federal pension plan and optional employer-matching Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401K)
  • Choice of a variety of employer-subsidized federal health and life insurance plans. Optional dental, vision, and long-term care coverage
  • Flexible spending account to pay out-of-pocket health and dependent care expenses with tax-free dollars
• Other Perks: Eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, public transit subsidy, alternate work schedules, and reasonable work hours

How to Apply and Required Documents

Please submit a single PDF file through the Court's Career Portal that includes:

(1) cover letter,

(2) resume, and

(3) at least three references

Only complete applications will be considered.

Next Steps

• Priority given to applications received by June 21, 2026
• Position open until filled

Conditions of Employment

Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident in the process of applying for citizenship. Successful applicants are provisionally hired pending results of background investigation and fingerprinting. Positions with the U.S. Courts are at-will, excepted service appointments, and may be terminated with or without cause by the Court. Employees are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees ( Direct deposit of pay required.

The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, or to withdraw the announcement, for any reason including, but not limited to, budgetary issues. Said modifications may occur without prior written or other notice.

Equity Focused Employer

We value diversity and are committed to equity and inclusion in our workplace. The 9th Circuit encourages applications from all qualified individuals and seeks a diverse pool of applicants in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, languages spoken, veteran's status, disability, religion, and socio-economic circumstance.

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