Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
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.
To apply for this job email your details to dbholt@ucdavis.edu