Agency

Administrative Office of the Courts

Division

Administrative Office of the Courts

Job Classification Title

Trial Court Research Assistant (NS)

Position Number

65025743

Grade

32001652

About Us

DO YOUR CAREER JUSTICE! Each and every day, North Carolina's courts help provide safety for our communities, prosperity for our economy, and protection for the rights, liberties, and freedoms that sit at the foundation of our state and federal constitutions. Consider an exciting and rewarding career with us and join the more than 7,000 elected officials and employees who make up our workforce and help us ensure that justice is administrated without favor, denial, or delay.

Description of Work

SALARY RANGE: $71,080.00 - $71,080.00

***Fellows serve a set term.***

***THIS POSITION IS FOR A START DATE OF SEPTEMBER 2026.***

The North Carolina Judicial Fellowship provides independent, confidential, and timely legal support for the judges of the District and Superior Court benches of North Carolina with regard to the matters over which those judges preside. The Fellowship assists judges with a wide variety of research and writing projects in all subject matter areas. Fellows conduct both case-specific and generalized issue research, assist in drafting orders, and attend trials and hearings to provide real-time, in-person support. The Fellowship employs a central intake and assignment process, and Fellows work independently and collaboratively to provide quick, accurate, and comprehensive responses. The Fellowship is comprised of attorneys who demonstrate academic excellence and who represent a broad diversity of experience and subject matter familiarity. Fellows serve staggered two-year terms in order to provide for cross-training, continuity of workflow, and predictability of staffing needs. The Fellowship is based at the North Carolina Judicial Center, but Fellows routinely travel to aid judges in courthouses throughout the state.

In September 2026, the North Carolina Judicial Fellowship will hire a fellow that will focus primarily on complex family financial cases and will work closely with the Chief Judge of North Carolina’s Complex Family Financial Court. A Complex Family Financial Court Judge is a special superior court judge appointed to hear and enter orders in complex family financial cases filed in district court.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities/Management Preferences

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Assist Complex Family Financial Court judges in evaluating cases filed with the court.
Conduct legal research on a variety of issues.
Analyze legal rules and issues.
Process, research, and advise Complex Family Financial Court judges on emergent motion applications.
Prepare legal memoranda.
Draft and/or proofread (procedurally and substantively) various orders and judgments in cases involving complex or significant issues.
Work with Complex Family Financial Court judges on complex cases involving difficult and/or novel issues of law.
Track current developments in the law.
Assist the Chief Judge of the Complex Family Financial Court with scheduling and other case management functions in complex family financial cases.
Attend status conferences, hearings, and trials throughout the state, both virtually and in-person.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities / Competencies

Knowledge of: court rules and procedures; case, statutory, regulatory, and common law; general statutes and their application to the operation of the Judicial Branch; judicial procedures; ethical rules and the practical aspects of trial practice; and electronic legal research methods and procedures.

Ability to: analyze facts, laws, rules, regulations, interpretations, and written documents and apply them to specific legal issues; produce legal interpretations in a timely and responsive manner for court officials; conduct legal research through the use of the general statutes, case law, and other legal research tools; and interact daily in a professional and tactful manner with court officials, attorneys, and members of the general public.

Must possess a valid NC driver's license or ability to obtain one soon after starting employment.

Supplemental and Contact Information:

INSTRUCTIONS:

Applicants must complete an on-line application by clicking the above APPLY link. Mailed or faxed applications will not be accepted.

Before applying, please read the Online Employment Application Guide for instructions on creating your profile and applying for specific postings.

It is important your application includes all of your relevant education and work experience and that you answer all questions associated with the application to receive proper credit. Résumés are not accepted in lieu of fully completed applications.

*NOTE* Many job postings require certain documents be attached to an application. Verify your application is complete and uploaded documents are attached to your application before submitting it. Applications may not be altered after they have been submitted.

All NC Judicial Branch agencies are Equal Opportunity Employers.

The North Carolina Judicial Branch participates in E-Verify, an internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from the US Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment eligibility.

Travis Davis

NC Administrative Office of the Courts
Human Resources Division

http://www.nccourts.gov/about/about-judicial-branch/careers

Minimum Education and Experience

Some state job postings say you can qualify by an “equivalent combination of education and experience.” If that language appears below, then you may qualify through EITHER years of education OR years of directly related experience, OR a combination of both. See the Education and Experience Equivalency Guide for details.

Juris Doctor degree from an ABA-accredited law school.

An active law license is preferred, but not required.

Attach cover letter, résumé, and two writing samples.

Please note: This specific position in the fellowship program will begin in September 2026.

EEO Statement

The State of North Carolina is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and dedicated to providing employees with a work environment free from all forms of unlawful employment discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. The state provides reasonable accommodation to employees and applicants with disabilities; known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; and for religious beliefs, observances, and practices.

Recruiter:

Travis Edward Davis

Email:

HumanResources@nccourts.org

Learn more about this Employer on their Career Site