PUBLIC NOTICE: The Judicial Conference of the United States has authorized the appointment of a full-time U.S. Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court, District of Kansas, at Kansas City, Kansas. The duties of the position are demanding and wide-ranging, including:

1. con­duct most preliminary proceedings in criminal cases;
2. trial and disposi­tion of misdemeanor cases;
3. conduct various pretrial matters and evidentia­ry proceedings on delegation from a district judge; and
4. trial and disposition of civil cases upon consent of the litigants.

Click on public notice for more information.

MERIT SELECTION PANEL: The court has appointed a Merit Selection Panel to recommend five applicants to the position. The Merit Selection Panel will follow the process outlined in The Selection, Appointment, and Reappointment of Magistrate Judges. 

WEBINAR: An informational webinar for individuals considering applying will be conducted at Noon on Wednesday, August 6. The webinar will also be recorded and available to view after the event. To join the webinar, please click on this link at least 5 minutes prior to Noon on August 6. You may use a pseudonym if preferred.

TIMELINE

• August 31, 2025: Applications due
• October 2025: Merit Selection Panel conducts first round interviews with selected candidates
• November 2025: District Court interviews five final candidates
• On or after February 1, 2026: Selectee is sworn-in following successful completion of FBI and IRS background investigations

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Complete application packages must be received by Midnight on August 31, 2025. Applications must be submitted only by applicants themselves and not on behalf of another person. The court is not accepting letters of recommendation at this time, but they may be requested by the Merit Selection Panel or the court.

To apply, email a single, merged pdf which contains the following documents (and only the following documents) to KSD_MeritSelection@ksd.uscourts.gov:

1. Cover Letter addressed to the Merit Selection Panel c/o U.S. District Court
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Application Form for U.S. Magistrate Judge 
4. A writing sample (self-edited, not by third party)

Note: If selected for interview with the Merit Selection Panel, candidates will be asked to sign a waiver of confidentiality. 

Questions can be directed to Clerk of Court Skyler B. O’Hara at KSD_MeritSelection@ksd.uscourts.gov.