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Chief Circuit Mediator

U.S. Courts

Washington, DCFull-time$199–250K/yrPosted 3w ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$199–250K/yr
Location
Washington, DC
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

State, Territory, DC, Or Federal Bar MembershipSecurity clearanceDoctorate

Job overview

The Chief Circuit Mediator manages mediation programs for three District of Columbia federal courts and selects, trains, advises, and coaches volunteer lawyer mediators. The role screens cases for mediation eligibility, assigns cases, conducts mediations, supervises three employees, represents the office within the judiciary, and educates the bar and public about the programs. The mediator works with court staff and judges to carry out the programs’ mission.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

MediationAlternative Dispute ResolutionLitigationProgram ManagementProgram EvaluationPlanningExecutionStakeholder EngagementCustomer ServiceAnalytical SkillsOrganizational SkillsInterpersonal SkillsCommunication Skills

Qualifications

5+ Years Experience or 6+ Years ExperienceLaw DegreeState, Territory, DC, or Federal Bar MembershipUS Citizenship or Work Eligibility

Full job description

Summary

The Chief Circuit Mediator manages the mediation programs of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Columbia. The Chief Circuit Mediator selects, trains, advises, and coaches lawyers who serve as volunteer mediators in our three Courts.

Duties

The Chief Circuit Mediator's responsibilities include screening cases for eligibility to be referred to mediation, assigning cases to mediators, and conducting mediations. The Chief Circuit Mediator is also responsible for supervising the office's three employees, representing the office within the judiciary, and educating the bar and public about the mediation programs. Located in Washington, D.C., the Chief Circuit Mediator works with the staff and judges of the Courts to carry out the mission of the mediation programs. Requirements

Applicants must be a United States citizen or eligible to work in the United States. The candidate selected for the position will be hired provisionally pending the results of a background investigation, a security clearance may be required. Employees of the federal courts are excepted service appointments. Excepted service appointments are "at will" and may be terminated with or without good cause by the Court. Direct deposit of pay is required. Qualifications

Significant experience and expertise in mediation and other ADR processes, which can include court-annexed mediation. Comprehensive understanding of the dynamics, costs, impacts, and strategies of the litigation process. Demonstrated success in program management including continuous evaluation, planning, execution, and stakeholder engagement. Strong customer service orientation with excellent analytical, organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills. Progressively responsible litigation experience in which a substantial portion involved cases in federal trial and appellate courts. A minimum of five years of experience is required to qualify for a JSP 16 or six years of experience to qualify for a JSP 17.

Education

Must have a law degree and be a member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory, the District of Columbia, or a federal court of general jurisdiction. How You Will Be Evaluated

Applicants will be evaluated based on their application and an interview. Benefits

To learn about the Judiciary's benefits, go to https://www.uscourts.gov/careers/benefits. Other Information

The United States Court of Appeals is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

How this job compares

Set against the 11,472 open Program Manager jobs on Olive Jobs, counted October 30, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$199–250K/yr
  • Washington, D.C. median$134–197K/yr178 salary ranges
  • US median$118–202K/yr9,011 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $224K, is 35% above the Washington, D.C. median midpoint ($166K) — in the top quarter of Program Manager salary ranges in Washington, D.C..

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 222 open Program Manager jobs in Washington, D.C. and 11,472 across the US. 4% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Washington, D.C.
Experience
This posting asks for at least 5 years of experience; Program Manager postings that state a minimum ask for 6 years at the median (9,694 postings).
Education
This posting asks for a doctorate or professional degree; 37 of the 11,472 open Program Manager jobs (under 1%) ask for a doctorate or professional degree.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on October 30, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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