PUBLIC NOTICE APPOINTMENT OF NEW FULL-TIME UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON AT TACOMA July 20, 2026 The Judicial Conference of the United States has authorized the appointment of a full time United States magistrate judge for the Western District of Washington at Tacoma. The courts provide fair and impartial justice within the jurisdiction conferred by the Constitution and Congress. Public trust and confidence are enhanced when the judiciary's workforce is highly competent and dedicated to the cause of justice. The judiciary can and should strive to recruit and retain the best and the brightest from all backgrounds and life experiences. The duties of the position are demanding and wide-ranging: 1) Conduct most preliminary proceedings in criminal cases including initial appearances, detention, and preliminary hearings, and change of plea hearings; 2) Issue search and seizure warrants; 3) Conduct trials and sentencing hearings in misdemeanor cases; 4) Preside over civil matters upon referral from a United States District Judge, including prisoner civil rights cases, federal habeas corpus petitions, a high volume of Social Security appeals, and other civil matters such as discovery disputes; 5) Conduct settlement conferences; and, 6) Preside over civil cases upon consent of the parties, including jury trial and entry of final judgment. The basic authority of a United States magistrate judge is specified in 28 U.S.C. § 636. To be qualified for appointment an applicant must (1) Be, and have been for at least five years, a member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Territory of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands of the United States; (2) Have been engaged in the active practice of law for a period of at least five years (with some substitutes authorized); (3) Be competent to perform all the duties of the office, of good moral character, emotionally stable and mature, committed to equal justice under the law, in good health, patient, courteous, and capable of deliberation and decisiveness; (4) Be less than 70 years old; and, (5) Not be related to a judge of the district court. A merit selection panel composed of attorneys and other members of the community in the Western District of Washington will review all applicants and recommend to the district judges in confidence the five persons it considers best qualified. The court will make the appointment following an FBI full-field investigation and an IRS tax compliance check of the applicant selected by the court for appointment. The individual selected must comply with the financial disclosure requirements pursuant to the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, Pub. L. No. 95-521, 92 Stat. 1824 (1978) (as amended) (codified at 5 U.S.C. §§ 13101-13111) as implemented by the Judicial Conference of the United States. The current annual salary of the position is $229,908. The term of office is eight years. Application forms and more information on the magistrate judge position in this court may be obtained from the District Court Executive/Clerk of Court via the Court's website at www.wawd.uscourts.gov. Applications must be signed personally by applicants and must be received by the Court on or before August 28, 2026. All applications will be kept confidential, unless the applicant consents to disclosure, and all applications will be examined only by members of the merit selection panel and the judges of the district court. The panel's deliberations will remain confidential. Applicants are also requested to complete this voluntary demographic survey as part of the application process. The information provided in the survey will not be shared with the merit selection panel. Applicants should send their application materials, including a cover letter, the job application form, and a writing sample to: Joshua C. Lewis District Court Executive/Clerk of Court United States Courthouse 700 Stewart Street, Suite 2310 Seattle, Washington 98101 Attention – Magistrate Judge Application Or via e-mail to: magistratejudgeapplication@wawd.uscourts.gov IPL0361056 Jul 29,Aug 5,12,19 2026