August 7, 1997

Ms. Abby Armstrong

Director

Office of Career Services

Vermont Law School

Chelsea Street

South Royalton , Vermont 05068

Dear Ms. Armstrong:

Thank you for your letter of July 10, 1997 regarding employment opportunities at the Court of Appeals of Georgia. I have enclosed a copy of the Court History of the Court of Appeals of Georgia as well as your employee data request form.

The Court of Appeals of Georgia has ten judges, each of whom is authorized three staff attorneys. Additionally, the Court has three floating staff attorneys who assist the judges' offices on a rotating basis and an office of five central staff attorneys who review all docketed cases to make sure they are procedurally and jurisdictionally proper before the Court of Appeals. Additionally, central staff reviews all interlocutory and discretionary applications.

Generally, staff attorneys on the Court of Appeals are experienced attorneys with three or more years of private practice. To be a staff attorney on the Court of Appeals of Georgia, state law requires that the attorney be admitted to the State Bar of Georgia. This means the applicant would have to have passed the State Bar examination and been admitted to the superior courts of the state. Salary ranges from approximately $52,000 a year to $72,000 a year, depending upon prior experience and number of years membership in the State Bar of Georgia.

Applicants for staff attorney positions for an individual judge's office should apply to the individual judge. A resume should accompany the cover letter. A writing sample and references may be included, but are not required. Applicants for the central staff office or floating staff attorneys' offices should apply to Presiding Judge Marion T. Pope, Jr., the judge in charge of the central staff and floating staff attorneys. Staff attorneys hired at the Court of Appeals of Georgia are hired for an indefinite period of time. There are no one or two year clerkships. A staff attorney works at the pleasure of his/her individual judge. Central staff and floating staff attorneys work at the pleasure of the Court, under the direction of Presiding Judge Pope. While there is some turnover among staff attorneys of the court, generally, the positions are career positions and turnover is infrequent.

If an applicant has an interest in working for the Court of Appeals of Georgia, that applicant should write the individual judge or Presiding Judge Pope if the applicant has an interest in the floating staff or central staff position.

Most of the judges on the Court do utilize a summer intern or extern. Application for such a position should be made directly to the individual judge. Again, resume and cover letter should be sent and a writing sample and references or faculty recommendations may be included, if desired. Summer interns are paid $7.50 per hour.

If you have any additional information or if I could be of further assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

William L. Martin, III

Administrator/Clerk

Court of Appeals of Georgia

WLM , III/ld

Enclosures