Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse
40 Foley Square
New York, New York 10007
Tel: (212) 857-8800 (Main Number)
Fax: (212) 857-8898/99

David Bober, Director and Senior Staff Attorney
Tonya Lapsley-Cockett, Administrative Manager

The Staff Attorney's Office has approximately 30 lawyers (though the exact number varies from year to year); approximately 10 of the attorneys are in career positions (either as staff attorneys or as supervisors), and approximately 20 are hired for two-year terms. Most attorneys serving in term positions are recent law school graduates.

The function of the lawyers in the Staff Attorney's Office is to provide legal research and advice to the judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on a variety of matters, including habeas corpus applications, pro se appeals, immigration matters, mandamus petitions, emergency applications, various types of motions (e.g., motions to proceed in forma pauperis, for appointment of counsel, for a certificate of appealability, Anders and other criminal motions, and more), and other types of matters that arise frequently in federal court. On these matters, the staff attorneys function as law clerks to the Court: they review case records and filings, conduct legal research, draft bench memoranda and orders, and provide three-judge panels with written recommendations as to the appropriate disposition of matters.

Staff attorneys develop expertise in various areas of law that arise frequently in federal court, including prisoners' rights, civil rights, civil procedure, constitutional law, employment discrimination, immigration, habeas corpus, federal and appellate procedure and jurisdiction, social security, and criminal law and sentencing. The Court’s immigration docket includes petitions for review of the denial of applications for asylum, withholding of removal, or relief under the Convention Against Torture, as well as issues relating to the immigration consequences of criminal convictions. Staff attorneys are expected to track developments in Second Circuit and Supreme Court law. If you are interested in applying to the Staff Attorney's Office, please see the link to the right for more information.

Last modified at 9/22/2025