Description
Judgeship Location: Lexington
Appointment: Fourteen-year appointment/full-time
Salary: $227,608
Closing Date: January 9, 2026
About the Judgeship
The Sixth Circuit Judicial Council is soliciting applications from persons interested in appointment as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky at Lexington. The position will become vacant due to the retirement of United States Bankruptcy Judge Gregory Schaaf effective September 30, 2026.
United States Bankruptcy Judges exercise highly important judicial powers and responsibilities as officers of the United States District Courts. The basic jurisdiction of a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge is specified in Title 28, U.S.C. and explained in Title 11, U.S.C., as well as in 98 Stat. 344, Pub. L. 98-353, Title I, § 120.
The term of office is 14 years with a possible renewal appointment in accordance with the Regulations for the Reappointment of United States Bankruptcy Judges adopted by the Judicial Conference of the United States and the Sixth Circuit Judicial Council Procedures for the Reappointment of Bankruptcy Judges.
Required Qualifications
A person appointed as bankruptcy judge should have the character, ability, and impartiality to qualify such person for service in the Federal Judiciary. To be qualified for appointment as a bankruptcy judge, an applicant must possess the following minimum qualifications:
(a) Be a member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of at least one state, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and a member in good standing of every other bar of which the applicant is a member.
(b) The applicant must have engaged in the active practice of law for at least five years (with some substitutions authorized).
(c) The applicant must possess the following abilities or characteristics: (1) competence to perform the duties of the office; (2) integrity and good character; (3) commitment to equal justice under the law; (4) sound physical and mental health; (5) outstanding legal ability and competence as evidenced by ability to deal with complex legal problems, aptitude for legal scholarship and writing, and familiarity with courts and court processes; (6) demeanor, character and personality that would exhibit good judicial temperament.
(d) An applicant may not be related to a judge of the appointing Court of Appeals or Judicial Council of the Circuit, or to a judge of the District Court to be served, by blood or marriage within the degree of first cousin.
The selected nominee will be required to satisfy FBI and IRS background investigations prior to appointment and must comply with the financial disclosure requirements of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, Pub. L. No. 95-521 (1978) (codified at 5 U.S.C. app. §§ 101-111).
Application Procedure
Applicants may obtain an application from the Office of the Circuit Executive or by accessing the Sixth Circuit’s website at ca6.uscourts.gov.
Persons interested in applying for this position should send their application to:
Office of the Circuit Executive
503 Potter Stewart U.S. Courthouse
100 East Fifth Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Applications must be submitted only by the applicant personally. Candidates whose applications are not received by January 9, 2026, will not be considered.
Sixth Circuit Website
Sixth Circuit Phone
513-564-7200
Selection Process
The selection process is confidential and may take up to 12 months or longer to complete. Persons shall be considered without regard to race, color, sex, gender, gender identity, pregnancy, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age (40 years and over), or disability.
The U.S. Courts is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
