To Live And Work In D.C.

The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit reversed and remanded the dismissal of a claim brought against the Administrative Office of the United States Court ("the central administrative support organization for the federal judiciary" ) by a rejected applicant for an attorney position.

The plaintiff is an attorney who resides in Kentucky. She applied online for a position as an Attorney-Advisor. Her application did not meet a job requirement that she live and work in the D.C. area. She received an automated rejection letter because of her Kentucky home.

She then sued AO, arguing that the geographic limitation was unconstitutional.

The district court granted dismissal for both lack of subject matter jurisdiction and failure to state a claim due to sovereign immunity.

The remand directs the district court to explain its conclusion that the plaintiff had failed to state a claim. (Mike Frisch)