ADMINISTRATIVE COURT CLERK - JP1

About the role

This position maintains and ensures the accuracy and integrity of the Courts’ electronic and paper files, records, researches, and processes orders of the Court, and serves as a liaison between Judges, attorneys, other County departments, and the general public.

Responsibilities

• Makes complex decisions based on verbal instruction, established Court procedures, Rules of Court, and legal statutes.
• Prepares and researches civil, criminal, and administrative proceedings for court dockets and hearings by ensuring accuracy, integrity, and completeness of cases.
• Reviews and accepts paper and electronic filings and enters case information into the case management system.
• Reviews, accepts, or returns for correction electronic and paper filings, for both new and existing cases.
• Provides statute-mandated documents to relevant case parties and agencies.
• Performs detailed reading and comprehension of legal instruments and interprets them to determine required actions, expediting time-sensitive items.
• Prepares a diverse range of legal documents such as judgments, writs, warrants of arrest, citations, judicial orders, exemplified and certified copies, and other documents from court actions.
• Reviews documents and data entry of peers to ensure accuracy of work product.
• Performs general administrative duties such as copying, faxing, and mailing.
• Performs complex clerical duties such as classifying, consolidating, summarizing, and sorting.
• Assists Court staff, attorneys, the general public, and other agencies with inquiries and problematic issues.
• Assists customers via phone or in person with questions concerning cases and filings.
• Receives verbal instruction from judiciary and court staff and determines required actions.
• Sets court dockets and reviews and prepares case files to ensure necessary documents are in order before trials.
• Attends court hearings and trials to assist the Judge, process court evidence and exhibits by inputting data into the court management system, and draft judgments as trials are being conducted.
• Performs cashier duties and balances till as required; may prepare deposits.
• Analyzes and updates court policies and procedures, seeking management input as needed.
• Identifies and implements best practices in area of responsibility.
• Conducts training of new staff and monitors work product as required by management staff.
• Produces bills of cost and reviews cases for accurate assessment of court costs, filing fees, and fines.
• Utilizes advanced knowledge to determine required service documents, service types, documentation compliance, and fee assessments prior to issuance.
• Verifies judge’s signature on orders before issuing to ensure proper execution.
• Processes, inputs, and records subsequent filings and filing fees into the case management system.
• Maintains court records from initiation through final disposition by routinely reviewing case files to ensure accuracy.
• Prioritizes, schedules, delegates, and monitors departmental workloads.
• Processes surety and cash bonds for criminal, civil, and administrative cases and personal bonds for criminal cases; reviews and verifies bonds conform to statutes.
• Scans court documents into the case management system.
• Organizes records in compliance with County procedures and State Law and retrieves records as needed.
• Compiles legal notices and demands related to eviction appeals if filed by Statement of Inability to Pay.
• Processes occupational licenses from filing to disposition and monitors compliance.
• Establishes, monitors, and reconfigures payment plans as required by law; corresponds by mail and phone to address delinquencies.
• Records, maintains, and reports court-ordered community service, driver’s license suspensions, alcohol convictions by minors, and TXDPS Omnibase cases as needed.
• Compiles content lists of case file boxes for archival.
• Maintains and retains records for retrieval, delivery, and refile cycle of closed files.

Requirements

• Associate’s degree or equivalent.
• Two (2) full-time years of legal or office work experience; years of education at an accredited college, university, or law school can substitute for required experience on a year-to-year basis.
• Must obtain State Certification for Justice Court Personnel within two (2) years and attend continuing education seminars annually as required by Judge.
• Must be bondable.
• Must have the ability to develop unique correspondence and documents and follow complex verbal and written instructions.
• Must have detailed knowledge of departmental procedures and exhibit good verbal and written communication skills with the ability to articulate important information and positively influence others.
• Must maintain an appropriate professional demeanor both in and out of court.
• Must have knowledge of relevant legal statutes.
• Must be familiar with the use of a computer and be proficient in data entry, keyboarding, and navigating computer applications.
• Must possess good organizational skills and the ability to work with a numeric filing system and to handle a stressful environment.

Benefits

• Group health plans for medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Life and long-term disability insurance.
• Flexible spending accounts for health care and dependent care reimbursements.
• Retirement benefits through the Texas County & District Retirement System (TCDRS).
• Retirement savings program (Deferred Compensation).
• 13 paid holidays.
• Wellness Program.