Judicial Operations Assistant

About the role

The main function of the Judicial Operations Assistant (JOA), also known as Courtroom Clerk, is to attend all trials and hearings in court and capture the overall outcome and the parties in attendance. The department ensures a JOA is present at each court trial or hearing to take minutes, receive documents or exhibits for filing, and perform related duties.

Responsibilities

• Prepare complex and detailed contemporaneous minutes and exhibit indices for high-volume court calendars and trials in Superior Court, covering Criminal, Civil, Domestic, Probate/Guardianship, Adoption/Parentage, Involuntary Treatment, and Juvenile case types.
• Maintain and control all court documents, exhibits, and depositions received and used during trials; identify, number, categorize, and maintain security of exhibits, including high-risk or contaminated items such as weapons, drugs, money, and bio-hazardous materials; maintain confidential records as required by state law and court rules.
• Administer jury oaths in open court; maintain records of jurors excused or impaneled; create records of witnesses called and sworn; provide admitted exhibits to jurors for deliberation; read jury verdicts in open court and poll each juror for verification.
• Receive and create a record of all legal documents, exhibits, and depositions filed in open court; obtain attorney and litigant signatures on pertinent documents before submission to the judge or commissioner; review documents, records, and exhibits for accuracy and compliance with state laws and court rules; enter, retrieve, and update information in statewide databases and the Clerk Case Management System (CMS).
• Provide technical customer service to the public, attorneys, legal staff, court employees, judges, commissioners, and government agencies in person, by telephone, or in writing; explain procedures and schedules; locate and provide information from court records while maintaining security and confidentiality; evaluate and diffuse sensitive or volatile situations and contact security when necessary; direct customers to other departments or agencies as needed.
• Act as a liaison between the Clerk’s Office and judges, commissioners, law clerks, the legal community, and the public.
• Research, sort, and route court documents, including statutorily confidential and court-ordered sealed documents and records.
• Perform all jury management functions, including answering telephones, data entry, receiving and processing mail, and preparing payroll for submission to the Finance Department; print and mail jury summons for Superior and District courts under strict timelines; collect, record, and tabulate jury statistics; provide technical assistance and customer support to court jury system users and jurors; prepare and provide written responses to public inquiries regarding jury management.
• Use voice mail and email to electronically schedule, confirm, continue, and strike hearings; maintain and monitor the Clerk’s Office confirmation website and electronic distribution and public displays of calendars.
• Perform related bailiff duties in their absence, including coordinating judge’s schedule changes, opening and closing court, and acting as a liaison between the court, attorneys, the public, and jurors.
• Train and/or review the work of Judicial Operations Assistant trainees; meet weekly with trainees to discuss progress; prepare reports for management on trainee progress; prepare and update training manuals.
• Recommend and assist in writing and updating procedures; collect, analyze, and report division productivity data; design and recommend new forms, information systems, and reports as appropriate.
• Perform select duties of the Judicial Operations Assistant Lead as assigned; provide backup and peak workload coverage for coworkers and other divisions in the Clerk’s Office; perform duties of Judicial Process Assistant and Judicial Accounting Assistant as assigned.
• Testify in court cases as a subject matter expert regarding Clerk’s Office policies, procedures, and statutory responsibilities as required.
• Serve on various teams and committees as needed; perform other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Associate’s degree in criminal justice or paralegal studies, or completion of an accredited legal assistant program; AND one year of experience in legal clerical work, legal document/record processing, or legal customer service; OR any equivalent combination of training and/or experience that provides the required knowledge and abilities.
• Must pass job-related tests.
• Typing speed of forty-five (45) words per minute required.

Knowledge and abilities

• Knowledge of processing court documents in accordance with state laws, appellate and general rules, Superior Court Local Court Rules, and Administrative Orders.
• Knowledge of state and local databases and the Clerk’s CMS.
• Knowledge of legal terminology and courtroom operations.
• Knowledge of computer software applications including Microsoft Office Suite.
• Knowledge of office policies, practices, procedures, and commonly used equipment.
• Knowledge of employee training methods, practices, and techniques.
• Knowledge of Clerk’s Office procedures and policies.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with superiors, peers, and other staff.
• Ability to learn, understand, and execute complex and technical court operations policies and procedures.
• Ability to learn, research, and provide answers to public inquiries regarding court operations.
• Ability to teach trainees the distinction between offering legal advice and providing excellent customer service.
• Ability to use proper English, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and word usage.
• Ability to follow complex oral and written instructions.
• Ability to listen and understand complex judicial oral decisions and reduce them to written form.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Ability to work independently and effectively under pressure with minimal supervision.
• Ability to communicate effectively with customers including a culturally diverse population, or angry or distraught customers in a courteous and professional manner.
• Ability to operate standard and specialized office and courtroom equipment including computers, printers, copiers, telephones, data entry retrieval programs, and digital recorders.
• Ability to maintain public databases including data entry, verification, and corrections.
• Ability to update and write new procedures when necessary.
• Ability to operate in a lead capacity when assigned.
• Ability to train and provide support to other staff.
• Ability to exercise good judgment under stressful circumstances.
• Ability to analyze and solve work-related problems.

Physical effort

The employee must be able to lift boxes and materials weighing up to thirty (30) pounds, perform daily crouching, bending, kneeling, and reaching, and sit or stand for long periods; use of ladders or step stools may be required. Considerable arm and hand movement is required for database entry. Pushing a cart over carpets, concrete, and aggregate surfaces may also be required.

Working conditions

The work is performed in all areas of the Clerk’s Office and Superior Court, including the Denney Juvenile Justice Center and off-site locations.