Judicial Assistant - Circuit Court

Duties

• Prepares and manages the judge’s court and professional calendar to coordinate and schedule motions, pre-trial hearings, trials, conferences, and committee meetings; maintains trial dockets, continuances and trial orders; and assists attorneys with procedures on filing motions and hearing dates.
• Provides organizational support for the judge’s caseload, including preparing orders, docketing jury instructions and a list of pending cases; ordering jurors; and coordinating in-house services, such as interpreters.
• Reviews case files for accuracy, format compliance and completeness before scheduled hearings.
• Acts as the judge’s liaison to assist and inform litigants, attorneys, law enforcement personnel, and witnesses concerning court procedure and policy.
• Screens telephone calls and visitors for the judge’s office; provides information, resolves issues, directs callers/visitors to proper personnel or agency, and/or takes messages.
• Performs routine clerical tasks such as reviewing, distributing and responding to incoming mail, performing data entry, ordering office supplies, maintaining files/records, faxing and photocopying.
• Composes and/or edits correspondences, memoranda, directives, notices, orders, reports, e-mails, and other documents observing strict confidentiality.
• Prepares yearly financial disclosures forms; makes travel arrangements and processes travel vouchers.
• Research information on hearing dates for other agencies; and prepares notices of hearings for cases set on the calendar by the judge.
• Interacts with attorneys, litigants and family members to resolve problems such as scheduling conflicts or other case-related issues.
• May conduct limited case law research using an electronic database such as LexisNexis.
• Performs related work as required.

Minimums

• High School Diploma or GED.
• Two (2) years of college or vocational school education in paralegal, secretarial skills, computer operations or a closely related field.
• Four (4) years of responsible experience as a legal secretary or paralegal.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs):

• Excellent interpersonal, typing, legal secretary and administrative skills.
• Working knowledge of trial court rules and procedures.
• Ability to operate standard office equipment including personal computers and word processing and data entry applications for case management.
• Excellent computer software knowledge in Mentis, Microsoft Office 365, to include, but not limited to Outlook and Zoom; courtMAP, Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS), Odyssey, e-Filing, and Mocha.
• Thorough knowledge of business English, spelling and punctuation.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, orally and in writing.
• Ability to be self-starter, independent, work with minimal supervision, recognize and establish work priorities.
• Ability to handle sensitive matters with integrity and confidentiality.
• Ability to handle individuals who are under stress with courtesy, tact and patience.
• Ability to organize and coordinate schedules of various individuals and/or groups on the court calendar.
• Bilingual in English/Spanish preferred.

How to apply

Working Conditions:

• Moderate noise; business office setting.

Physical Demands:

• Work involves a significant amount of standing, walking, sitting, talking, listening, and reaching with hands and arms; must be able to transfer up to 10 pounds.