Judicial Assistant

Duties

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

Minimums

• High School diploma or GED.
• Two (2) years of college or vocational school education in paralegal, secretarial studies, computer operations or closely related field.
• Three (3) years of related experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):

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

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.