Judicial Assistant

Job Title:
Judicial Assistant
Closing Date/Time:
Thu. 09/02/21 11:59 PM Pacific Time
Salary:
$29.25 - $35.64 Hourly
$2,340.00 - $2,851.20 Biweekly
$60,840.00 - $74,131.20 Annually
Job Type:
Full-time
Location:
Any Sonoma County Court Facilities, California
Under general direction, this position performs a full range of complex and highly responsible administrative and secretarial tasks in support of one or more judicial officers and performs a variety of duties related to the administration and delivery of various court services.
 

 Typical Duties:
(Duties may include but are not limited to the following)
 
Reviews documents submitted to the court to ensure completeness, accuracy, and conformance to court minutes, procedural requirements, local rules, California Rules of Court, and judicial orders; brings any issues or inaccuracies to the judicial officer's attention;
Prepares cases for court, providing an analysis of the case status and identifying issues needing judicial review; identifies and assures all necessary documents are available in the court case management system;
Performs basic legal research; collects, compiles, verifies, maintains, and presents data for statistical studies and reports;
Prepares and proofreads a variety of legal documents including memoranda, reports, forms, opinions, decisions, orders, rulings, and instructions from verbal direction, drafts, dictation, and/or transcripts;
Independently prepares a variety of other written documents for dissemination including correspondence, memoranda, meeting agendas and minutes;
Performs clerical duties such as filing, copying, assembling reports and documents, and processing mail;
Receives and screens visitors, communicates regularly with internal and external customers to answer questions and provide information regarding court procedure, cases before the Court, and judicial officers' availability;
Uses Court Case Management System to research, prepare, and/or register documents and to calendar matters;
Maintains calendars, schedules meetings, conferences, and makes travel arrangements;
Plans, organizes, and administers a variety of court services and programs;
Maintains and updates departmental law library and legal reference materials for judicial officers and/or administrators;
Works collaboratively with the judicial officers, court administration, court staff, and others as needed to accomplish the court's work in the most efficient way possible; 
Maintains and updates all office files for judicial officers;
Operates a computer and a variety of other office equipment;
Works independently to prioritize, organize, and carry out legal clerical tasks and meet deadlines; and
Performs additional tasks and administers collaborative programs as assigned.

 Qualifications:
Equivalent to graduation from high school and four years of legal secretarial or paralegal experience working with and knowledge of specialized legal documents and processes.
 
Basic procedures of the court system regarding processing of legal documents and filing deadlines and relevant court-related experience are desirable.
 
A Bachelor's Degree, paralegal certification or legal secretarial certification, or other educational course work related to the paralegal or legal secretarial profession is highly desirable.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities
 
Knowledge of: secretarial methods and practices; legal terminology, pleadings, legal forms, and documents: court and general office procedures; document layout and formatting techniques; the operation and use of office automation software and office equipment (e.g., computer, fax, scanner, printers); business English including spelling, punctuation, grammar, capitalization, and word usage; basic arithmetic, record keeping and filing methods and practices. Knowledge of basic procedures of the court system regarding processing of legal documents and filing deadlines.
 
Skill and Ability to: respond appropriately to sensitive and/or confidential issues; deal effectively with people of diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds; plan, prioritize, organize, and carry out complex legal clerical and administrative tasks; work independently; perform basic legal research; review case files, summarize their status and identify issues needing judicial review; take accurate and comprehensive notes; adapt to frequent interruptions; adapt to changing or competing work priorities; prioritize work to meet all deadlines; effectively communicate both verbally and in writing; answer procedural, case related and technical questions related to the functions of the court; compose well-written, grammatically correct documents including, but not limited to, correspondence and emails; screen and evaluate correspondence, telephone calls and visitors to ensure judicial officer involvement only as appropriate and in matters needing judicial review; problem solve; operate office equipment including the ability to operate a personal computer using Microsoft Professional Office Suite; input and retrieve data from computerized record keeping systems; proofread and review work for accuracy and completeness; develop and maintain cooperative and harmonious relationships with judicial officers, administration, attorneys, litigants, peers and other court staff, other agencies, and the general public. Transcribe dictation including proper case citation and statutory abbreviations. Understand, interpret, explain and apply rules and directions. Use good judgment in recognizing the scope of authority and in reflecting intent of superiors.
 
License:
 
May be required to possess or obtain by appointment date a valid California driver's license issued by the State Department of Motor Vehicles. 


 Process to Apply:
Please apply online at:  http://sonoma.courts.ca.gov/info/jobs
 
APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.
The selection procedure will consist of an application with supplemental questionnaire screening and a panel interview process.

Please list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of the application and be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.  You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position.

Each application and supplemental questionnaire will be thoroughly evaluated for satisfaction of minimum qualifications and relevance of educational coursework, training, experience, and knowledge and abilities which relate to the position.  Candidates possessing the most appropriate job-related qualifications will be invited to an interview.

The Superior Court of California, County of Sonoma is committed to creating a diverse environment and an open, inclusive culture free from bias. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Accommodation: 
Applicants with a disability who may require special assistance in any step of the selection process should advise Human Resources by emailing [email protected] upon submittal of application.

Background Investigation: 
Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a thorough background check, including verification of prior employment, and the provision of appropriate identifying documents to certify eligibility to work in the United States. Please be advised that finalist(s) must be fingerprinted for criminal record check purposes and that continued employment is contingent upon information received in the report.  Convictions, depending upon the type, number and date, may be disqualifying. False statements or omission of facts regarding background or employment history may result in disqualification or dismissal.