Appellate Court Clerk

Minnesota Judicial Branch; Saint Paul (MN); Hybrid; USD 52,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

The Minnesota Judicial Branch is seeking an Appellate Court Clerk to process all appeals filed with the Minnesota Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. This role enters filings into MACS and distributes copies to judges, staff, and MACS users.

Key duties include reviewing submissions for accuracy, assisting attorneys and the public, updating case information, and preparing appellate decisions for posting on the public site. Strong attention to detail and confidentiality are essential.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• One year of relevant job experience or greater, including customer service, administrative work, or clerical work.
• Additional education may substitute for experience.
• Knowledge of court procedures and records management is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Review document submissions for accuracy and complete timely processing of filings.
• Provide assistance to attorneys, parties, self-represented litigants, judges, and the public by responding to inquiries in person, by phone, by mail, or electronically.
• Direct inquiries to appropriate court personnel.
• Review, enter, record, and update case information using MACS and related applications.
• Determine proper routing of notices, motions, petitions, and other filings; notify parties of deficiencies.
• Create detailed docket entries; prepare and post appellate decisions on the public website.
• Perform related tasks such as filing, scanning, mail handling, and archiving preparation.

Skills

Customer service

Attention to detail

Communication

Education

High school diploma

Certificate or degree in a related field

Tools

Electronic File and Serve (EFS)

Minnesota Court Information System (MNCIS)

Job description

Description

The Clerk of Appellate Courts’ Office is seeking to fill an Appellate Court Clerk position.An Appellate Court Clerk is responsible for processing all appeals filed with the Minnesota Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. This office accepts appellate filings, enters them into the Minnesota Appellate Court System (MACS) database and distributes copies to appellate court judges, internal staff, and registered users of the MACS system.

Example of Job Duties:

The following are examples of major job duties expected of this position.

• Review document submissions for accuracy and completeness and complete timely processing of filings.
• Provide assistance to attorneys, parties, self-represented litigants, judges, and the public by responding to a variety of questions in-person, over the phone, by mail, and/or electronically.
• Direct inquiries to appropriate court personnel.
• Review, enter, record, and update case information using an electronic case processing system and related applications and equipment.
• Determine proper routing of notices, motions, petitions, and other filings; notify parties of case filing deficiencies.
• Create detailed and accurate docket entries related to case initiation, motions, orders, decisions, responses, correspondence, transcripts and attorney scheduling conflicts. Prepare and post appellate court decisions on the public website.
• Perform other related work, including, printing, filing, scanning/imaging, photocopying or faxing documents for expedited situations, process incoming and outgoing mail, request files from archived storage, prepare files for storage and draft orders for office equipment and supplies.

Typical Qualifications:

Any combination of education, training, and work experience which indicates possession of the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below will be considered.

Minimum Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• One (1) year of relevant job experience or greater, which may include but is not limited to customer service, administrative work, office, and clerical work.
• Additional education may substitute for experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certificate or degree in a related field
• Considerable knowledge of court procedures, policies, and records management.
• Previous experience working in a district court, criminal justice, or legal environment.
• Experience working with Electronic File and Serve (EFS), Minnesota Court Information System (MNCIS) and/or assembling and certifying trial court records for eAppeals.
• Knowledge of the Judicial Branch’s Self-Help Center and other programs and resources available for unrepresented litigants.
• Bilingual skills desired.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to learn rules of court, state statutes, case processing, policies, and procedures.
• Knowledge of basic math.
• Skill in navigating difficult situations and resolving conflict in a respectful and courteous manner.
• Ability to effectively support court users who have limited experience with the judicial system.
• Ability to provide exceptional customer service while working under pressure in a high volume, fast-paced environment.
• Skill in the operation of a personal computer, including electronic case management system and related applications and equipment.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information appropriately and in compliance with all applicable court rules, policies, and statutes.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Well organized, detail oriented, and analytical.

Salary:

The expected starting salary range for external candidates is $25.02 - $31.30 per hour ($52,242-$65,354 annually). The full salary range for this position is $25.02 - $37.58 per hour ($52,242-$78,467 annually). This position is non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act and is eligible forState of MN employee benefits.

Supplemental Information:

Position logistics:

This position is classified as Appellate Court Clerk and will work normal business hours, Monday-Friday. The position is an unrepresented, permanent assignment. This position is a hybrid position; work will be conducted at the Minnesota Judicial Center and remotely from a home office in Minnesota. Training will be conducted in person at the MN Judicial Center in St. Paul, MN and remotely. This position requires the ability to sit and wear a headset for the majority of the day, on occasion move up to 25 pounds, and based on daily work assignment, perform a significant amount of data entry.