Assistant Clerk Magistrate - Springfield District Court

Massachusetts Trial Court; Springfield (MA); On-site; USD 114,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

Massachusetts Trial Court's Springfield District Court seeks an Assistant Clerk Magistrate to support the Clerk of Court, perform administrative duties under statute, and supervise support staff. The role involves handling criminal filings, warrants, and hearings to move cases efficiently.

Law degree preferred; position is designated as management; extensive knowledge of state statutes and court rules, plus strong supervisory and administrative skills, are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; 6+ years in criminal justice, public administration or business with supervisory experience.
• Alternative: law degree or graduate degree with 2+ years relevant experience.

Responsibilities

• Reviews applications for probable cause and search warrants.
• Conducts hearings, arraigns defendants, and determines bail questions.
• Maintains official court records and supervises staff within the Clerk-Magistrate's Office.
• Issues process, certifies records, and ensures filings comply with court rules.
• Maintains court indexes and handles fee disbursements.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Court procedure

Strong communication

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Law degree

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Official Title

Assistant Clerk Magistrate - Springfield District Court

Pay Grade

Asst. Clerk

Starting Pay

$134,389.69

Salary Notes

Salary for this position is set by Statute.

Departmental Mission Statement

As a gateway to justice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the District Court is dedicated to the administration of justice in a fair, impartial, and timely manner in accordance with the rule of law. In fulfilling this role, the District Court shall provide the communities it serves with an environment that is safe, accessible, and respectful to all. The District Court shall conduct its business with integrity, competence, and a commitment to excellence in order to promote public trust and confidence in the judicial system.

Organizational Profile

https://www.mass.gov/orgs/district-court

Notes

• Law degree preferred.
• This position is designated as management position and is covered by the Trial Court Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual.

Position Summary

• This position involves responsible legal work and supervisory responsibilities.
• The employees in this position assist the Clerk of Court in performing administrative duties as set forth in state statutes and court rules.
• Administrative responsibilities include the preparation and maintenance of all court papers and records and performance of administrative tasks to ensure that cases move rapidly and smoothly to a determination by the court.
• Work is performed under the direction of the Clerk or First Assistant Clerk.
• Supervision is exercised over support personnel within the Clerk-Magistrate's Office.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

• Receives applications for criminal complaints and reviews them for probable cause.
• Reviews applications for search warrants filed by police and others and determines whether such warrants may issue.
• Conducts hearings and determines whether criminal complaints and/or arrest warrants may issue, determines appeals from civil motor vehicle citations, municipal by-law violations and environmental citations.
• Conducts trials of small claims and makes judgments of the same. In the absence of a justice, arraigns defendants, determines questions of bail, and conducts preliminary probation violation hearings.
• Calls the list of cases scheduled before a justice and makes the official record of the proceedings.
• Reviews filings from attorneys and Pro Se litigants and informs them on court procedure.
• Arranges for hearings and notifies counsel.
• Certifies and transmits official copies of court records as required.
• Issues process as required by the court or prescribed by statutes and rules of court.
• Receives, examines and reviews all filings and has responsibility to ensure they comply with rules of court, and to establish their suitability for filing.
• Maintains electronic and written indexes of cases entered.
• Supervises the receipt, recording and disbursements of fees and money by the court.
• Distributes and implements changes in court rules and office procedure.
• Administers hearings inside and outside of court where no judge is present.
• Performs related work as required.

Job Competencies

• Thorough knowledge of state statutes, case law and court rules which prescribe the powers and duties of the Clerk-Magistrate and ability to interpret and apply them to the administrative procedures of the office.
• Thorough knowledge of court procedure, legal documents, laws and legal factors pertaining to the court.
• Thorough knowledge of the organization, functions, jurisdiction and authority of the court.
• Knowledge of and ability to use computer software such as MS Office, including word processing, spreadsheets, data bases, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to maintain complex and accurate court records.
• Ability to plan and supervise the work of others.
• Good communication skills and the ability to maintain effective working relationships with court officials, attorneys, subordinate employees, government agencies and the general public.

Minimum Requirements

A Bachelor’s Degree; and knowledge, skills and abilities acquired through 6 or more years of relevant work experience in criminal justice, public administration or business administration including supervisory experience; or an equivalent combination of higher education and relevant experience equal to 10 years total;

OR

A law degree or a graduate degree in a relevant field (for example: criminal justice, public administration, or business administration); and knowledge, skills and abilities acquired through 2 or more years of relevant work experience.