Conciliation Court Referee (Per Diem, Remote), 10th Judicial District

Minnesota Judicial Branch; Minnesota; Remote; USD 12,000 - 16,000; Part time

Job summary

A judicial body in Minnesota is seeking experienced attorneys to serve as Conciliation Court referees. These contractor positions require a licensed attorney in Minnesota with at least five years of experience. Responsibilities include presiding over hearings, preparing orders, and ensuring compliance with legal standards. Compensation is per-diem at $75 per half day with duties mainly conducted remotely. Applicants must have access to necessary technology for hearings.

Qualifications

• Must have at least five years of experience as a practicing attorney.
• Must be in good standing with no disciplinary actions in past five years.
• Must pass criminal background and disciplinary history checks.
• May not have a client base that would create a frequent conflict in conciliation court cases.
• Must pass criminal background checks and Lawyers Professional Responsibility checks.

Responsibilities

• Preside over assigned hearings in Conciliation Court.
• Review court calendars and maintain order during sessions.
• Prepare orders that meet Judicial Branch standards.
• Prepare orders meeting Judicial Branch standards and maintain decorum in proceedings.
• Advise litigants that they will be notified by mail of the referee's decision.

Skills

Licensed attorney

Civil litigation experience

Problem-solving skills

Attention to detail

Interpersonal skills

Technological proficiency

Education

Licensed attorney in Minnesota

Job description

The Tenth District is seeking attorneys to serve as Conciliation Court referees. Conciliation Court, also known as "small claim courts", is a division of District Court and handles claims for money and property that do not exceed $15,000 and consumer credit transactions that do not exceed $4,000. Conciliation Court referees preside over a general and collection calendars of 12 to 50 cases per half day session.

Conciliation hearings are presumptively heard remotely, unless exceptional circumstances exist to deviate to an in-person setting.

Please note that these are contractor positions with the Tenth District. Candidates contracted for these opportunities will not be employees of the Minnesota Judicial Branch. They will be compensated on a contractual, per-diem basis, at the rate of $75.00 per half day, and they are excluded from eligibility of benefits available to MJB employees. The engagement of Conciliation Court Referees is governed by Minnesota Statute 491A.03.

Examples of Job Duties:

• Serves at the pleasure of the Chief Judge or designee.
• Exercises all the duties and powers granted to a Conciliation Court Referee by M.S.A. 491A.03, Subdivision 1.
• Familiarity with M.S.A. 491A.01 through 491.03.
• Compliance with the Code of Judicial Conduct as adopted by the MN Supreme Court.
• Refrains from making any extra-judicial public statements about pending proceedings.
• Prohibits broadcasting, televising, recording, or taking photographs in the courtroom or virtual hearing during sessions of Conciliation Court or recesses.
• Prioritizes assignments and disposes promptly of the business of Conciliation Court.
• Affords every party in a proceeding the full right to be heard according to law and maintains compliance with Rule 2.9 of the Code of Judicial Conduct.
• Presides over assigned hearings; reviews court calendars before scheduled sessions of court; grants continuances; reads or listens to allegations and determines if action is supported by facts; hears and evaluates evidence of witnesses and technical experts; listens to presentation of case; and rules on admissibility of evidence and methods of conducting testimony.
• Prepares orders that meet Judicial Branch standards.
• Carries out work assignments with a substantial degree of discretion and independent judgement in accordance with applicable state laws, rules of court and local practices.
• Maintains order and decorum in all proceedings and treats all parties with courtesy and respect.
• Advises litigants that they will be notified by mail of the Conciliation Court Referee's decision.
• Perform legal research if needed.
• Ability to learn, adapt, and utilize technology in operation of electronic devices.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Must be a licensed attorney in the State of Minnesota.
• Must have at least five years of experience as a practicing attorney.
• Must be in good standing and have no disciplinary actions within the past five years.
• May not have a client base that would create a frequent conflict in the type of cases most commonly heard in the conciliation court (e.g. credit card debt, landlord-tenant).
• Must pass criminal background and Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility disciplinary history checks.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Civil litigation experience.
• Possesses experience, knowledge, and comfort with technology and electronic records.
• Work well under pressure with demonstrated time management and problem-solving efficiencies.
• Attention to detail and ability to foster cooperation with effective interpersonal skills.

Supplemental Information:

• Must not cancel a scheduled assignment more than twice in a twelve-month period.
• Must have access to a computer and webcam with reliable, high-speed internet allowing for video and document sharing.
• Work will include hearings across multiple counties of the Tenth Judicial District.
• Typical scheduling is one morning calendar or one afternoon calendar, with a potential for both in the same day.
• Must serve at least once every three months.
• Time to complete a calendar depends upon the number of cases assigned, but typically, it should not exceed three hours.
• Orders from the hearing must be produced to Court Administration within 48 hours of the hearing.

This posting will be accepting applications until the roles are filled.