Court Aide

City of Newark; Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 42,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent benefits package

Job summary

City of Newark is seeking a court support staff member to attend judge(s), maintain courtroom decorum, and swear in witnesses and jurors. This role involves assisting with various non-security tasks and ensuring orderly proceedings.

The position requires knowledge of court practices, the ability to follow written and spoken instructions, and excellent communication with attorneys, judges, and county officials. Training will cover recording equipment and log maintenance as part of daily duties.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of the court practices and procedures.
• Knowledge of basic first aid.
• Ability to understand, remember and carry out oral and written instructions.
• Ability to maintain orderliness in the court.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative and courteous relationships with court personnel.
• Ability to learn quickly from observation, oral and written explanations, and demonstrations.
• Ability to operate sound recording equipment.
• Ability to develop and maintain logs to supplement the court record and produce a transcript as needed.
• Ability to impanel juries.
• Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently.

Responsibilities

• Make court proclamations and announcements as directed by the judge; calls the court to order, calls trial lists, announces postponements and adjourns court.
• Prepares courtroom; determines whether counsel, court clerk, court reporter and other necessary personnel are present before the judge leaves the chambers.
• Attends the judge both on the bench and in chambers; answers telephone, obtains law books, documents, and records.
• Provides information to attorneys, prosecutor, sheriff, and other county officials regarding trials, motions, dismissal lists, adjournments, current status or disposition of cases.
• Directs juries to proper location for deliberation.
• Directs litigants and lawyers to the proper courtrooms.
• Directs parties, jurors and witnesses to proper location in courtroom.
• Assists the public in locating lawyers and witnesses and brings proper parties together.
• Monitors and operates sound recording equipment in the courtroom; records court testimony and maintains log sheets of recordings.
• Administers oaths to jurors, witnesses, court officers or others as required.
• Maintains records and files.

Skills

Court practices

First aid

Oral and written instructions

Order maintenance

Communication

Log maintenance

Tools

Sound recording equipment

Recording systems

Job description

Under direction, attends the judge(s) of one or more courts;

performs various non- security tasks; makes proclamations and

announcements, maintains decorum in the courtroom, and swears in

witnesses and jurors; does other related work.

NOTE: The examples of work for this title are for illustrative

purposes only. A particular position using this title may not

perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely,

all duties performed on the job may not be listed.

EXAMPLES OF WORK:

Make court proclamations and announcements as directed by the

judge; calls the court to order, calls trial lists, announces

postponements and adjourns court.

Prepares courtroom; determines whether counsel, court clerk,

court reporter and other necessary personnel are present before

the judge leaves the chambers.

Attends the judge both on the bench and in chambers; answers

telephone, obtains law books, documents, and records.

Provides information to attorneys, prosecutor, sheriff, and other

county officials regarding trials, motions, dismissal lists,

adjournments, current status or disposition of cases.

Directs juries to proper location for deliberation.

Directs litigants and lawyers to the proper courtrooms.

Directs parties, jurors and witnesses to proper location in

courtroom.

Assists the public in locating lawyers and witnesses and brings

proper parties together.

Monitors and operates sound recording equipment in the courtroom;

records court testimony and maintains log sheets of recordings.

Administers oaths to jurors, witnesses, court officers or others

as required.

Provides basic aid as required.

Maintains records and files.

Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic

and/or manual recording and information systems used by the

agency, office, or related units.

REQUIREMENTS:

LICENSE:

Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license

valid in NJ only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than

employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of

the position.

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:

Knowledge of the court practices and procedures.

Knowledge of basic first aid.

Ability to understand, remember and carry out oral and written

instructions.

Ability to maintain orderliness in the court.

Ability to establish and maintain cooperative and courteous

relationships with court personnel.

Ability to learn quickly from observation, oral and written

explanations, and demonstrations.

Ability to operate sound recording equipment.

Ability to develop and maintain logs to supplement the court

record and produce a transcript as needed.

Ability to impanel juries.

Ability to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual

recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or

related units.

Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in

English sufficiently to perform duties of this position.

American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as

acceptable forms of communication.

Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long

as they can perform essential functions of the job after

reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If

the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the

employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.

Excellent benefits package in accordance with City of Newark policies and applicable collective bargaining agreements.

This is a Civil Service Job and you must eventually pass and qualify for the applicable Civil Service title.

Please note that this role is subject to Newark residency requirements within six months of beginning the position.

The position will be open until it is filled.