Deputy Court Clerk II

City of Suffolk, Virginia; Suffolk (VA); On-site; USD 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Suffolk, Virginia seeks a Circuit Court Clerk's Office assistant to perform secretarial and clerical tasks, prepare court orders, and manage case files. The role involves accepting inquiries, clerical support for court proceedings, and assisting in probate and records processes.

Applicants should have a high school diploma or equivalent and at least one year of clerical experience; familiarity with legal terminology is preferred.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent; minimum 1 year clerical and secretarial experience.
• Knowledge of City and departmental rules, regulations, policies and procedures, and ability to interpret them.
• Familiarity with legal terminology and court processes; ability to draft routine documents.

Responsibilities

• Attend Court and prepare court orders.
• Index, image, and input pleading orders; file and organize case documents.
• Respond to inquiries by telephone and in person; provide information or refer to appropriate staff.

Skills

Clerical tasks

Legal terminology

Public interaction

Data entry

Office software

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

1 year clerical experience

Tools

Word processing software

Spreadsheet software

Court/records management software

Job description

Under general supervision, performs secretarial and clerical duties to provide assistance to the Circuit Court Clerk's office and the general public. Work involves issuing various licenses, subpoenas, court orders and other documents; preparing files; assisting in court cases; and composing and typing a variety of routine documents. Work also involves receiving, screening, and responding to a variety of inquiries by telephone and in person and providing information or assistance or referring inquiries to the appropriate personnel. Work also involves organizing and maintaining departmental records. Employee must exercise independent judgment, discretion and initiative in completing assignments. Employee must also exercise considerable tact and courtesy in frequent contact with the general public. Reports to the Chief Deputy Clerk.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.

• Attends Court and prepare court orders.
• Indexes, images, inputs pleading orders.
• Receives, screens, and responds to a variety of inquiries over the telephone and in person; provides information and assistance to the public and refers inquiries to appropriate personnel as necessary.
• Prepares cases for appeals; assist court in docket call and grand jury sessions; types court orders; pulls files for dockets; sends sentencing guidelines to guidelines commission.
• Receipts deeds and plats and processes for microfilming; compares deeds and maintains knowledge of when to assess recordation taxes; types old deeds for the public.
• Assists in probate court; determines validity of will and answers questions pertaining to wills; ascertains information on decedents, heirs, and assets; appoints guardians to minors; qualifies executors, trustees, conservators, and guardians of wills; prepares associated documents for wills; files documents; certifies wills.
• Issues marriage, processes passports; prepares certified copies of documents for the Commonwealth's Attorney and general public.
• Issues subpoenas, show causes and capias.
• Responds to requests from inmates, Attorney General, Supreme Court, and other City officials for certified copies of court records; mails requested materials.
• Faxes orders to Department of Corrections; copy sentencing Orders and distribute.
• Files PSRS, Discovery Motions and Answers, etc.
• Computes fines, Restitution and Costs in FMS.
• Enters various data and information into the computer system including revocations, case information and data, bank deposits, etc.; index documents into the computer system.
• Assists in the completion of financial reports; computes fines, fees, and costs; accepts payments; provides receipts; makes bank deposits.
• Orders and stocks general office supplies including forms from the Supreme Court and various books.
• Receives search warrants from magistrate; files and indexes search warrants; prepares certified copies for the Police Department.
• Checks copy machines regularly; directs the public in the use of copies and computers; calls for assistance, repairs and maintenance on copiers and computers.
• Prepares reports, correspondence, forms and other documents as required or requested; files documents appropriately; microfilms permanent records
• Posts and delivers mail.
• Processes petitions for the sealing of criminal court records in accordance with all applicable statutory requirements, judicial guidelines, and established court procedures. The incumbent must ensure all documentation is complete, accurate, and properly verified, confirm eligibility under relevant statutes, and maintain strict confidentiality throughout the review and processing of each petition.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Graduation from high school or equivalent, and minimum 1 year of experience in clerical and secretarial tasks and bookkeeping, or any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

• Knowledge of City and departmental rules, regulations, policies and procedures, and the ability to interpret them.
• Knowledge of the organization and functions of the Circuit Court Clerk's office.
• Knowledge of modern office practices and procedures including a knowledge of popular computer-driven word processing, spreadsheet, and file maintenance programs.
• Knowledge of legal terminology.
• Ability to maintain moderately complex legal records.
• Ability to draft routine documents.
• Ability to develop and modify work procedures, methods and processes to improve efficiency.
• Ability to compile data from a variety of sources and prepare clear reports from such information.
• Ability to effectively express ideas orally and in writing.
• Ability to exercise tact and courtesy in frequent contact with City employees, City officials, professionals, and the general public.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships as necessitated by work assignments.
• Ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural, or compositional characteristics (whether similar to or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.
• Ability of speaking and/or signaling people to convey or exchange information. Includes receiving assignments and/or directions from.
• Ability to read a variety of informational and legal documents, City and state codes, law books, clerk's manual, etc.; to prepare correspondence, memorandum, reports, case files, etc.
• Ability to speak with poise, voice control and confidence, and to articulate information to others.
• Ability to plan work and develop procedures; to learn and/or evaluate complex information in order to make judgments and decisions.
• Ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions.
• Ability to communicate effectively and efficiently in a variety of technical or professional languages including legal and municipal terminology.
• Ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract; multiply and divide; and utilize decimals and percentages.
• Ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape.