DISTRICT COURT ASSISTANT

Benton County, WA; Washington; On-site; USD 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Benton County District Court in Washington state is seeking a District Court Assistant to provide entry-level accounting duties and general administrative support to the District Court and public.

Responsibilities include greeting visitors, processing payments, maintaining records, and supporting court operations. Candidates should have a high school diploma; bilingual Spanish preferred; driving license may be required.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• One year of administrative support experience preferred or any combination of education and experience
• Bilingual in Spanish preferred.

Responsibilities

• Greet and assist visitors, screen inquiries, and route calls.
• Process and code entries in accordance with court procedures and accounting system.
• Post and balance entries; maintain accounting records and reconciliations.
• Receive and safeguard cash or checks; issue receipts and maintain petty cash.
• File documents, set court dates, and prepare routine correspondence and reports.
• Enter, scan, index, and maintain information in spreadsheets and databases.
• Maintain electronic and paper filing systems and assist during peak periods.

Skills

Basic bookkeeping

Legal terminology

Administrative policies

Office procedures

Time management

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Job description

Job Title: District Court Assistant

Department/Division: District Court

Reports to: Varies by Division

Supervises: n/a

FLSA Classification: Non-Exempt

Pay Grade: 100

Employee Group: Courthouse

Revision Date: January 2026

Minimum Education: High school diploma or equivalent.

Minimum Experience: One year of administrative support experience preferred OR any combination of education and experience which would provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the job.

Minimum Certifications: n/a

Other Requirements:

• Valid Washington State Driver’s License if driving a vehicle for County business.
• Bilingual in Spanish preferred.

POSITION SUMMARY:

This position provides entry-level accounting duties and general administrative support to the District Court and provides courteous and efficient customer service to the public.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The following duties are essential for this position. However, they are not to be construed as exclusive or all–inclusive. To be successful in this position, an individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily. Other duties may also be required or assigned.

• Provides first line customer service to internal and external customers; greets, receives and screens visitors and customers; receives calls on a multi-line phone system and routes calls to appropriate individual or takes messages.
• Addresses and resolves customer questions/concerns as able and refers complex inquiries, requests, or complaints to appropriate staff.
• Sorts, classifies and codes entries and transactions in accordance with established court procedures, accounting system, and verbal instructions.
• Maintains account records by posting and reconciling data; verifies data, then enters and edits reports or information; searches files and records for readily identifiable information as directed.
• Identifies and resolves discrepancies in accordance with established procedures.
• Posts and balances entries in appropriate journals, registers, logs or other records on a daily or periodic basis.
• Receives, accounts for and safeguards cash or checks; issues receipts, classifies and codes transactions.
• Maintains petty cash funds; reconciles, balances, makes deposits, and maintains related records.
• Processes various reports from collection agencies regarding status of specific cases.
• Files documents for/from District Court proceedings.
• Sets Court dates in JIS system/software as needed.
• May perform cashiering duties such as receiving, balancing and disbursing monies.
• Sorts, copies, and distributes a variety of correspondence, deliveries, and time‑stamps mail; opens, logs, and routes office mail; may prepare out‑going mail for the department including bulk and special mailings.
• Composes general correspondence and prepares regularly recurring reports; types and distributes standardizes forms; proofreads and edits documents.
• Enters, scans, indexes, updates, and maintains information in spreadsheets, databases, and reports.
• Maintains electronic filing, paper filing, and record systems to provide easy access to records and information; provides retention of records as required by Court and County policies.
• Organizes and maintains resource information in a variety of formats.
• Assists other department personnel during peak period of work or for absences.
• Other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of:

• Basic bookkeeping practices and procedures.
• Legal terminology, forms, and documents.
• Administrative policies and procedures of the County.
• The County’s and Court’s operating requirements, policies, procedures, and practices; and local, state, and federal regulations related to department programs and operations.
• Current office practices and procedures.
• Operation of standard office equipment and software consistent with this position.

Skill in:

• Organizational and time management to prioritize duties to accomplish a high volume of work product while adapting to constant changes in priority.

Ability to:

• Interpret and implement local policies and procedures; written instructions, general correspondence; Federal, State, and local regulations.
• Read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position.
• Prepare and maintain accurate and concise records and reports.
• Apply sound judgment and discretion in performing duties, resolving problems and interpreting policies and regulations.
• Maintain professionalism at all times.
• Maintain effective working relationships with individuals within and outside the organization.
• Maintain confidentiality and discretion regarding business‑related files, reports and conversations, within the provisions of the Public Records Act and other applicable State and Federal statutes and regulations.
• Work the allocated hours of the position.

PHYSICAL AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential duties and responsibilities of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• This work requires the occasional exertion of up to 25 pounds of force; work regularly requires sitting, frequently requires standing, speaking or hearing, using hands to finger, handle or feel and repetitive motions and occasionally requires walking, stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling and reaching with hands and arms.
• Work has standard vision requirements.
• Vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word.
• Hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels.
• Work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data and observing general surroundings and activities.
• Work has no exposure to adverse environmental conditions.
• Work is generally in a moderately noisy office setting (e.g. business office, light traffic).