District Court Clerk II

Ottawa County; Grand Haven (MI); On-site; USD 42,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Ottawa County in Grand Haven, MI is seeking a dedicated Court Clerk Lead to supervise clerks, manage caseflow for criminal, civil, and traffic matters, and ensure procedural compliance with court rules.

You will guide staff, handle complex citations, and coordinate across departments to maintain accurate case records and prepare cases for mediations, while meeting professional standards and confidentiality requirements.

Qualifications

• Excellent customer relation skills.
• Knowledge of Michigan Code of Criminal Procedure.
• Knowledge of Michigan Court Rules and Michigan Department of State TrafficBenchbook.
• Good working knowledge of court administrative procedures and practices.
• Fast and accurate keyboarding skills.
• Accurate mathematical skills.
• Knowledge of document imaging protocols and practices.
• Knowledge of privacy requirements related to court records.
• Computer literacy and facility in word processing, spreadsheets and database management.
• Knowledge of court recording protocols and requirements.
• LEIN knowledge.
• Good time management and organizational skills.
• Good verbal and written communications skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and human relations skills.
• Ability to interact positively with judges, attorneys, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, employees, defendants and the public.

Responsibilities

• Lead processing and case flow management for misdemeanors, felonies, civil, small claims and landlord/tenant cases.
• Distribute traffic citations and assign tasks, handling more complex citations.
• Explain Court policies and procedures to customers by phone and in person.
• Abstract judgments for the Secretary of State’s Office.
• Verify or correct abstracts for the Secretary of State’s Office.
• Research Michigan codes and rules related to civil and criminal matters.
• Prepare cases for mediations.
• Assist other clerks in resolving complex issues in filing and processing documents.
• Assist in developing procedures for case processing and record maintenance.
• May serve as LEIN TAC officer and ensure certification compliance.
• Perform all functions of the District Court Clerk I.

Skills

Customer relations

Criminal procedure knowledge

Court rules knowledge

Typing speed

Mathematical skills

Document imaging protocols

Privacy requirements

Computer literacy

Court recording knowledge

LEIN knowledge

Time management

Verbal and written communication

Interpersonal skills

Diverse stakeholder interaction

Education

High school diploma or GED with post-secondary training

Tools

Word processing

Spreadsheet

Database management

Job description

Under the supervision of the Chief Clerk of the Court, serves as team leader for Court Clerks processing and managing caseflow for misdemeanor and felony violations of the Michigan Criminal Code, general civil cases, small claims and landlord/tenant cases, garnishments, and/or civil cases and misdemeanor and felony violations of the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code. Performs and assists other Court Clerks in performing case processing and caseflow management functions in substantive and procedural compliance with the Michigan Court Rules and/or Judicial Institute Traffic Benchbook.

This is a full-time, benefited position working out of the Grand Haven Courthouse at 414 Washington Avenue, Grand Haven, MI 49417. Typical working hours are Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm.

Essential Functions

• Serves as team leader in the processing and case flow management of misdemeanor and felony violations of the Michigan Criminal Code, general civil cases, small claims and landlord/tenant cases, garnishments, and/or civil infractions and misdemeanor and felony violations of the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code. Distributes traffic citations to team members for processing, retaining more complex citations in own workload.
• Assists customers on the phone and at the counter, explaining Court policy and procedures for misdemeanor and felony criminal matters, general civil cases, small claims and landlord/tenant matters, garnishments, and civil infractions and misdemeanor and felony traffic violations, judgments, and Court orders.
• Assists other Court Clerks in abstracting judgments for the Secretary of State's Office, answering questions on the phone and at the counter, and interpreting and applying the provisions of the Traffic Benchbook.
• Verifies or corrects abstracts for the Secretary of State's Office.
• Researches issues in the Michigan Code of Criminal Procedure, Michigan Court Rules, Michigan Compiled Laws and references on civil procedure in the State of Michigan, Michigan Motor Vehicle Code and SOS Traffic Benchbook.
• Prepares cases for mediations.
• Assists District Court Clerks I in resolving complex issues in processing and determining substantive and procedural compliance of documents submitted by parties for filing in criminal, civil, and/or traffic matters before the court.
• Assists the Chief Clerk of the Court in developing procedures for the processing of cases and the maintenance of case records.
• May serve as LEIN TAC officer for the Court location, verifying and auditing LEIN data entry and ensuring that all LEIN operators maintain their certifications.
• Performs any and all functions of the District Court Clerk I classification.

Qualifications

High school diploma or GED combined with some post‑secondary training in court administration, business information systems, legal secretarial or other relevant field and two years of progressively responsible experience in a legal practice or court administrative office position requiring extensive public contact, including at least one year in a position equivalent to that of a District Court Clerk I; or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Excellent customer relation skills.
• Working knowledge of the Michigan Code of Criminal Procedure, chapters of Michigan Compiled Laws frequently applied in civil matters, Michigan Court Rules and Michigan Department of State TrafficBenchbook.
• Good working knowledge of court administrative procedures and practices.
• Good working knowledge of traffic, civil, and criminal court processes.
• Fast and accurate keyboarding skills.
• Accurate mathematical skills.
• Good working knowledge of document imaging protocols and practices.
• Working knowledge of privacy requirements related to court records.
• Computer literacy and facility in the use of word processing, spreadsheet and database management applications.
• Knowledge of court recording protocols and requirements and the proper use of court recording equipment.
• LEINuser knowledge.
• Good time management and organizational skills.
• Good verbal and written communications skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and human relations skills.
• Ability to interact positively and professionally with judges, attorneys, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, employees, community and business representatives, plaintiffs, defendants, other parties to litigation and members of the general public with widely divergent socio‑economic and cultural backgrounds and varying levels of communication skills.

Disclaimer

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Ottawa County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Language Preferred

NOTE: Ability to communicate in Spanish, Lao, Cambodian or other language spoken by ethnic groups residing in the county strongly preferred.

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS:

Must becomeLEINcertified within 6 months of the date of hire and maintain certification.Must pass the Certified Electronic Recorder examination within 12 months of the date of hire and maintain continuing certification.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Must be able to perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodations, including, but not limited to, visual and/or audiological appliances and devices to increase mobility.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Work is generally performed in a normal office environment.