Judicial Assistant: Appellate Court Support & Research

The Judicial Council; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 91,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health/Dental/Vision benefits

14 paid holidays

Annual/Personal leave

Commuting cost reimbursement

CalPERS retirement

Job summary

The Sixth District Court of Appeal in San Jose is hiring a Judicial Assistant to provide high-level legal secretarial support, perform complex administrative tasks, and manage calendars for oral arguments and submissions.

Responsibilities include proofreading opinions, coordinating with the Reporter of Decisions, and training new staff. Requires strong legal research skills, and proficiency with document management systems and MS Word.

Qualifications

• Equivalent to six years of legal secretarial experience, including four years of technical legal research.
• Bachelor's degree and two years of legal secretarial experience, including technical legal research.
• One year as a Deputy Clerk or two years as a Lead Judicial Secretary or Assistant Deputy Clerk III or three years as a Judicial Secretary II.

Responsibilities

• Provides legal secretarial support to central staff or other court attorneys and/or other professional staff.
• Performs complex administrative, paralegal, and legal secretarial support that may involve substituting for judicial assistants to appellate court justices during absences or while vacancies are being filled.
• Edits, proofreads, and reviews opinions and court orders and other related documents, using the electronic case management and document management systems, for correctness and accuracy with respect to grammar, spelling, punctuation, content, and organization; conforms opinions to uniform style using the California Style Manual and other style manuals, ensuring compliance with California Rules of Court.
• Maintains scheduling and tracks cases calendared for oral argument and submission.
• Prepares final opinions by checking cited facts for accuracy against all documents via electronic case management and document management systems, from the lower tribunal such as the clerk's and reporter's transcripts, administrative record, exhibits, and correspondence; validates legal authorities cited using resources found in the electronic law library and computer database such as state and federal reporters, state and federal statutes, citators, textbooks, handbooks, restatements, and legislative intent materials.
• Communicates with the Reporter of Decisions regarding stylistic requirements and content of opinions; proofreads and carefully inspects galley proofs of all published opinions for complete accuracy; may transmit opinions and modifications to the Clerk's Office for submission to the Reporter of Decisions.
• Provides training and guidance to new staff.
• Organizes and routes work using a document management system and follow up to ensure coordination and completion of assigned work; exercises skill in setting priorities; works closely with the Clerk's Office to ensure that materials are received and sent out in a timely fashion.
• May draft correspondence; independently initiate specified correspondence for signature by appropriate staff, as assigned.
• Maintains, updates, and generates weekly and monthly reports.
• Maintains office equipment and supplies.

Skills

Judicial system knowledge

Legal office practices

Legal research

Scheduling calendar management

English business writing

Computer applications

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Lexis

Westlaw

Document management systems

Electronic case management systems

Microsoft Word

Spreadsheets

Job description

The Sixth District Court of Appeal in San Jose is hiring a Judicial Assistant to provide high-level legal secretarial support, perform complex administrative tasks, and manage calendars for oral arguments and submissions.

Responsibilities include proofreading opinions, coordinating with the Reporter of Decisions, and training new staff. Requires strong legal research skills, and proficiency with document management systems and MS Word.