Judicial Law Clerk I

Pima County; Tucson (AZ); On-site; USD 44,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement Plan

Vacation, holidays, and sick leave

100% paid parental leave

Tuition Reimbursement

Health Wellness discount program

Job summary

Pima County is seeking a Judicial Law Clerk I to assist in courtroom proceedings and support the Superior Court division. The role includes researching case law, preparing judicial paperwork, and maintaining order in the courtroom.

Applicants must hold a Bachelor of Law degree or be law students, with opportunities for practical legal experience. Benefits include a retirement plan, paid leave, and health insurance. This position is essential for maintaining efficient court operations.

Qualifications

• Must maintain CPR and First Aid certification.
• Ability to handle sensitive legal matters professionally.
• Must be organized and capable of managing multiple tasks.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate courtroom proceedings and support judicial officers.
• Research case law and assist in legal document preparation.
• Maintain order in the courtroom and support jury needs.

Skills

Legal research

Clerical support

Courtroom coordination

Communication

Education

Bachelor of Law degree

Second or third-year law student

Completion of applicable Bachelor’s degree

Job description

Job Description

The Judicial Law Clerk I provides coordination of courtroom proceedings and performs a variety of specialized legal clerical and administrative support duties related to the high volume, fast‑paced operations of a superior court division under the direction of a Superior Court Judge, Judge Pro Tempore or Commissioner. This is generally a one‑year assignment for gaining practical legal experience. Hiring Rate: $21.12 Hourly.

Essential Functions

• Under close supervision of the Judicial Officer research case law or other legal matters as directed and develops interpretations of legal opinions.
• Researches and verifies points of law cited by attorneys in memoranda to the Judicial Officer.
• Provides input to and discusses pending cases and decisions with the Judicial Officer.
• Participates in conferences and discussions between trial attorneys and the Judicial Officer.
• Assists in researching, drafting, and formatting judicial paperwork to include opinions, decisions, and citations as appropriate.
• Reviews proposed Default Decrees, Consent Decrees, and Summary Consent Decrees for compliance with rules.
• Prepares judge’s files for court proceedings including making cover sheets and organizing any notes, relevant case law, past orders, and current requests.
• Assists in tracking and processing complex litigation assigned to the court as appropriate.
• Maintains the Judicial Officer’s law library and assembles and updates documents.
• Performs critical data entry of hearing outcomes and results into the court software system in real time to maintain updated data, modify existing records, or initiate court‑ordered actions.
• Utilizes court database systems to complete final upload of documents into court docket.
• Assists in emergency evacuations as directed in the Disaster/Emergency Response Procedure’s manual.
• May perform other legal administrative tasks to aid in the administration of the Judicial Officer’s docket and caseload.

Courtroom Duties

• Prepares courtroom for the daily calendar; coordinates actions with Courtroom Clerk and other applicable parties, ensuring all parties involved in the proceedings are present.
• Prepares files for the court, distributes the court calendar, reviews files for missing information and court readiness, reviews motions for accuracy and compliance with rules of procedure; contacts parties for missing information.
• Maintains order in the courtroom at all times during the sessions of the court.
• Prepares jury room, oversees jury panels, escorts jurors to and from the courtroom, and tends to the needs of the jury including answering non‑legal questions. Maintains jury deliberation room in an orderly manner.
• Maintains integrity of the jury and ensures that no outside person makes any communication while they are deliberating.
• Escorts jurors and witnesses to and from the courtroom.
• Tends to all the needs of the jury, answers all non‑legal questions and provides all possible assistance.
• Contacts all those required in the court session, such as attorneys, witnesses and jurors and provides information as necessary.
• Assists in emergency evacuations as directed in the Disaster/Emergency Response Procedure’s manual.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor of Law degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association; OR
• Second or third‑year law student in or graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association; OR
• Completion of an applicable Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; OR
• Completion of designated applicable coursework from an accredited college of law in criminal procedures, constitutional law, and legal research equivalent to above; OR
• Any equivalent combination of experience, training and/or education approved by Superior Court Human Resources. (Additional relevant experience and/or education from an accredited college of law may be substituted.)

Licenses, Certificates & Physical Conditions

Incumbents must maintain certification in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and First Aid. Typically performs duties in an office environment and may lift materials and or equipment 20 lbs or less.

Benefits

• Retirement Plan
• Vacation, holidays, and sick leave
• 100% paid parental leave
• Employer‑paid Short‑term Disability
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Health Wellness discount program
• Mental and Behavioral Health Benefits
• Paid Training with Advancement Opportunities
• Upon yearly anniversary, 56 hours of sick time accrued, less usage, may be rolled over to vacation time.

The Arizona Superior Court in Pima County and the Pima County Juvenile Court Center offer the same benefits as those offered to other employees working for Pima County. We offer a competitive benefits package to benefit‑eligible employees, which includes medical, dental, life insurance, flexible spending accounts, paid vacation and sick leave. Some benefits require contributions by employees in addition to contributions made by the employer. For more information click Student Loan Forgiveness | Federal Student Aid.