Judicial Secretary

Superior Court of California, County of Ventura; Ventura (CA); On-site; USD 45,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Ventura Superior Court seeks applicants to establish a list for future vacancies providing general and confidential administrative and clerical support to judges and judicial officers. Responsibilities include managing calendars, drafting pleadings, reviewing documents for accuracy, and handling inquiries from the public with discretion and professionalism.

Ideal candidates will have a high school diploma and at least two years of legal secretarial experience, plus strong English communication

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Two years of legal secretarial or legal assistant experience within the last ten years.

Responsibilities

• Organize, prioritize, and manage confidential clerical tasks for judges.
• Prepare, format, proofreading, and print court documents and materials.
• Maintain calendars and coordinate travel for judicial officers.
• Answer phones, greet visitors, and provide high level customer service.
• Maintain case management systems and court records with accuracy.

Skills

Computer proficiency

Secretarial accuracy

Customer service

Oral and written communication

Discretion and diplomacy

Education

High school diploma

Tools

Office software (MS Office)

Typing proficiency

Job description

Ventura Superior Court is accepting applications to establish a list for future vacancies.

Under general supervision, provides general and confidential administrative and clerical support to Superior Court judges and judicial officers, processes judicial decisions and other specialized clerical services in support of the Superior Court of California, County of Ventura. Incumbent may also perform other duties as dictated by the business need of the court. Incumbents in this class receive general supervision from a court supervisor and perform a variety of secretarial tasks in accordance with pre-established policies, procedures, and standards.

Distinguishing Characteristics

The Court Judicial Secretary class provides general, confidential administrative and clerical services to several judges and judicial officers, which is distinguished from a Judicial Assistant classification. The latter attends court sessions to record proceedings and provide staff assistance to the judicial officer in case processing and courtroom documents review.

• Organize, set priorities and exercise sound judgment, tact, discretion, and diplomacy in dealing with sensitive situations and concerned customers.
• Composes, types, formats, edits, revises, proofreads and prints a variety of legal correspondences; prepares other court related documents and materials, such as jury instructions, opinions, rulings and decisions.
• Reviews documents for clerical accuracy, completeness and compliance with court requirements; copies documents for filing and/or distribution.
• Maintains calendars for judicial officers; makes and confirms travel and other arrangements for training and business trips.
• Opens and reviews mail or internal correspondence; determines priority and routes accordingly, or as required by court’s standard policies and procedures.
• Answers, screens and directs telephone calls; maintains a high level quality of customer service while assisting customers by telephone and in person; receives, responds to inquiries from the public, media, authorized parties, bailiffs, attorneys, and/or refers them to appropriate staff or supervisor.
• Serves as liaison with judicial officers, management, other departments, agencies and the public to facilitate the resolution of a variety of issues.
• Appropriately handles confidential information regarding court related matters based on a thorough knowledge and understanding of court polices and standards. Establishes and maintains professional and effective working relationship with judicial officers, court employees, members of the public and others encountered in the course of work.
• Maintains and updates case management systems; law books; judicial time off requests, and various judicial lists and logs.
• Provides backup support to other judicial secretarial or administrative support staff.

Other Duties

Performs other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience

Completion of high school education or its equivalent - AND- two (2) years of legal secretarial or legal assistant experience acquired within the last ten years that will satisfy the knowledge, skills and abilities required for the classification.

Keyboarding proficiency of at least 50 net words per minute in a five-minute timed test. Applicant must provide at the time of the written examination an original keyboarding certificate and a copy of the certificate for our records. The certificate must have been issued in the past twenty-four (24) months prior to the application filing deadline date from by one of the authorized testing locations, as provided through this link: The Superior Court of California - County of Ventura - Career Opportunities, under Typing Certificate Information section.

Knowledge of

• Computerized and standard office secretarial practices and procedures.
• Computer and its peripherals, and other office equipment.
• Courtroom protocol and procedures; legal terms; general and specific legal format such as California Style Manual; legal processing and procedures.
• Principles and practices of business communication; correct English usage, including spelling, grammar and punctuation.
• Court ’s functions, rules, policies and procedures applicable to assigned areas of responsibility.
• Regulations and procedures governing the maintenance and disclosure of sensitive and confidential information and public records.
• Principles and practices of customer service and telephone etiquette.

Ability to

• Operate a computer, its peripherals and other standard office equipment.
• Refer to Rules of Court and local rules and be familiar with them.
• Work in an environment that includes frequent interruptions, simultaneous attention to multiple tasks and meeting legally established deadlines.
• Prepare clear, accurate and concise pleadings, correspondence, records and reports. Follow procedures and take actions within established authority limits.
• Communicate clearly and effectively in English. Some positions may require the same in Spanish.
• Understand and follow oral and written instructions.
• Type documents from instructions, drafts, dictation, or transcripts.
• Understand and respect limits of authority.
• Move office locations without prior notice

Physical Requirements with or without Reasonable Accommodation

• Ability to use a personal computer and its peripherals including keyboard, mouse and monitor for extended periods of time.
• Ability to sit for extended periods of time.
• Ability to work in an environment that includes frequent interruptions and simultaneous attention to multiple tasks.
• Ability to grasp and/or manipulate files, binders, pieces of paper or small objects. Ability to prepare or inspect court records, documents or office equipment with ordinary visual acuity.
• Frequent hand, fingers and/or wrist motion.
• Ability to reach at or above shoulder level.
• Ability to communicate effectively, by phone or in person, to understand and/or convey detailed important information, instruction, and/or ideas.
• Ability to work alone or closely with others.
• Occasional bending and stooping.
• May require movement throughout the courthouse delivering and/or retrieving forms, files, materials and information to and from other departments.
• May require occasional lifting of files and books weighing up to 25 lbs.

Work Environment

• Shared office environment with varying degrees of hot and cold air and lighting condition.
• May be required to travel to other court locations for work or training.
• Must be able to traverse indoors and outdoors, over uneven surfaces and pavement in all types of weather.
• Constant interruptions and various office noises, with high volume of telephone and personal interaction.
• Exposure to dust, copier and printer toners.

This recruitment will close on Friday October 30, 2026, 5:00 p.m. PST.

Background Investigation

Applicants may be subjected to a thorough background investigation, which may include personal and professional character references, inquiry into past employment, education, credit, criminal background and depending on the position, may include driving records. Please note that the pre-employment background process will include any interaction you may have from the application process through the time that you are provided a final offer of employment. Offer of employment may be rescinded at any time during the pre-employment background check process if the process determines that the applicant is not a good fit for the position.