Judicial Support Specialist

U.S.-Courts,-Southern-District-of-Texas; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 47,000 - 93,000; Full time

Job summary

The United States District Court, Southern District of Texas, is seeking qualified applicants for its Judicial Support Specialist Program, a developmental path for a career in the federal judiciary. A fully certified JSS performs duties including opening cases, docket summaries, jury assistance, electronic recording, and certifying court records.

Starting salary ranges from CL 23 ($46,529 - $58,193) with promotional potential to CL 24-25 ($51,551 - $92,565).

Qualifications

• Qualified candidates will possess a high school diploma or equivalent, as well as two years of general and progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work.
• One to three years experience requiring the application of clerical procedures, routine keyboard skills, and knowledge of relevant terminology.
• A four-year college degree in related fields is preferred; experience with legal documents or paralegal work is a plus.
• Strong preference for candidates with civil and criminal law experience and U.S. citizenship requirements.

Responsibilities

• Open cases and summarize case events on the docket.
• Assist with jury selection and jury administration.
• Record court proceedings electronically; certify court records and ensure data quality; close cases.
• Docketing: enter documents and terminate cases when appropriate.
• Intake: receive, review, file documents and verify authority to practice before the Court.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Organizational skills

Multi-tasking

Keyboard skills

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Bachelor's degree (4-year) preferred

Job description

The U. S. District and Bankruptcy Courts for the Southern District of Texas make up one of the largest and busiest districts among the country's 94 federal judicial districts. The district and bankruptcy courts, combined with the appellate courts and the Supreme Court, make up the judicial branch of the federal government. The Southern District of Texas consists of the following seven divisional offices: Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Galveston, Houston, Laredo, McAllen, and Victoria.

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas is seeking qualified applicants for its Judicial Support Specialist Program, which is a developmental program designed for individuals interested in a career with the federal judiciary. A fully certified Judicial Support Specialist (JSS) performs a variety of critical duties for the Court, including opening of cases; summarizing case events on the automated docket; assisting with the selection of juries; recording court proceedings electronically; certifying court records; ensuring data quality; and closing cases.

The starting salary range for this position is CL 23 ($46,529 - $58,193) annually with promotional opportunity to CL24 - CL 25 ($51,551 - $92,565). Employees are expected to assist customers with the use of publicly designated computer terminals and provide basic non-legal information to the public, bar, and the Court. Some limited cashiering duties associated with the collection of fines and fees as well as mail processing are required.

Employees are also expected to regularly perform duties in these areas:

• Electronic Court Recording Operator (ERO): Attends court hearings and produces a clear electronic recording and logs of the proceedings. Monitors and processes requests for transcripts and CDs of recorded hearings.
• Docketing: Makes summary entries of all documents and proceedings on the docket and closes cases upon receipt of terminating documents, such as judgments and closing orders.
• Intake: Receives, reviews, and files incoming documents; collects appropriate fees; verifies attorneys' authority to practice before the Court; and furnishes information to a wide variety of people within and outside of the Court.
• Jury: Assists in Jury Administration under direct supervision of Supervisor and/or Deputy-in-Charge on an as needed basis.
• Appeals: Receives documents pertaining to a variety of case types and refers them to appropriate personnel with minimum delay.

JSS personnel will also be trained to serve as back-up to case managers, who act as liaison between the judicial officers and the bar; prepare statistical summaries on the status of cases; serve as a primary source of information on scheduling and case processes; attend proceedings as needed; administer oaths; assist with the orderly flow of court proceedings including, setting up courtrooms, assuring presence of all necessary participants, and managing exhibits; and ensure that the record reflects any actions taken by the judge.

Qualified candidates will possess a high school diploma or equivalent, as well as two years of general and progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that indicates the possession of, or the ability to acquire, the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position. Additionally, a qualified candidate will possess one to three years experience requiring the application of clerical procedures, the routine use of keyboard skills, use of specialized terminology, and demonstrated ability to apply a body of rules, regulations, directives, or laws.

Applicants should be able to handle a large volume of work and possess the ability to multi-task, prioritize, and manage his/her own workload. Excellent customer service, communication, and organizational skills are also required.

Preference will be given to applicants who have a four-year college degree in related fields; experience and judgment with legal documents such as those that might be found in a law office or in another court of any jurisdiction, or prior paralegal experience.

Strong preference is given to candidates who have experience in both civil and criminal law. Internal Applicants- Please ensure that you inform your supervisor of your application to this position.

Applicants must be United States citizens or able to meet the citizenship requirements. For more information on the citizenship requirement.

Participation in the interview process is at the applicant's own expense. Applicants may be asked to take a proficiency test. The Court will only communicate with those qualified applicants who are selected for an interview. If you are not notified, another applicant was selected. Employees of the United States Courts are not included in the government's Civil Service classification. They are, however, entitled to the same benefits as other federal government employees.

Employees who work for the Court are considered "at-will" and work at the pleasure of the Court. As a condition of employment, successful applicants will be subject to a background check, credit check, and/or records check with law enforcement agencies. Also, this position is subject to mandatory electronic funds transfer participation for payment of net pay.

The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this announcement, withdraw the announcement, or fill the position at any time before the closing date, any of which may occur without prior written notice.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER