Judicial Support Specialist-District Court-Dickinson

North Dakota Court System; Dickinson (ND); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer-paid family health insurance

Retirement contributions

Generous vacation and sick leave accrû

Job summary

The North Dakota Court System seeks a Judicial Support Specialist-District Court to provide administrative and secretarial support to a judicial officer, and to make verbatim records of district and juvenile court proceedings using audio recording equipment.

You will edit and proofread orders, manage the calendar, coordinate communications with attorneys and court staff, and assist with case management system tasks, travel, and courtroom technology as needed.

Qualifications

• Reliability and punctuality are essential.
• Attention to detail and high accuracy in records.
• Excellent grammar and proofreading skills.
• Strong communication and customer service abilities.
• Willingness to travel to other counties when required.

Responsibilities

• Performs verbatim recording of court proceedings using audio equipment.
• Edits and proofs judicial orders and related documents for clarity.
• Acts as liaison between the judicial officer, attorneys and court staff.
• Manages the judicial officer's calendar, appointments and travel vouchers.
• Operates courtroom technology and supports hearings and interpreters as needed.
• Transports and transfers case files and notes between locations as required.

Skills

Dependability

Punctuality

Detail-oriented

Proofreading

Customer service

Team player

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

DAR or AAERT certification or ability to obtain within six months

Tools

Courtroom technology operation

Job description

We understand that compensation isn't a one-time discussion. Please see Compensation for more details on our compensation strategy.

The North Dakota Court System offers employment opportunities that provide a rewarding career in public service working together to deliver justice. The Court System offers an excellent benefits package including employer-paid family health insurance premiums, retirement contributions, and generous vacation and sick leave accruals.

If you have strong technology and grammar skills and would enjoy making a verbatim record of trials and proceedings using audio recording equipment, this opportunity may be right for you.

The Ideal Candidate:

• Finds it rewarding to be highly dependable and punctual.
• Obsesses with detail ensuring accuracy of work.
• Enjoys proofreading and perfection in grammar and punctuation.
• Shows assertiveness to ensure an accurate record.
• Gives excellent customer service.
• Enjoys supporting others.

The Ideal Candidate Minimum Qualifications:

• High school diploma;
• Two years of related experience. Any combination of education, training, or experience which demonstrates the ability to successfully complete the major responsibilities and essential functions may be substituted for the experience requirement; and
• Requires the DAR (Digital Audio Recording) certification or the AAERT (American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers) CER (certified electronic court reporter) certification or ability to obtain within six months of job entry. A comparable certification by another state court or federal court may be substituted for the DAR or AAERT certification.

Title of Immediate Supervisor: Varies

Accountable For (Job Titles): None

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

The Judicial Support Specialist-District Court is responsible for performing administrative and secretarial support to a judicial officer. Independently carries out administrative assignments, initiating contacts with judges, referees, attorneys, other officials, and court staff and makes a verbatium record of district and juvenile court trials, proceedings, and other matters using audio recording equipment, writing court logs, and noting appearances and essential events during the proceeding.

Employees assigned to this classification establish certain routines and processes as well as follow routines and processes established by others.

• Edits and proofreads judicial orders and other legal and non-legal documents for accuracy and clarity. Types, edits, and scans orders and documents for inclusion in the case management system, including completing the forms for the judicial officer to sign following hearings. Assists with reviewing and proofing jury instructions, and after discussion of potential corrections with the judicial officer or legal staff, forwards final instructions to attorneys before trial.
• Serves as a primary contact and liaison between the judicial officer and others in the system. Receives, reviews, and processes all incoming and outgoing communications, requests for information, and correspondence. Acts or responds to the judicial officer orally or in writing as authorized. Responsibility also requires coordinating communications from attorneys, detention facilities, and others in conjunction with court staff regarding conflict hearings and directing attorneys and others where and when to appear when double-booked with other courtrooms and other judicial officers.
• Provides administrative support and organization within the judicial officer's chambers by performing such duties as:
  • Coordinates and implements special projects or activities. Keeps the judicial officer informed on project status and activities;
  • Updates and maintains the judicial officer's calendar; makes appointments; handles arrangements for meetings or speaking engagements; prepares expense/travel vouchers; prepares materials needed for meetings;
  • Maintains justice's records and case files for court proceedings and organizes files and records for jury and court trials. Archives files and disposes other case files in accordance with procedures of the court.
• Proofreads and assists as instructed in the preparation of reports, speeches, presentations, or other correspondence for the judicial officer.
• Provides assistance and information to new legal staff regarding chambers operational questions, judicial officer preferences, and procedures and assists them in accomplishing work activities within the chamber.
• Performs various administrative clerking duties in the case management system, results hearings, sets time standards in cases, updates overdue case notes, places and removes cases under advisement, and pulls documents in from the case management system when requested by the judicial officer. Monitors judicial dashboard for case details as needed.
• Prepares courtroom duties:
  • Performs sound check for all microphones in the courtroom, and performs test recording prior to court.
  • Manages the software for hearings as co-host, admitting participants, renaming participants, muting participants, requesting participants to un-mute, and creating and monitoring break-out rooms during hearings.
  • Ensures interpreters and participants are present and connected for hearings as needed.
  • Troubleshoots and resolves any issues with courtroom technology.
  • Performs clerk duties, administers oaths, marks documents, maintains logs and other forms, and transfers storage devices, files, and records to the clerk of district court for reference.
  • Accurately records court and jury trial proceedings. Takes court notes during hearings to identify appearances and to note significant events during the hearing and to locate and present prior testimony.
  • Requires travel to other counties within and outside of the district for court proceedings assigned to the judicial officer.
• Performs other duties of a comparable level or type or as assigned.

Requires a high school diploma and two years of related experience. Any combination of education, training, or experience which demonstrates the ability to successfully complete the major responsibilities and essential functions may be substituted for the experience requirement.

Valid driver's license or evidence of equivalent mobility.

Requires the DAR (Digital Audio Recording) or the AAERT (American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers) CER (certified electronic court reporter) certification or ability to obtain within six months of job entry. A comparable certification by another state court or federal court may be substituted for the DAR or AAERT certification.

Knowledge Requirements:

• Considerable knowledge of secretarial practices and procedures.
• Considerable knowledge of legal terminology, business English, punctuation, and grammar.
• Considerable knowledge of office systems, procedures, and equipment.
• Considerable knowledge of word processing and internet software.
• Considerable knowledge of court rules, procedures, and functions.
• Basic knowledge of law and legal principles.

Skill Requirements:

• Proficiently uses related software programs.
• Recordkeeping skills.
• Elementary legal research skills.
• Written communication skills.
• Proofreading and editorial skills.
• Interpersonal skills to deal effectively with all levels of personnel and the public.

Physical Requirements:

• The essential functions of the job typically require: grasping, sitting, standing, walking, talking, hearing, seeing, feeling, reaching, and fingering requirements or other reasonable methods that accommodate an individual in completing the essential functions of the job.
• Work is performed in a comfortable office work environment.
• Employee is subject to some limited travel in the performance of the job. Employee has control over travel schedule and can adjust schedules due to adverse weather or travel conditions.
• Physical requirements can typically be characterized as Light: Work involves exerting up to 20 lbs. of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 lbs. frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.