Unit Clerical Assistant – Circuit Court / Juvenile Division - Part-Time

Ingham County; Lansing (MI); On-site; USD 36,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

Ingham County's Juvenile Division seeks an Administrative Support Specialist to perform clerical, financial, case processing, scheduling, and records management for general court operations and the Child Care Fund eligible programs.

The role supports intake, services, programs, and specialty courts, while assisting managers, attorney referees, and court staff. Strong organizational and communication skills are essential in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Two years of clerical experience including data processing systems.
• High School graduation or equivalent; preferred coursework in data/word processing and legal clerical work.
• LEIN Certified and notary responsibilities are required.

Responsibilities

• Provide clerical, administrative, operational, and case processing support for Juvenile Division operations and Child Care Fund services.
• Prepare, review, process, route, and maintain legal documents and financial records per courts procedures and policies.
• Maintain, index, archive, and dispose of electronic and physical records in compliance with retention schedules and confidentiality requirements.
• Update and maintain cases, parties, events, and related information across court, client, and document management systems.
• Collect, organize, verify, and report information to support court operations, program administration, and audits.
• Coordinate court scheduling and calendar management, including hearings, on-call schedules, and interpreter coordination.
• Coordinate attorney appointments and related case processing activities with Public Defender, Prosecutor, and other partners.
• Respond to inquiries from youth, families, attorneys, service providers, schools, and the public, and provide front desk coverage as assigned.
• Process receipting, collections, and payment-related transactions in accordance with procedures.
• Provide support for mail, courier services, inventory, and supply management for departmental operations.
• Support monitoring, compliance, data quality, and program participation activities, including Interstate Compact matters and electronic monitoring.

Skills

written and interpersonal skills

organizational skills

flexibility under pressure

Education

High School graduation or equivalent

Job description

Under the supervision of a manager in the Juvenile Division, performs specialized clerical, administrative, financial, case processing, scheduling, records management, and operational support functions for general court operations and the Juvenile Division's Child Care Fund (CCF) eligible programs and services.

Assignments may support various operational areas of the Juvenile Division, including Intake, Services, Programs, Intensive Neglect Services, Clinical Mental Health, and Specialty Courts. As a member of the Juvenile Division Administrative Support Team, the position provides support to managers, Attorney Referees, Juvenile Court Officers, clinical staff, Juvenile Justice Data Systems Coordinators, and other Juvenile Division personnel while contributing to continuity of operations, service delivery, and departmental initiatives.

The position performs a variety of technical and administrative duties requiring knowledge of court procedures, legal documentation, case processing workflows, departmental policies, and applicable Child Care Fund, statutory, confidentiality, and local administrative order requirements. Responsibilities include preparing and processing legal documents and financial transactions, coordinating scheduling and administrative activities, maintaining records and document management systems, collecting and reporting information, supporting court and program operations, and processing and maintaining confidential court, criminal justice, program, and client information. The position routinely utilizes court, client, document, and financial management systems and coordinates with court personnel, attorneys, service providers, schools, governmental agencies, and other internal and external partners to support court operations and service delivery.

Functions are assigned based on the operational needs of the Juvenile Division and aligned with professional competencies. Assignments may vary by department, program, or operational area.

1. Provides clerical, administrative, operational, and case processing support for general court operations and Juvenile Division programs, including Child Care Fund eligible services, specialty courts, and assigned departmental functions.
2. Prepares, reviews, processes, routes, and maintains legal documents, court forms, reports, notices, correspondence, and other records in accordance with court procedures, local administrative orders, statutory requirements, departmental policies, and Child Care Fund requirements.
3. Maintains, retrieves, reviews, verifies, scans, indexes, imports, archives, processes, and disposes of electronic and physical records, including record retention, expungement, archival, and records disposition activities, in accordance with applicable records retention schedules, confidentiality requirements, court policies, and statutory requirements.
4. Initiates, updates, tracks, and maintains cases, parties, events, assignments, dispositions, and related information within court, client, and document management systems. Processes case activity, court actions, filings, abstracts, reporting requirements, and related records associated with various juvenile court case types, programs, and proceedings within the Juvenile Division in accordance with court procedures, local administrative orders, and statutory requirements.
5. Collects, organizes, enters, verifies, maintains, and reports information necessary to support court operations, program administration, Child Care Fund requirements, reimbursement activities, audits, compliance reviews, data quality initiatives, and performance reporting.
6. Coordinates court scheduling and calendar management activities, including hearing scheduling, preliminary hearing scheduling, attorney on-call schedules, interpreter coordination, docket maintenance, scheduling conflict resolution, calendar updates, and related court communications.
7. Coordinates attorney appointments and related case processing activities, including appointment of counsel for delinquency, neglect, paternity, designation, and appellate matters; preparation and routing of appointment orders; conflict checks; attorney notifications; and coordination with attorneys, the Public Defender's Office, Prosecutor's Office, and other justice system partners.
8. Responds to inquiries and provides information to youth, families, attorneys, service providers, schools, law enforcement agencies, court personnel, and members of the public regarding court procedures, case processing requirements, departmental services, and program operations. Provides reception and front counter coverage as assigned.
9. Processes receipting, collections, payment-related transactions, financial records, tax garnishment/intercept documentation, and other assigned financial activities in accordance with court and county procedures.
10. Coordinates and supports operational activities including mail distribution, courier services, inventory management, supply maintenance, testing materials, equipment coordination, and other administrative support functions necessary for departmental operations.
11. Supports monitoring, tracking, compliance, information verification, and case management activities associated with court orders, supervision requirements, placement assessments, relative placement reviews, safety screening activities, Interstate Compact matters, electronic monitoring, program participation, and other assigned case management functions.
12. Accesses, verifies, maintains, and disseminates confidential court, criminal justice, program, and case-related information through authorized databases, information systems, and records repositories in accordance with applicable laws, court rules, policies, confidentiality requirements, and system access protocols. Conducts information verification activities and coordinates information sharing with courts, attorneys, law enforcement agencies, schools, service providers, MDHHS, state agencies, and other authorized partners to support court operations, case management, placement decisions, and service delivery.
13. Serves as a member of the Juvenile Division Administrative Support Team by providing cross‑training, backup coverage, operational support, and assistance with special projects to ensure continuity of court operations and service delivery. Participates in workflow development, procedural reviews, quality improvement initiatives, data coordination activities, system implementations, multidisciplinary workgroups, and other projects designed to improve court operations, administrative efficiency, and service delivery.

Other Functions and Requirements:

1. Performs other duties as assigned.
2. Commissioned Notary Public – Authorized to administer oaths, witness signatures, and certify the execution of legal documents in accordance with state law.
3. Deputized by the County Clerk – Empowered to act on behalf of the Clerk's Office to accept legal filings, process official documents, and support the maintenance of public records in compliance with statutory requirements.
4. LEIN Certified – Certified through the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN), granting access to confidential criminal justice information such as warrants, protection orders, and criminal history records while ensuring adherence to federal and state confidentiality standards.
5. Expected to attend trainings and meetings as assigned by the County, Court, and/or the Juvenile Division.
6. Demonstrates flexibility and composure under pressure, with the ability to navigate shifting priorities effectively in meeting time constraints and deadlines.
7. Possess organizational skills, with a strong eye for detail.
8. Possess strong written and interpersonal communication skills
9. Promotes a respectful and inclusive workplace while offering peer support and collaboration.

Demonstrates effective communication skills by engaging, interacting and working with all individuals to ensure clarity and understanding in all interactions.

An employee in this position may be called upon to do any or all of the above tasks. These examples do not include all of the tasks which the employee may be expected to perform.

Education:

High School graduation or equivalent, prefer some advanced coursework in data/word processing, legal clerical, and related areas.

Experience:

Two (2) years of experience in a clerical capacity including experience with data processing systems, preferably in a legal setting.

(The qualifications listed above are intended to represent minimum skills and experience levels associated with performing the duties and responsibilities contained in this job description. The qualifications should not be viewed as expressing absolute employment or promotional standards, but as general guidelines that should be considered along with other job-related selection or promotional criteria.)

Working Conditions:

• This position works in an indoor environment (office). There is no planned exposure to prominent lights, noises, odors, temperatures or weather conditions.
• This position may be exposed to individuals in crisis. These individuals may suffer from mental or emotional illness, have violent tendencies or be unconcerned with their personal safety and hygiene.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to access court files and electronic systems.
• Ability to lift and carry items weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to enter and retrieve information from a computer.
• Ability to operate a copy machine, fax machine, and other office equipment.
• Requires continuous stamina in sitting, walking, typing, and enduring repetitive movements of the wrists, hands, or fingers.
• Performs sedentary work requiring a negligible amount of effort in the physical requirements above.
• Primarily requires close visual acuity to perform tasks within arm’s reach such as viewing a computer screen.
• This position requires the ability to communicate and respond to inquiries both in person and over the phone.
• This position requires the ability to operate a PC/laptop and to enter & retrieve information from a computer.
• This position requires the ability to handle varying and often high levels of stress.

(This job requires the ability to perform the essential functions contained in this description. These include, but are not limited to, the requirements listed above. Reasonable accommodations will be made for otherwise qualified applicants unable to fulfill one or more of these requirements.)

MAY 20, 2024

UPDATED JULY 2026

UAW G