Courtroom Clerk

Salary : $67,496.00 - $82,243.20 Annually

Location : Any Sonoma County Court Facilities, CA

Job Type : Full-time

Job Number : 9214-20241213

Department : Courtroom Clerks and Support Unit

Division : Courtroom Clerks

Opening Date : 12 / 13 / 2024

Closing Date : Continuous

Position Summary

Under general direction, provides courtroom support for judicial officers. Pulls and prepares files for daily court calendars; attends court sessions and prepares and records minutes of actions and proceedings; enters court minutes into case management system; participates in court proceedings; explains policies and procedures of the court to attorneys and the general public; and performs related duties as required.

Distinguishing Characteristics

The Courtroom Clerk is assigned to provide courtroom support for a Judicial Officer. Incumbents perform difficult and highly technical clerical work with a minimum amount of supervision and work independently within established policies, procedures, and guidelines. Incumbents must be able to adapt to frequently changing policies, procedures, and assignments that affect specific deadline, time limitations and other situations requiring speed, sustained attention and accuracy. They are held accountable for the accurate recording of court proceedings which may include sensitive and confidential material or information, as well as the distribution of court generated documents.

Typical Duties

Typical Duties Duties may include but are not limited to the following :

• Attends court sessions; records and prepares minutes of actions and proceedings; requests clarification of instructions and order of actions to properly note the official court record.
• Participates in court proceedings; reads charges, complaints, and indictments to defendants in court and records pleas; administers oaths or affirmations to witnesses and jurors; records juror attendance; reads jury verdicts; receives, marks, records, and assumes custody of exhibits.
• Advises attorneys and the court of condition of the court calendar and notifies them of hearing dates; sends notices of hearing dates to appropriate agencies.
• Notifies interpreters, counsel, investigators, psychiatrists, and other professionals when appointed by the court.
• Prepares orders, legal notices, judgments, court decisions, and other legal documents; examines legal documents presented to the court for proper format and content prior to review by judge, and for official filing; accepts and receipts jury and reporter fees.
• Assists attorneys, court staff, and the public in person, by phone, or through correspondence; provides procedural and other information regarding status of legal cases; answers inquiries and explains court and legal filing procedures, processes, forms, fees, fines, and basic rules of court.
• Enters and retrieves data from the computer relating to in-custody lists, case status, calendaring, disposition, judgments, and other relevant information.
• Researches various codes and rules such as Civil Code, Code of Civil Procedures, Evidence Code, Probate Code, Penal Code, Health and Safety Code, Vehicle, Code, Government Code, California Rules of Court and local rules in order to assist the preparation of judicial reports, minutes and in answering questions related to court procedures; reviews files for completeness; may check legal points and authorities to assist the court in preparing decisions.
• Assists in training staff for courtroom work.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications : Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge, skills and abilities would be the equivalent of :

One year of Clerk's Office or Courtroom Clerk experience within the California State Court System.

Other Requirements : A valid Class C California driver's license may be required to be eligible for consideration for certain assignments.

Knowledge and Abilities

Thorough knowledge of : legal forms, documents, and terminology; the operation, procedures and jurisdiction of the courts.

Considerable knowledge of : the Rules of Court and court related sections of the Civil Code, Code of Civil Procedures, Evidence Code, Probate Code, Penal Code, Health and Safety Code, Vehicle, Code, and Government Code; of the record and computer systems of the Courts.

Working knowledge of : English grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, and basic arithmetic; modern office practices, procedures, and office equipment.

Ability to :

Process to Apply

Please apply online at :

APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

The selection procedure will consist of an application with supplemental questionnaire screening and a panel interview process.

Please list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of the application and be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions. You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position.

Each application and supplemental questionnaire will be thoroughly evaluated for satisfaction of minimum qualifications and relevance of educational coursework, training, experience, and knowledge and abilities which relate to the position. Candidates possessing the most appropriate job-related qualifications will be invited to an interview.

The Superior Court of California, County of Sonoma is committed to creating a diverse environment and an open, inclusive culture free from bias. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Accommodation :

Applicants with a disability who may require special assistance in any step of the selection process should advise Human Resources by emailing humanresources@sonomacourt.org upon submittal of application.

Background Investigation :

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a thorough background check, including verification of prior employment, and the provision of appropriate identifying documents to certify eligibility to work in the United States. Please be advised that finalist(s) must be fingerprinted for criminal record check purposes and that continued employment is contingent upon information received in the report. Convictions, depending upon the type, number and date, may be disqualifying. False statements or omission of facts regarding background or employment history may result in disqualification or dismissal.

Please note, all benefits for Part-Time employment are pro-rated

Retirement Plan :

Tax deferred contributory system under the County Retirement Act of 1937. This is a defined benefit plan fully integrated with Social Security.

Vacation Leave :

Regular, full-time employees in benefit unit 02 on paid status accrue vacation at a rate of 3.17 hours per pay period for the first two years (approx. two weeks per year), with incremental increases to the accrual rate each year through year 5 and additional increases every 5 years thereafter, to year 20. Maximum accrual balance is 368 hours.

Sick Leave :

12 days per year with no limit on accumulation.

Holidays :

14 paid fixed holidays per year, plus 19 miscellaneous floating holiday hours, granted via compensatory time off.

Insurance :

Family vision care, as well as employee short and long term disability plans, are fully paid by the Court. Family dental coverage available at a minimal employee cost per pay period. Choice of three health plans : Health Net PPO, Health Net HMO, and a Kaiser Permanente HMO plan. The Court's contribution is currently 85% of the premium for the health plan selected.

Life Insurance

15,000 Term Life Insurance is provided by the Court; additional life insurance may be purchased by the employee.

Deferred Compensation :

Employees may contribute a portion of their salary into a 457 Deferred Compensation account (up to the IRS annual maximum).

Dependent and Medical Care Assistance Programs :

Employees may participate in these tax exempt programs which allow certain personal expenses to be paid from pre-tax salary.

Employee Assistance Program

This role requires strong communication skills. Please provide an example of when you had to explain a complex concept to someone unfamiliar with the topic. How did you ensure they understood?

What roles have you held in a courtroom or legal setting? What were your primary responsibilities, and for how long did you perform them?

Have you ever had to transcribe live conversations or meetings? If so, how did you handle the real-time aspect of this task?

Please describe a time when you had to manage multiple priorities? How did you ensure all tasks were completed efficiently and to a high standard?

Required Question

Salary : $67,496 - $82,243