What are the responsibilities and job description for the Clerk of Court position at U.S. Courts?
Duties
The Clerk of Court is a high-level management position which is appointed by the judges of the Western District of New York and functions under the direction of the Chief Judge of the Court. The Clerk of Court is responsible for managing the administrative activities of the Clerk's Office and overseeing the performance of the statutory duties of the office.
Responsibilities
- Consulting with and making recommendations to the judges regarding court policies and procedures;
- Directing staff responsible for the processing of civil and criminal cases, the issuance of process and the maintenance of official records in the custody of the court;
- Managing the jury operations of the court and making recommendations as required to improve juror utilization;
- Directing through subordinate staff the court's financial service function including purchasing, juror payments, and accounting functions;
- Working with members of the bar and the public to improve the delivery of court services;
- Working with various governmental agencies on a variety of issues necessary to court activities such as data processing, fiscal, and personnel;
- Hiring and assigning personnel as well as designing and managing training programs;
- Preparing and managing the annual budget;
- Conducting special studies as directed and preparing statistical and narrative reports; and
- Managing staff responsible for automation and information technology services, statistical analysis and reporting requirements, inventory control, and human resources management.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
Employees must adhere to a Code of Conduct. The Court provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Veterans' preference is not a factor used in Judicial Branch appointments. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents seeking U.S. citizenship. By statute, the Clerk of Court must reside within the district. Positions with the U.S. Courts are excepted service appointments, which are "At-Will" and may be terminated with or without cause. Employees are required to use electronic funds transfer for payroll deposit.
Qualifications
General: A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible administrative experience in public service or business which provides a thorough understanding of organizational, procedural and human aspects in managing an organization.
Management Responsibility: At least three of the 10 years of experience must have been in a position of substantial management responsibility.
Practice of Law: An attorney who is in the active practice of law in either the public or private sector may substitute said active practice on a year-for-year basis for the management or administrative experience requirement.
Preferred Qualifications/Court Preferred Skills
- Management experience in the federal government, a federal or state court system or court administrative office is strongly preferred;
- Excellent leadership, organizational and analytical skills;
- A demonstrated ability to lead with vision;
- Strong interpersonal, written and oral communication skills;
- Ability to apply sound judgment especially in crisis situations, problem solve, and act with integrity;
- Ability to foster effective working relationships with judges, court staff, other federal entities, and the public;
- A performance history that clearly reflects skills and demonstrated experience in managing an annual budget; and
- Completion of a law degree (J.D. or equivalent) and thorough knowledge of both federal civil and criminal rules of procedure and familiarity with the Local Rules of the Court is preferred.
Education
Educational Equivalents
Undergraduate: Education in a college or university of recognized standing may be substituted for a maximum of three years of the required general experience on the basis of one academic year of education equals nine months of experience. A bachelor's degree from a college or university of recognized standing may be substituted for three years of the required general experience. Preferably such degree should have included courses in law, government, public, business or judicial administration or related fields.
Postgraduate: A postgraduate degree in public, business or judicial administration from such a college or university may be substituted for one additional year of the required general experience.
Legal: A degree from an accredited law school may be considered as qualifying for two additional years of the required general experience.
Benefits
Review our benefits
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Please read the "Next steps" section for more information.
Benefits
Review our benefits
Required Documents
As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
Please read the "How to Apply" section.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
Please submit a cover letter, resume, contact information for three professional references, and AO78 Application for Judicial Branch Federal Employment (available at https://www.uscourts.gov/) as a single PDF attachment by email to: applications@nywd.uscourts.gov
subject line "Clerk of Court No. 25-03." Save the documents as one PDF, using your firstname_lastname. When the AO78 is filled out electronically and returned by email, the fillable form must first be resaved and submitted as a non-fillable PDF before submission, otherwise the form will appear blank.Agency contact information
Human ResourcesEmailapplications@nywd.uscourts.govAddressUS District Court, Western District of New York
2 Niagara Square
Buffalo, NY 14202
USNext steps
Only candidates selected for an interview will be notified and must travel at their own expense.
Fair and Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
- Criminal history inquiries
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
- Financial suitability
- New employee probationary period
- Privacy Act
- Reasonable accommodation policy
- Selective Service
- Signature and false statements
- Social security number request
Required Documents
Please read the "How to Apply" section.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
This job is open to
- The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Clarification from the agency
As a condition of employment, the selected candidate must successfully complete a ten-year background investigation, and subsequent favorable suitability determination, and every five years thereafter will be subject to a re-investigation.
