Superior Court Clerk I

This recruitment is open to external candidates, internal OCSC employees and internal OCSC promotions. This recruitment will be used to fill current vacancies, and an eligible list may be established to fill future vacancies.

BENEFIT HIGHLIGHTS:

Defined Benefit Retirement Plan (2.50% at 67 formula)

TELEWORK/ON-SITE OPPORTUNITY

This position is not eligible for telework opportunities.

ABOUT ORANGE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT

The Orange County Superior Court is the third largest court of general jurisdiction in California. We have courthouses throughout the county, including locations in Orange, Westminster, Fullerton, Newport Beach, and Santa Ana. We have a staff of about 1,500 and an operating budget of nearly $280 million. The Court's Judges, Commissioners and employees are recognized for their high standards of achievement, integrity, and diversity. The Court is committed to ensuring equal access to court services and enhancing public confidence in the court system.

To learn more about the Superior Court of California, County of Orange, visit our homepage at www.occourts.org.

ABOUT THE POSITION:
The Superior Court Clerk I learns and performs a variety of duties to assist Judicial Officers by examining and approving legal documents for filing in various divisions of the Court. The incumbents maintain the flow of courtroom activities, prepares official court records of proceedings, swears in juries and witnesses, and maintains court exhibits.

Incumbents are required to exercise excellent judgment and perform their duties with the highest degree of integrity in order to uphold the public's trust and confidence in the administration of justice. Incumbents may act as a relief clerk and be rotated to different assignments and locations for purposes of staff development and the needs of the Court.  Incumbents support courtrooms which have a variety of caseload volumes to support the needs of the court. Incumbents also observe, participate in and perform the work under immediate supervision of a Courtroom Operations Supervisor.

Superior Court Clerk I is the entry level trainee classification used for training purposes. Incumbents must demonstrate satisfactory performance and advance to Superior Court Clerk II (journey level) classification by the end of the twelve (12) month probationary period. There is no permanent status as a Trainee. Incumbents participate in virtual and on-the-job training programs designed to prepare incumbents for advancement to the position of Superior Court Clerk II. Upon promotion, incumbents serve a six (6) month promotional probationary period in the Superior Court Clerk classification.

Superior Court Clerks must be flexible in assignments as they may work in various locations such as Central Justice Center (Santa Ana), Community Court (Santa Ana), Costa Mesa Justice Complex (Costa Mesa), Harbor Justice Center (Newport Beach), Lamoreaux Justice Center (Orange), North Justice Center (Fullerton) and West Justice Center (Westminster). They may also work in divisions such as Criminal, Traffic, Civil, Probate/Mental Health, Juvenile and Family Law or to a specific Judicial Officer for an extended period of time. Location and case-type preferences are considered but not guaranteed.

The Superior Court Clerks must be able to efficiently perform their duties within a demanding, fast paced, and emotionally charged environment. Incumbents are expected to multi-task while capturing critical information to ensure timely and accurate court records and/or orders.

Duties for the classification may include, but are not limited to:

• Examines legal documents for correctness, sufficiency of information and conformance with legal filing procedures; determines and receives filing fees; reviews legal correspondence and determines appropriate processing; prepares reports concerning legal filing activity.

• Handles the logistical functioning and flow of courtroom activities; answers procedural questions orally and in writing; notifies bailiff or courtroom staff of any actions that may adversely affect courtroom security; maintains orderly appearance of courtroom and assigned work areas.

• Attends trials, hearings, and conferences; takes and enters minutes on a variety of court actions into case management systems; operates electronic recording equipment to tape record proceedings, as required.

• Identifies, maintains, tags, marks and stores all exhibits; obtains signed receipts for exhibits that are withdrawn or released.

• Administers the impanelment of juries; orders jury panels and records selection of jurors; administers oaths to juries, witnesses, and others concerned with the case, as required; recites charges information, indictments and verdicts aloud in court; records defendants' pleas to charges and court or jury verdicts; requests interpreter and/or court reporter services; requests special equipment when needed; calculates and collects jury and reporter fees.

REQUIRED EDUCATION:
High school diploma or GED certificate.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

Option 1: Three (3) years of full-time (or equivalent) experience in a professional office or legal environment regularly performing clerical duties and utilizing customer service skills. The ideal candidate should have experience in a court/legal environment, healthcare, law enforcement, probation, social services, or another public agency.

     -OR-

Option 2: Two (2) years of full-time (or equivalent) court clerical experience with the Orange County Superior Court.

• Goals and responsibilities of the judicial system, including the functions and relationships of the California trial courts, Courts of Appeal, the state Supreme Court, and the United States Supreme Court.
• Courtroom proceedings, local Rules of Court, California Rules of Court, and the procedures and relevant codes related to one or more functional legal areas.
• Modern office procedures and practices including operating a personal computer with word processing software and preparing business correspondence.
• Legal terminology applicable to the preparation, acceptance and processing of legal documents.
• Customer service and telephone etiquette.
• Use and operation of automated case management systems and case calendaring.
• Basic principles of English grammar, spelling, and punctuation for business correspondence.

• Learn/use legal terminology and procedures for preparing, examining, approving and maintaining legal documents.
• Speak and write clearly and professionally in order to explain court procedures, swear in juries and witnesses, read proceedings and judgments, and provide instructions to attorneys and the public.
• Reason analytically and organize facts; remember and apply complex rules, procedures and other detailed information; follow sometimes complex oral and written instructions.
• Independently exercise good judgment in answering questions, especially relating to the handling of sensitive information.
• Perform multiple activities or assignments, often simultaneously, which require attention to detail and accuracy.
• Work in an environment that includes frequent interruptions, simultaneous attention to multiple tasks and meeting legally established deadlines.
• Perform basic mathematical and monetary computations.
• Maintain confidentiality of Court documents and records.
• Work cooperatively and effectively with judicial officers, attorneys, co-workers, supervisors, the public, and others while under pressure, time constraints, and exacting professional and legal standards.
• Perform writing, filing, document stamping and/or keyboarding often for prolonged periods of time.
• Keyboard at a corrected rate of 45 wpm.
• Operate a personal computer and learn a variety of software programs.
• Understand, document and/or respond to rulings, directions and inquiries and other sounds in the work environment often with competing background noises.
• Read legal documents, written correspondence and information on computer screens.
• Sit or stand for prolonged periods of time.
• Establish and maintain effective communication with defendants, county agency staff, and attorneys to clearly explain the court's order/position and gain cooperation, often under contentious circumstances.

APPLICATION PROCESS
All applicants are required to submit a completed online application and supplemental questionnaire. To learn more about how to create an application, click HERE. Résumés will not be accepted in lieu of the required application and supplemental questionnaire. For tips on completing/updating your application, refer to our "Helpful Application Tips" guide by clicking HERE.

PRACTICE TESTS

General practice tests are available to help candidates prepare for online examinations. An interactive, Online Test Preparation System for taking practice tests may be accessed on the SHL website. Please note that the test(s) offered on this site only serve as guides. The test questions that you complete during your actual test may vary in format, content, and level of difficulty. Note:  Practice tests are not available in all subjects.  To access the practice tests, please visit https://www.shldirect.com/en/practice-tests. 

The Superior Court of California, County of Orange participates in the E-Verify program which confirms employment eligibility of new hires.

LinkedIn | Facebook | X