Court Clerk I

Court Clerk I

The Superior Court of California, County of Butte is now accepting applications for Court Clerk I Open Until Filled. About the Community Butte County Superior Court is located in beautiful Northern California, where the valley floor meets the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains, approximately 1.5 hours north of Sacramento. At over 1,600 square miles and with a population of approximately 225,000, Butte County is full of natural beauty and provides endless recreational opportunities. It is home to one of the largest municipal parks in the country, Bidwell Park, which boasts over 3,600 acres of hiking and mountain bike trails, swimming holes, picnic areas, golf and disc golf courses, and more! Outdoor adventures also await in places like Lake Oroville, Feather Falls, Table Mountain, and Lassen and Plumas National Forests which border the county to the east. In the county's urban center of Chico, you'll find a vibrant downtown, art, culture, unique restaurants, music, and weekly farmers' markets. Right in the center of it all is the CSU, Chico campus, which provides a stunning backdrop and a variety of events and activities throughout the year.

About the Court Butte County Superior Court is a unified superior court operating two facilities, one courthouse in Chico, and another courthouse in the county seat of Oroville. All legal, operational, and administrative functions of the court are governed by the Presiding Judge and the Court Executive Officer. The court has thirteen judicial officers, or eleven judges and two commissioners, and approximately 135 support staff. Despite its size, Butte is recognized throughout the state as a leader in many court collaborations, including self-help services, case management system consortiums, our highly acclaimed and model civic outreach program, and numerous multi-court employee education events. Butte County is home to a community with diverse needs, and the court continually adapts to provide effective and reliable access to justice.

The Position This is the entry level, trainee classification of the Court Clerk series. Incumbents participate in a comprehensive training program to gain the knowledge and abilities necessary to serve as a Court Clerk. Incumbents are trained to work with applicable legal forms and documents and learn the necessary and appropriate legal terminology and procedures of the division to which they are assigned. In addition, incumbents are expected to successfully complete a non-case specific court orientation and training program which may include but is not limited to: ethics for court employees, verbal and written communications skills, customer service, change management, teamwork dynamics and community access and diversity. Incumbents will be required to successfully complete the training program prior to receiving permanent employee status.

Essential Job Functions

The following duties are typical of those performed by the incumbent in this classification; however, other duties may also be required.

• Receives and examines legal documents for completeness and conformity to requirements; processes acceptable documents according to established procedures; returns unacceptable documents; maintains court files and archives; retrieves and delivers files and documents to appropriate parties;
• Determines, accepts and records fees, fines, forfeitures, and bails; makes appropriate notations in electronic accounting system; balances cash drawers;
• Provides information regarding court policies and procedures; answers inquiries pertaining to court records and provides assistance to the public in accessing court services and programs;
• Verifies, enters, retrieves, corrects, and updates information in the court's automated case management system;
• Assigns matters to proper division of the court; calendars court proceedings, prepares, distributes and posts court calendars;
• Prepares notices and types forms, documents, reports, and correspondence; processes mail for proper disposition; copies legal documents; and
• As directed, prepares and issues legal orders such as warrants, writs, orders, subpoenas, abstracts, and other official documents on behalf of the court; recalls warrants, exonerates bail; prepares judgments and dismisses or seals cases in accordance with established codes and court procedures.

Knowledge of:

• Modern office equipment including typewriters, fax machines and photocopiers;
• Desktop computers and software applications including word processing and databases;
• Proper maintenance of records, preparing correspondence and reports; filing, indexing, and cross-referencing methods;
• Tabulating and posting data and basic mathematical computations;
• Principles of English grammar, spelling, and punctuation;
• Methods and practices of legal offices, basic legal terminology and documents; and
• Basic public contact and customer service techniques.

Ability to:

• Type accurately and enter data into a computer system from clear copy and rough notes at a speed sufficient to perform assigned duties; operate a variety of office equipment including personal computers;
• Review documents for accuracy, completeness, and conformity with legal requirements; learn relevant legal terminology; be accurate and pay close attention to detail; maintain complex records; follow standardized procedures; and
• Communicate clearly both verbally and in writing; understand and follow through with written and verbal instructions; establish and maintain effective working relationships with judicial officers, attorneys, fellow employees, and the general public.

Typical Qualifications

Experience & Education: Two years of clerical experience involving public contact. Successful completion of a program of Paralegal Studies or an Associate of Arts Degree from an accredited college or university in legal, legal clerical, or a closely related field may be substituted for one year of the experience.

Supplemental Information

Criminal History Requirement Candidates are required to pass a criminal history background check. Transportation Requirement Must have reliable transportation or the ability to travel to and between work locations as required by the position. Physical Requirements The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an incumbent to successfully perform the essential functions of this classification. Reasonable accommodations may be available to a qualified individual with a disability that will enable him/her to perform the essential functions of the Lead Court Clerk classification. Ability to sit for extended periods of time; dexterity and coordination to handle files and single pieces of paper; frequent lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling of objects weighing up to 50 pounds; strength, dexterity and coordination and/or ability to use a computer keyboard and read a video display terminal on a daily basis; vision which can be corrected to a level sufficient to read handwritten, typed and computer generated information and data; hearing and speech ability sufficient to enable communication by telephone and in-person; ability to frequently reach for and/or twist for items above and below desk level, sometimes with the assistance of a ladder or stepstool; frequently moves from place to place within the office; frequently walks short distances; and vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision and the ability to adjust focus to enable incumbent to decipher color coded files, forms, complete data entry and read operating instructions and procedures. Work Environment While performing the responsibilities of the Lead Court Clerk, these work environment characteristics are representative of the environment an employee will encounter. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Work is performed in an office environment with little exposure to outdoor temperatures, dirt, or dust. The incumbent's working conditions are typically quiet, but may be loud at times at some locations. The noise level and traffic level in the work environment are similar to a busy office. This role routinely uses standard office equipment. Travel to visit other branches within the county and travel to attend professional meetings and trainings in and outside of the county may be required on a frequent basis. Normal court business hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. This position may require occasional long hours or weekend work, however. Alternate work shifts may occur.

Application Process Please submit a complete online application, including responses to the required supplemental questions, at Applications will not be accepted by other means. This recruitment will remain open until filled. The best-qualified candidates will be selected to advance to an interview.