Under general supervision, performs routine to complex court operations support duties requiring journey-level knowledge of court policies, practices, and procedures applicable to assigned section; and performs related duties as assigned.

Distinguishing Characteristics

The Legal Processing Assistant I is the training level class in this series. Incumbents rotate through various assignments to accommodate employee development, training and staffing needs of the Court District. Within twelve (12) months as a Legal Processing Assistant I, incumbents must demonstrate proficiency in a variety of designated tasks to progress into the Legal Processing Assistant II class.

Employees within the Legal Processing Assistant II class are experienced, can perform a variety of assignments, and may provide technical guidance and training to other employees within their unit. Employees in both classes typically report to an Operations Supervisor I/II. Legal Processing Assistant II may provide on-the-job training.

1. Receives, sorts and processes legal documents and mail; receives, verifies and accounts for checks, money orders, credit and cash payments made in person or by mail; reviews documents for sufficiency of information, conformity, jurisdiction, completeness, timeliness, and all required supporting documents in accordance with prescribed filing requirements; returns unacceptable documents noting discrepancies and reasons for return.
2. Creates case files; enters into and retrieves data from the automated case management system; assign and enter applicable statistical codes; files, scans and retrieves legal documents and related case materials; makes and certifies copies; maintains the order of documents in court files, register of actions, paper and electronic file; purges documents in accordance with pre-determined criteria; assembles documents, identifies and organizes documents for transfer to the archives; retrieves records from archives, if necessary.
3. Enters case information on dockets; assists with preparation of court calendars; coordinates the flow of documents necessary for court hearings/calendars; prepares minute orders; enters actions from minute orders into appropriate records.
4. Performs telephone and public counter duties; answers routine questions from the public and refers customers to appropriate court staff; responds to questions regarding court procedures and rules and explains legal filing procedures, calendaring procedures, fees, fines and other processes and requirements; receives and file-stamps documents; accepts filings; may schedule appointments and meetings and make meeting arrangements; assists law enforcement agencies or agents, attorneys and their staff, and other court employees with locating information, documents and other court-related materials.
5. Processes payment transactions and accepts payment for a variety of items, including but not limited to copies, forms, fees, fines, court costs, and citations; prepares and issues receipts; posts payments in the case management system; reconciles and balances monies received against transaction totals.
6. Prepares a variety of case type specific documents such as abstracts, judgments, clerk's transcripts, declarations, notices, letters and other legal documents into finished form; composes letters in response to requests for general information; prepares bench warrants, commitments and releases; issues subpoenas, prepares and certifies copies; checks for completeness prior to sending case file into the courtroom.
7. Check in and process prospective jurors; distributes juror questionnaires; responds to questions concerning jury duty responsibilities, clarifying requirements and explaining the selection process; coordinates activities of the jurors in the jury assembly room; coordinates trial court needs, call in jury panels and prepare daily status calendar; and ensures the needs of prospective jurors are met and may process payments for sworn trial jurors.
8. Performs other duties as assigned.
9. At the Legal Processing Assistant II level: May act as a trainer or assist supervisor in familiarizing new and transferred court employees with assigned duties, processes, procedures and forms; provides technical assistance and guidance in more complex and non-routine activities.

Legal Processing Assistant I - Graduation from high school or GED equivalent, and at least six (6) months- of clerical support experience; or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience. One (1) year of coursework twenty-four (24) semester or thirty-six (36) quarter units) from an accredited college may substitute for a maximum of six (6) months of experience. Completion of college-level course work is highly desirable.

Knowledge of:

• Standard office practices and procedures, including record keeping and filing;
• Customer service practices and telephone etiquette;
• Court ordinances, codes, procedures and practices regarding computer hardware, software and data security;
• Correct English usage, including spelling, grammar and punctuation;
• Court and/or departmental business processes common for multiple case types;
• Safety policies and safe work practices applicable to the work.

1. Applications will be reviewed to identify candidates who meet the minimum qualifications and/or desirables. Only those who meet the minimum qualifications and desirables (if applicable) will proceed to the next step in the recruitment process.
2. Candidates' supplemental question responses may be evaluated and ranked. Candidates successful in step 1 will be invited to perform an assessment and/or screening interviews may be conducted (Exam duration is 2.5 hours).
3. Candidates who are successful in step 2 will be placed on the eligible list and may be considered for an interview. Placement on the eligible list does not guarantee an interview or employment.

Reasonable Accommodations