Court Administrator

Minnesota Judicial Branch•Saint Paul, MN

5h•$83,687 - $129,748•Onsite

About The Position

The Minnesota Court of Appeals is seeking a Court Administrator to direct the administration and operations of the court, in consultation and cooperation with the Chief Judge. The Court Administrator serves at the pleasure of the Court of Appeals Chief Judge. The Court of Appeals is the state’s intermediate appellate court, consisting of 19 judges and approximately 70 employees. The court decides more than 2,000 cases each year. The Court of Appeals is located in the Minnesota Judicial Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, but its judges consistently travel throughout the state to hear oral arguments. The Court Administrator manages various court operations, such as drafting and maintaining court policies and procedures, coordinating judicial panel assignments, overseeing the court’s expenditures and facilitating contract negotiations, and providing training and work directions to staff. The Court Administrator supports the court’s technological needs in a fast-paced, evolving work environment. The Court Administrator advises on budgetary and personnel matters. The Court Administrator represents the Court of Appeals on Judicial Branch Committees and acts as liaison to other Judicial Branch offices and government partners. This position requires working independently and as an effective team member and team leader. The ideal candidate will have strong communication and leadership skills, a high degree of integrity, and a high degree of organization and attention to detail. The ideal candidate will bring a creative, analytical, and collaborative approach to the position.

Requirements

BA/BS degree with major course work in law, management, administration, or a related field
Considerable knowledge of office management practices, procedures, and techniques.
Considerable knowledge of principles, methods, and techniques of budgets and expenditure control.
Ability to exercise judgment and discretion in applying and interpreting administrative policies, procedures, guidelines, and regulations.
Ability to work effectively with judges, court staff, administrative staff, and the public.
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
Public service and customer-service orientation and ability to develop and maintain effective and respectful stakeholder relationships.
Ability to work appropriately with confidential data.
Ability to analyze, assemble, and compile information for reports.
Ability to recognize, investigate, and analyze a variety of administrative issues and recommend effective solutions.
Ability to assign and direct the work of other office staff.
Ability to work well independently and to lead and contribute to work groups and project teams.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of court rules and Judicial Branch policies and practices is strongly preferred.
J.D. or M.P.A. degree
Experience in court administration or other administrative-leadership positions.
Familiarity with appellate court software such as MACS, MNDES, MNCIS, or SharePoint.

Responsibilities

Represent the Court of Appeals at bi-weekly meetings of JAD (Judicial District Administrators and Directors) and on other Judicial Branch leadership committees.
Report and advise at monthly bench meetings, coordinating with the Chief Judge to provide strategic leadership and project management to improve court operations.
Monitor court expenditures and analyze budgetary priorities. Facilitate negotiation of contracts for goods and services.
Facilitate orientation and training, as appropriate, for new judges, employees, and interns, including planning the annual group orientation for new law clerks and coordinating the court’s student intern program. Draft and revise court policies, procedures, and training materials.
Facilitate various personnel matters, such as recruiting, hiring, performance reviews, and employee leave, together with Human Resources. Provide administrative and technical work direction to judicial executive assistants and manage personnel allocation as warranted to address absences or transitions. Supervise a receptionist and a judicial executive assistant.
Coordinate technology access and effective functioning of court software, in coordination with the Information Technology Division. Act as subject-matter expert regarding the court’s business practices for using case-management and other appellate-specific software. Manage administration of the court’s internal SharePoint site and Westlaw account.
Facilitate safety and security activities for the court including serving on relevant safety and security committees as well as taking an active role in security initiatives and developing protocols for the court.
Serve as the project liaison for the court on Judicial Branch projects and initiatives including digital accessibility, data requests, regular statewide audits and other initiatives affecting the court’s business practices.
Provide office management including tracking and maintaining office equipment, approving invoices and documenting court expenditures, and providing oversight for court scheduling.
Maintain accurate and accessible Court of Appeals public website content, including self-help materials and the public court calendar.
Collaborate with one or more judicial officers to coordinate and manage judicial scheduling, ensuring the efficient use of judicial resources, adherence to statutory hearing timelines, and effective case management. Interprets and apply court rules administrative orders, policies, and procedures to provide accurate guidance and support to judicial officers. Serves as the primary point of contact for judges regarding personnel, courtroom security, and facility-related matters.