Court Clerk I

Travis County•Texas, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Under moderate supervision, the Court Clerk I performs legal clerical work in response to court actions, applying procedures and precedents to misdemeanor cases with independent judgment. The role coordinates assigned causes of action and handles detailed legal processes, including receiving, reviewing, filing, indexing, and scanning court documents; preparing and issuing legal documents; assessing fees; and performing cashier duties. The position assists the public and serves as a liaison among the department, courts, other agencies, and the public, and may act as a Court Clerk II alternate in support of the court. This is the second of four court clerical classifications in the Administrative Support job family. Its duties are of moderate complexity. Compared with a Court Clerk Assistant, the role routinely reviews that classification’s work, performs fewer general clerical duties, and requires greater independent judgment. Compared with a Court Clerk II, the role does not regularly perform most work in a court setting and does not function as a lead worker or have regular supervisory duties. The position may support a broad range of court and office functions, including case intake and docketing, document imaging, cashiering and reconciliation, trial and courtroom preparation, warrant processing, appeals, records and file management, and public service. Work is performed at the Travis County District Clerk Criminal department location in Austin, Texas. The stated work hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Employees may be assigned to business continuity efforts outside their normal job functions.

Requirements

Associate's degree in Criminal Justice, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a directly related field and two years of responsible clerical experience, including familiarity with legal procedures, terminology, the court system, and customer service; or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to perform the job duties.
Knowledge of criminal justice system policies and procedures; legal terminology, principles, procedures, documents, and forms; office procedures and protocol; scanning equipment and document control; County Court at Law systems; litigation procedures; lower-court appeal processes; warrant processes; and criminal justice procedures for bond forfeiture cases.
Knowledge of business letter writing, grammar, punctuation, and report preparation.
Ability to analyze legal documents, coordinate their review and processing, calculate and collect money, operate office equipment and computers, and communicate verbally and in writing.
Ability to interpret and process legal data, operate complex databases, work under minimal direction, and make independent decisions based on statutes, policies, and procedures.
Ability to handle high volumes of detail-oriented work, manage multiple tasks, delegate, and work under deadlines and heavy workloads.
Ability to deal effectively with dissatisfied customers and establish and maintain effective working relationships with county employees and officials, judges, attorneys, outside-agency representatives, and the public.
May be required to develop knowledge of and comply with federal and state laws governing confidential health information.
No license, registration, certification, or special requirement is listed.

Responsibilities

Answer public inquiries in person, by phone, or by email about court cases and direct customers to the appropriate court clerk.
Serve as a liaison and point of contact for defendants, plaintiffs, families, judges, court personnel, attorneys, law enforcement, other agencies, and the public.
Assist the public and departments with office policies and procedures; respond to legal and administrative inquiries; and take initial steps to resolve complaints.
Sort, log, distribute, date-stamp, file, copy, and process incoming mail, faxes, and legal documents.
Provide technical advice and assistance regarding legal documents.
Assess fees and fines; receive payments, bonds, and other monies; issue receipts; conduct cash and credit card transactions; prepare bank deposits; and reconcile receipts through daily and monthly reports.
Receive and process filings that initiate causes of action, enter required information and codes into computer systems, and notify appropriate authorities when required by law.
Review legal documents, determine legal and factual issues, docket filings using appropriate codes, and route assigned causes of action to court as required.
Initiate cases and update existing case statuses, dockets, and legal files in automated case management systems.
Organize, barcode, scan, and index documents in document imaging systems; capture images; perform quality assurance; and verify scanned documents for legibility and completeness.
Prepare and issue legal documents, including summonses, warrants, subpoenas, citations, writs, injunctions, protective orders, judgments, notices, and commitments.
Review court orders and filings, determine required follow-up, and carry out actions; receive and process exhibits and orders for consolidation, severance, or transfer.
Prepare post-judgment documents in accordance with applicable statutes, rules, case law, and customer requests.
Set cases for trial, notify parties, prepare court documents and files, and assist with courtroom and jury-related activities as assigned.
Prepare appeals, accept bonds, determine filing due dates, and process appellate judgments, opinions, and mandates as assigned.
Conduct database research, update files, prepare activity reports, and perform statistical analysis.
Process warrants, research parties, update files, mail notices, notify deputies, track warrants, and close warrants when obligations are fulfilled, as assigned.
Prepare property-sale notices and documents, eviction notices, and related records; maintain inventories of seized property and funds and arrange storage as required.
Coordinate records for off-site storage and docket civil case files and civil bond forfeiture cases.
Perform other job-related duties as assigned.