Court Staff Assistant 2

Spokane County•Village of Fonda, NY

12d•$55,432 - $77,563•Onsite

About The Position

This position works directly with Court Commissioners under Court Administration and is responsible for a variety of duties related to family law, child support, paternity, civil commitment, and civil protection orders. The role requires flexibility when working with judicial officers, team members, and customers, adjusting to each person’s unique style to support smooth daily operations. The position must also be able to problem solve and support case flow management for confidential and sensitive case types. Responsibilities may also include accessing and coordinating with outside agencies, including but not limited to law enforcement, records departments, the Department of Justice, and other state agencies. The position allocated to this class is responsible for providing skilled technical judicial administrative services assistance in support of assigned programs under the general direction of the Superior Court Administrator or designee. Duties may include researching and compiling data, developing reports, and managing special projects or programs. Employees in this classification work with considerable independence and may be responsible for supervising the work of support/intern staff and/or volunteers in completion of these tasks. This classification is distinguished from the Court Staff Assistant 1 classification by services performed in support of case management in the Family Law Division and the ITA Civil Commitment docket.

Requirements

An Associate’s degree in Paralegal Studies, Criminal Justice, Communications, Social Sciences or a related field, AND Three (3) years of administrative experience, including two (2) years in a court, judicial or legal setting.
An equivalent combination of related education, training and/or experience providing the required knowledge, skills and abilities may be considered.
Knowledge of the practices, procedures and policies of judicial administration, including calendaring and case flow management, jury management, research and statistical analysis.
Knowledge of related laws, codes and rules governing pertinent functions of the judicial system.
Knowledge of computer applications and utilization in a court environment.
Skilled in the use of computers and related software applications to utilize word processing and database programs.
Skilled in communicating effectively both orally and in writing, sufficient to exchange or convey information and to give and receive work direction.
Skilled in establishing and maintaining effective work relationships with supervisors and co-workers, personnel from other County departments, various community organizations, municipalities, agencies, and the public.
Ability to work efficiently and effectively under stressful circumstances.
Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive reports, correspondence, conversations, special inquiries, closed proceedings or other confidential matters.
Ability to use verbal and non-verbal techniques to de-escalate and defuse situations where individuals may be highly agitated, frustrated, or angry.
Ability to work independently within program parameters and expectations.
Ability to work quickly, accurately, and thoroughly with close attention to detail.
Ability to exercise careful judgment, diplomacy, and tact.
Ability to communicate and work effectively with persons of diverse ages, social, economic, cultural, and educational backgrounds.
Ability to use standard office equipment including phones, copiers, calculators, computer and related software applications.

Responsibilities

Reviews, analyzes, prioritizes and responds to requests for Court assistance.
Reviews incoming case material for potential conflicts of interest, ex parte communications and other confidential matters.
Coordinates dockets and works with various parties, including pro se petitioners, attorneys, minors, social workers, guardians ad litem, judicial officers, and social workers for court hearings by organizing litigants, updating the judicial officer(s) on case status and establishing the order cases will be heard in court.
Serves as liaison for counsel and involved parties; may provide procedural advice as needed and allowed.
Manages, tracks and maintains information regarding cases in assigned area; monitors pending caseload.
Evaluates case status and follows up to ensure timely completion and resolution of assigned cases.
Prepares tracking reports.
Supervises staff including assisting in hiring, assigning and evaluating work, and assisting in disciplinary issues as needed.
Provides confidential administrative support for judicial officers.
Prepares a variety of correspondence.
Coordinates interpreter services for hearings; completes and processes applicable orders with judicial officer and staff.
Educates and/or trains pro se litigants, attorneys, members of the public, various mental health agencies and other staff members in various petitions, processes, local and state court rules, local policies, requirements and forms.
Assists with questions and paperwork as necessary.
Monitors state and local compliance requirements for ITA Civil Commitment cases.
Reviews of all documents in ITA Civil Commitment cases for completeness and accuracy.
Assists with coordination of dockets in the absence of the Family Law or Juvenile Court coordinator.
Develops and implements operational policies and procedures for ITA Civil Commitment Hearings consisting of multiple facilities where hearings are held.
Determines the most cost-effective and efficient means of responding to court needs in light of changing legislation, technology and available resources.
Provides interpretation, explanation, and support for management’s goals.
Represents and advocates management’s goals, interests and objectives.
Prepares reports and maintains statistics of all filed ITA Civil Commitment cases and relevant information; distributes monthly to the Court Administrator to confirm accuracy of department records.
Attends and takes minutes of meetings with mental health agencies and other stakeholders along with the Court Commissioners.
Educates and/or trains pro se litigants, attorneys, members of the public, various agencies and other staff members in various petitions, processes, local and state court rules, local policies, requirements and forms.
Assists with questions and paperwork as necessary.
Monitors state and local compliance requirements for minor guardianship petitions.
Reviews all documents in minor guardianship files for completeness and accuracy.
Performs multiple background searches including JIS, CPS, and other databases to ensure petitioner eligibility.
Assists with calendaring and coordination of dockets in the absence of the Family Law or Juvenile Court Coordinator.
Works with and trains attorneys through the process of minor guardianship actions.
Assists the Judicial Officers in obtaining guardians ad litem when the parties are pro se, including completing the necessary paperwork and coordinating conference times.
Reviews all child support and parenting plan modifications for compliance and schedules hearings accordingly.
Completes criminal histories for all domestic violence cases, non-parental custody cases, parenting conferences and for all final parenting plans.
Performs other related duties as required/assigned.