District Courtroom Clerk/Court Reporter I/II

State of Nebraska•Omaha, NE

1d•$40,823 - $68,158•Onsite

About The Position

The Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation is hiring a full-time District Courtroom Clerk/Official Court Reporter I or II for the Douglas County Separate Juvenile Court in the 4th Judicial District in Omaha, Nebraska. The position works under the direct supervision of Separate Juvenile Court Judge Mary Stevens and involves capturing and maintaining verbatim records of court proceedings, hearings, and conferences. Court Reporter I and II classifications require meeting the applicable Nebraska Supreme Court qualifications; Court Reporter II additionally requires CRR, FCRR, or equivalent certification. The District Courtroom Clerk enters case information in DOCKET, an enhancement of the JUSTICE court case management system, and types portions of a judge’s decision in real time. The clerk operates electronic recording equipment, logs proceedings and actions, correlates logs with recordings, marks and logs admitted exhibits, records participant appearances and session times, maintains court recordings, supervises witness sign-in, and maintains courtroom supplies. The role may advance to Official Court Reporter I, with online education and certification reimbursement provided to support advancement. Official Court Reporters provide realtime records and verbatim official recordings of trials, hearings, conferences, and other proceedings. They may read back transcripts, transcribe and certify accurate transcripts for appeals or court orders, prepare and preserve transcripts and related documents, maintain files and records of notes and exhibits, enter case information in DOCKET, perform court clerical duties, and attend required meetings and training. The Judicial Branch may provide and maintain the equipment and software needed for official court reporting, including computers, recording or stenographic equipment, microphones, software, and secure cloud backup storage. Court reporting personnel may be required to undergo a competency evaluation at the request of a judge or the Nebraska Court of Appeals or Supreme Court. The job is primarily sedentary, with possible extended periods of sitting at a computer or other equipment, repetitive hand and wrist motions, and occasional late hours. Travel may be required for Court Reporter I and II; the courtroom clerk may experience prolonged sitting, standing, walking, and fast-paced courtroom pressure.

Requirements

District Courtroom Clerk: High school graduation or equivalent and two years of courtroom clerk experience; education above high school may substitute for work experience year for year.
Court Reporter I: Demonstrate professional competence under the specified Nebraska Supreme Court rules through an approved examination, equivalent state certification, or qualifying court-reporting-school documentation.
For multichannel digital recording Court Reporter I classification, pass both the AAERT Certified Electronic Court Reporter (CER) and Certified Electronic Transcriber (CET) tests.
Court Reporter II: Meet Court Reporter I competence requirements and hold NCRA Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR), Federal Certified Realtime Reporter (FCRR), or equivalent certification.
Educational credits must be from an institution accredited by an accreditor approved by the U.S. Department of Education.
District Courtroom Clerk must complete on-the-job training in JUSTICE within six months of hire.
District Courtroom Clerk must demonstrate competence in digital recording equipment use and maintenance, routine troubleshooting, note-taking and logging, courtroom procedures and legal vocabulary, exhibit admission, and accurate typing while monitoring proceedings.
Court Reporter I and II must demonstrate professional competence under Nebraska Supreme Court Rule § 1-204(E).
Ability to perform clerical functions and use office equipment; type accurately in real time while monitoring proceedings; organize work under pressure; and interact effectively with a variety of people.
Knowledge of court recording equipment and its maintenance, and working knowledge of JUSTICE and DOCKET.
Court Reporter I and II: Knowledge of computer-aided transcription software, legal, medical and technical terminology, court rules and procedures, office systems and equipment, secretarial practices, word processing, and internet software.
Court Reporter I and II: Recordkeeping, advanced spelling, punctuation, vocabulary and grammar, accurate transcription from audio, proofreading and editing, and written and oral communication skills.
Interpersonal skills to deal effectively with personnel at all levels and the public.
Some late hours may be required; Court Reporter I and II may need to travel.
Primarily sedentary work; slight physical effort may be required, not exceeding 20 pounds.

Nice To Haves

Legal experience.
Bilingual skills in English and Spanish.

Responsibilities

Enter case information in DOCKET, the Nebraska court system’s case-management tool.
Type portions of the judge’s decisions in real time while monitoring proceedings.
Operate and check electronic recording equipment to create the official court record.
Log proceedings and actions, correlate logs with recorded data, and maintain automated logs.
Mark and log exhibits admitted into the record and note participant appearances, behavior, and session times.
Maintain and store court recordings; supervise witness sign-in and maintain courtroom supplies.
Provide realtime records and verbatim official recordings of trials, hearings, conferences, and other proceedings.
Read back transcripts or statements of participants when requested during proceedings.
Transcribe proceedings into required formats and review and certify transcript accuracy for timely filing.
Prepare, distribute, and preserve transcripts, reports, and related documents.
Maintain files and records of notes and exhibits and perform clerical duties related to the court.
Attend meetings and training as required.

Benefits

Employer-paid health and prescription insurance (79% employer-paid).
Dental and vision insurance plans available to purchase.
Short- and long-term disability insurance available to purchase.
Employee Assistance Program for confidential support.
Flexible Spending Account and Health Savings Account.
State-matched retirement contributions (156% match of the first 4.8% contribution).
Free $20,000 life insurance policy; optional life insurance and AD&D available to purchase.
13 paid holidays annually.
Paid vacation and sick leave accruing immediately.
Military leave and funeral/bereavement leave.
Paid training and continuing-education credits to maintain professional certifications.
Access to specialized courses through Judicial Branch Education.
Opportunity for bilingual pay.
Online education and certification reimbursement to support advancement to Official Court Reporter I.