General Magistrate Assistant - General Magistrate Division (State Funded)

Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida•33128, FL

About The Position

This is a specialized legal Administrative Assistant position providing organizational, secretarial, and administrative support to the Administrative General Magistrate, other General Magistrates, and Hearing Officers in the Family, Child Support Enforcement, Probate, Dependency, and Civil divisions. The work is sensitive and confidential and requires experience in secretarial and clerical work, along with familiarity with legal terminology, formats, forms, and procedures. The salary is non-negotiable, and the successful candidate will be hired at the minimum salary. The position supports court operations by managing calendars and appointments, coordinating and scheduling hearings, reviewing court orders and correspondence, preparing case disposition information, handling motions and routing them appropriately, and communicating with litigants and attorneys about case status and hearing information. Duties also include managing calls, mail, and email; greeting and assisting visitors; maintaining records and confidential files; preparing legal correspondence and court documentation; facilitating intake and referrals; tracking compliance and obtaining documents; and entering data in Odyssey and courtMap. The role uses standard office equipment and requires the ability to meet deadlines, prioritize work, and handle sensitive matters with integrity and confidentiality.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Two years of experience in business administration, office work, legal secretarial work, or paralegal work.
Knowledge of the organization, operation, function, and jurisdiction of the court of assignment.
Knowledge of modern office practices and procedures.
Proficiency in business English, grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Thorough knowledge of secretarial practices and procedures.
Ability to communicate effectively in writing and orally and to understand and follow oral and written instructions.
Ability to make work decisions in accordance with laws, regulations, and departmental policies and procedures.
Ability to accurately maintain a variety of complex records.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the judiciary, court administration personnel, and private and public agency staff.
Ability to work with minimal supervision, recognize and establish work priorities, and prioritize and multitask.
Ability to handle sensitive matters with integrity and confidentiality.
Ability to work effectively with the public and respond to individuals under stress with courtesy, tact, and patience.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, and Excel, as well as Odyssey, Zoom, and Teams.
Ability to complete data entry and retrieve information.
Ability to be flexible and open to learning new procedures and techniques.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual in English and Spanish or English and Creole.

Responsibilities

Maintain appointment schedules and the General Magistrate calendar, including scheduling hearings.
Greet and assist customers, visitors, litigants, attorneys, staff, and witnesses.
Compose and prepare correspondence based on office policies and procedures, including legal correspondence for signature.
Take and transcribe dictation consisting of legal briefs, memoranda, and court orders.
Screen and refer callers, mail, and email to the appropriate department or party.
Coordinate, verify, and secure hearing information with litigants and attorneys.
Review legal court orders and correspondence; prepare case disposition information; review motions for recusal and for transfer or consolidation of cases; and determine motion routing.
Extract, summarize, and assemble material from files.
Create and organize files, maintain accurate records and complex filing systems, including confidential files, and retrieve and prepare court files.
Plan and maintain adequate supplies of office materials.
Assist General Magistrates, Hearing Officers, or Senior Judges with daily responsibilities as necessary.
Facilitate intake of parties to gather relevant information for files, facilitate referrals, monitor compliance, and obtain documents for the court.
Draft court documentation regarding parties’ progress and compliance, prepare correspondence, and distribute reports to parties and collaterals as appropriate.
Schedule and facilitate in-service trainings.
Enter data in Odyssey, courtMap, and automated calendaring systems; complete data entry and retrieve information.
Respond timely to emails, messages, and phone calls, and assist with meeting deadlines.
Perform other office and administrative tasks as required.