Judicial Specialist

City of Kent, Washington•Kent Municipal Court, MI

19h•$6,113 - $7,446•Onsite

About The Position

The Judicial Specialist works under the direction of court management to support the operation of a high-volume Municipal Court serving Kent and Maple Valley. The role is highly visible and often serves as the initial point of contact for residents and other court customers. It carries specialized, technically complex responsibilities and accountability for maintaining the official court record, applying legal requirements, and providing accurate information and support in accordance with laws, rules, policies, and procedures. The position requires confidentiality, attention to detail, dependability, punctuality, and the ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment with frequent interruptions and stressful interactions. The role also opens and closes court each day. The Judicial Specialist facilitates in-person and virtual hearings, processes court documents and filings, manages case scheduling and records, and supports courtroom operations and safety. Duties include warrant and failure-to-appear control, financial processing, public disclosure responses, interpreter coordination, and communication with court participants and justice-system partners. The role also provides secondary coordination for DUI Court and Kent Community Court, cross-trains across court service areas, and undertakes projects and other duties assigned by court management. This is a full-time, benefited position that is not represented by a union. The listed monthly salary is $6,113 to $7,446, depending on qualifications. The position is open until filled. A cover letter and resume must be attached to the application for it to be considered complete.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent, supplemented by some college-level coursework or training in legal secretarial, paralegal support, or a court environment.
Three years of general, court-related experience working in a district or municipal court.
File an Oath of Confidentiality with the Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts.
Successfully pass a position-specific background inquiry.
Knowledge of courtroom policies, procedures, and practices; statewide case management systems; OCourt, Laserfiche, AV CaptureAll, and other court applications; criminal justice processes; DUI Court principles; Zoom and other virtual platforms; legal terminology and procedures; relevant city, county, and state laws and regulations; court-related agencies; basic accounting and cashiering; telephone etiquette; and effective interpersonal skills.
Skill in modern office practices and equipment, including computers and Excel, Word, and Outlook; accurate and quick mathematical calculations; records management; correct English usage; and tactful interpersonal communication, including in hostile situations.
Ability to attend and document proceedings accurately; recognize potential danger and take appropriate safety action; perform complex court duties accurately and efficiently; organize and coordinate workflow to meet schedules and deadlines; manage concurrent projects and interruptions; process legal documents according to procedures and timelines; provide appropriate information to defendants and the public; communicate effectively with culturally, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse people; maintain composure with distressed, irate, or combative individuals; communicate orally and in writing; interpret and explain rules and procedures; maintain court records and comply with disclosure laws; perform basic math; use telephone techniques; build cooperative working relationships; and maintain confidentiality and tact.
Ability to work effectively with minimal supervision, handle confidential information, and respond appropriately under stressful conditions.
Ability to maintain a pleasant, customer-focused demeanor while handling frequent interruptions.
Dependability and punctuality to open and close court each day.

Responsibilities

Facilitate in-person and virtual court hearings using courtroom technology; host Zoom sessions, identify participants, manage breakout rooms, document proceedings, and process court documents.
Anticipate the needs of judges and counsel by obtaining information and preparing documents.
Create accurate court dockets; update case dispositions and sentencing conditions; schedule hearings within required timelines and manage case flow.
Assist jurors, mark exhibits, maintain jury-trial exhibit logs, and help ensure courtroom safety and integrity.
Report conviction data, probation violations, record corrections, and ignition interlock orders to the Department of Licensing as required.
Research in-custody defendants’ status and jail locations, and coordinate timely transportation with law enforcement and correctional facilities.
Check eligibility for the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision and refer relevant cases to Kent Probation.
Prepare court orders and coordinate evaluations, transportation, jail arrangements, documents, and schedules with Western State or other doctors and relevant parties.
Manage bench warrants and failure-to-appear matters, including issuing, recalling, processing, adjudicating, and purging records; ensure records are cleared with police agencies when required.
Process bail and bail bonds related to warrants and in-custody matters.
Research and apply account codes and fine breakdowns; create accounts receivable and payment agreements; monitor delinquent accounts and refer them to collections.
Process court finances, including collections, receipting, and financial records for fines, fees, restitution, and bail; receive and apply payments, reconcile and balance daily transactions, and make authorized account adjustments.
Explain legal terms, laws, rules, and court procedures and advise participants regarding appropriate courses of action and legal requirements.
Enter criminal, infraction, parking, and impound filings for multiple jurisdictions, verifying personal identification information.
Schedule hearings with counsel and notify parties; set cases within applicable jurisdictional timelines and Washington State Court Rules.
Serve as liaison among the court, public, police, prosecutors, defense counsel, City departments, and other parties; answer procedural questions, resolve complaints, make referrals, and represent the court at related meetings or committees when required.
Process legal documents from court-related parties and take appropriate action within procedural, speedy-trial, and jurisdictional timelines; provide records and correspondence as permitted by public disclosure law.
Verify compliance with judicially ordered sentencing conditions, including treatment, evaluations, education programs, meetings, and restitution.
Screen defendants for eligibility for court-appointed public counsel by reviewing financial information and applying state indigent-defense guidelines.
Process vehicle report-of-sale information for parking and camera violations; transfer liability in JIS and Verra Mobility, and research penalty disputes and rental agreements.
Serve as secondary DUI Court Coordinator, attend staffing and hearings, process homework and probation violations, maintain supplies, and complete required National DUI Court team foundational training.
Serve as secondary Kent Community Court Coordinator, attend meetings and hearings, support participants and providers, coordinate referrals with the case manager, and provide statistics to court management and the bench.
Schedule and coordinate interpreter services and act as liaison with interpreter agencies.
Process public disclosure requests for court records in compliance with GR 31.1.
Scan and index court correspondence and maintain an accurate electronic paperless case management system.
Cross-train in court service areas and cover absences, workload peaks, or other operational needs; perform other assigned duties.
Conduct special projects and prepare reports at the request of court management.
Recommend procedural changes and systems for court employees; recommend updates to the Municipal Court web page and assist as needed.
Support the vision, mission, values, and goals of the department and the City.
Open and close court each day.