Official Court Reporter I or II/District Courtroom Clerk

State of Nebraska • Madison, NE

20d • Onsite

About The Position

The Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation is hiring a full-time District Courtroom Clerk or Official Court Reporter I or II in Madison County District Court, 7th Judicial District, Madison, Nebraska. The position reports directly to District Court Judge Ryan Stover. It involves responsible paraprofessional courtroom work, including capturing and maintaining verbatim records of court proceedings, hearings, conferences, and other matters. The specific work depends on the classification. Court Reporter I and II classifications require the professional qualifications described in Nebraska Supreme Court rules; Court Reporter II additionally requires CRR or FCRR certification.

The District Courtroom Clerk enters case information in DOCKET, an enhancement of the Nebraska court system’s JUSTICE case-management system. The clerk operates electronic recording equipment, records and logs proceedings, plays back recordings when requested, correlates logs with recordings, marks and logs exhibits, records participant appearances and session details, maintains and stores recordings, supervises witness sign-in, and maintains courtroom supplies. The clerk also types portions of a judge’s decision in real time. The position may advance to Official Court Reporter I, with online education and certification reimbursement available to support advancement.

Official Court Reporters provide realtime records and verbatim official recordings of proceedings; read back transcripts when requested; transcribe proceedings in the required format; review and certify transcript accuracy; and prepare, distribute, preserve, and timely file transcripts and related records. They also operate digital recording equipment, identify participants, maintain notes and exhibit records, enter case information in DOCKET, perform court clerical duties, and attend required meetings and training. Court reporting personnel may be required to complete a competency evaluation at the request of a judge or appellate court.

The role may involve prolonged sitting, standing, or walking; extended periods behind a computer or other equipment; repetitive wrist, hand, and finger movements; travel; fast-paced courtroom activity; and some late hours. The posting lists a hiring rate during probation of $40,822.75 annually for District Courtroom Clerk, $57,441.71 for Court Reporter I, and $66,495.95 for Court Reporter II. Minimum permanent annual rates after probation are $41,843.37, $58,877.74, and $68,158.37, respectively. Qualified applicants may receive a hiring bonus: $2,500 for District Courtroom Clerk applicants with CER certification, or $5,000 for Court Reporter I or II applicants who meet the specified certification requirements. The bonus is split between hire and successful completion of the six-month original provisional period.

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 Nebraska Supreme Court Rules Relating to Court Reporting Personnel §1-204(A)(2) and §1-204(B) or (C), through an approved certification, equivalent state certification, or qualifying court-reporting school documentation.
• For Court Reporter I using a multichannel digital recorder: pass both the AAERT Certified Electronic Court Reporter (CER) and Certified Electronic Transcriber (CET) tests in compliance with Nebraska Supreme Court rules.
• Court Reporter II: demonstrate the specified professional competence and hold Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR), Federal Certified Realtime Reporter (FCRR), or equivalent certification.
• All educational credits must be from an accredited institution approved by the U.S. Department of Education.
• District Courtroom Clerk: complete on-the-job training in JUSTICE within six months of hire.
• District Courtroom Clerk: successfully complete training in digital recording equipment use and maintenance; promptly diagnose and correct routine malfunctions; demonstrate proficiency in note taking and logging; know courtroom procedures and legal vocabulary and proper admission of exhibits; and accurately type while simultaneously monitoring a proceeding.
• Court Reporter I and II: demonstrate professional competence under Nebraska Supreme Court Rules Relating to Court Reporting Personnel §1-204(E).
• District Courtroom Clerk: ability to perform clerical functions using office equipment, type accurately in real time while monitoring proceedings, organize and work under pressure, work well with varied people, and help promote a proper and respectful courtroom atmosphere; knowledge of recording equipment functions and maintenance and working knowledge of JUSTICE and DOCKET.
• Court Reporter I and II: knowledge of computer-aided transcription software; legal, medical, and technical terminology; recording and office equipment; secretarial practices; office systems and procedures; word-processing and internet software; and court rules, procedures, and legal vocabulary.
• Court Reporter I and II: recordkeeping skills; advanced spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, and grammar; accurate transcription from audio; written and oral communication, proofreading, editorial, and interpersonal skills.
• The work may require travel, prolonged sitting or standing, walking, extended computer or equipment use, repetitive wrist, hand, and finger movements, and some late hours.

Nice To Haves

• Legal experience.
• Bilingual English and Spanish skills.

Responsibilities

• For District Courtroom Clerk: enter case information in DOCKET and navigate the system in real time according to the case, judge’s directions, and information presented during proceedings.
• Type portions of the judge’s decision in real time while monitoring proceedings.
• Check and operate electronic recording equipment to make the official court record and log proceedings.
• Play back portions of recordings for the judge or jury when requested.
• Maintain automated proceeding and action logs and correlate logged information with recorded data.
• Mark and log exhibits accepted into the record, and note participant appearances, behavior, and session times to augment the audio record.
• Maintain and store court recordings, supervise witness sign-in, and maintain courtroom supplies.
• For Official Court Reporter I or II: provide realtime records and make verbatim official recordings of trials, hearings, conferences, and other proceedings.
• Read back transcripts during trials and proceedings when requested.
• Transcribe proceedings in required formats for appeals or by court order; review and certify transcript accuracy; and file transcripts in a timely manner.
• Operate digital recording equipment and identify participants by name to facilitate reporting.
• Read aloud participants’ statements when requested.
• Prepare, distribute, and preserve transcripts, reports, and related documents.
• Maintain files and records of notes and exhibits; enter case information in DOCKET; and perform court clerical duties.
• Attend meetings and training as required.
• Demonstrate required professional competence and complete any competency evaluation requested by a judge or appellate court.

Benefits

• Comprehensive pay and benefits package.
• Paid time off.
• Retirement benefits.
• Professional development opportunities.
• For qualified District Courtroom Clerk applicants with CER certification, a $2,500 hiring bonus, with half paid at hire and the remainder after successful completion of the six-month original provisional period.
• For qualified Court Reporter I applicants with RPR, CER, or CET certification, or qualified Court Reporter II applicants with CRR or FCRR certification, a $5,000 hiring bonus, with half paid at hire and the remainder after successful completion of the six-month original provisional period.
• For District Courtroom Clerks, online education and certification reimbursement to support advancement to Official Court Reporter I.
• Official Court Reporters who are not interested in freelance reporting may have the AOCP purchase and maintain their equipment and software.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED