Official Court Reporter I or II/District Courtroom Clerk

State of Nebraska • Madison, NE

7d • $40,823 - $68,158 • Onsite

About The Position

The Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation (AOCP) is accepting applications for a full-time Official Court Reporter I or II/District Courtroom Clerk position in Madison County District Court, 7th Judicial District. This is a responsible paraprofessional position involving verbatim reporting and transcribing for court proceedings, hearings, and conferences. The role reports directly to District Court Judge Ryan Stover. Employees in the Court Reporter I classification have met specific qualifications, while Court Reporter II employees have met those qualifications and are certified as a Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR) or Federal Certified Realtime Reporter (FCRR). The AOCP offers the option for official court reporters to have their equipment and software purchased and updated by the agency, including laptops, steno machines, software, microphones, and cloud backup storage for stenographic reporters, or audio recording systems and software for digital reporters.

Requirements

• High School graduation or equivalent and 2 years of courtroom clerk experience (for District Court Courtroom Clerk).
• Education above the high school level may be substituted for work experience on a year for year basis (for District Court Courtroom Clerk).
• Demonstrate professional competence as defined in Nebraska Supreme Court Rules Relating to Court Reporting Personnel §1-204(A)(2) and § 1-204(B) or (C) (for Court Reporter I).
• For those using the method of a multichannel digital recorder, passing both the AAERT Certified Electronic Court Reporter (CER) test as well as the AAERT Certified Electronic Transcriber (CET) test in compliance with the Nebraska Supreme Court rules to be classified as a Court Reporter I.
• Demonstrate professional competence as defined in Nebraska Supreme Court Rules Relating to Court Reporting Personnel §1-204(A)(2) and § 1-204(B) and be certified as a Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR), through the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) or as a Federal Certified Realtime Reporter (FCRR) or equivalent (for Court Reporter II).
• All educational credits must be granted from an accredited institution approved by the U.S. Dept. of Education.
• Successful completion of "on the job training" in JUSTICE (the statewide computer system) within six months of hire will be required (for District Court Courtroom Clerk).
• MUST demonstrate professional competence as defined in Nebraska Supreme Court Rules Relating to Court Reporting Personnel § 1-204 (F): 1) successful completion of training on use and maintenance of digital recording equipment; 2) ability to promptly diagnose and correct routine malfunctions; 3) proficiency in note taking and logging procedures; 4) knowledge of courtroom procedures and legal vocabulary; 5) knowledge of the proper admission of exhibits to be included in the bill of exceptions; 6) ability to accurately type on a computer while simultaneously monitoring a proceeding (for District Court Courtroom Clerk).
• Must demonstrate professional competence as defined in Nebraska Supreme Court Rules Relating to Court Reporting Personnel § 1-204(E) (for Court Reporter I and II).
• Ability to perform clerical functions using various office equipment.
• Ability to accurately type in real time while monitoring a proceeding.
• Ability to organize and work under pressure and get along with a variety of people.
• Knowledge of functions and maintenance of court recording equipment.
• Working knowledge of JUSTICE and DOCKET.
• Ability to navigate and select several navigation buttons and options in accordance and response to the type of case, Judge's direction, and other additional information presented during the proceeding.
• Ability to understand the need for and to assist in promoting a proper and respectful atmosphere in the court room setting.
• Knowledge of Computer Aided Transcription software.
• Knowledge of legal, medical and technical terminology.
• Knowledge of a variety of equipment including computer terminals, electronic recording equipment and printers.
• Knowledge of secretarial practices and procedures.
• Knowledge of office systems, procedures and equipment.
• Knowledge of word processing and internet software.
• Knowledge of court rules and procedures and legal vocabulary.
• Recordkeeping skills.
• Skilled in advanced spelling, punctuation, vocabulary and grammar usage.
• Skilled in the use of word processing and internet applications.
• Skilled in accurate transcription from audio recordings.
• Written and oral communication skills.
• Proofreading and editorial skills.
• Interpersonal skills to deal effectively with all levels of personnel and the public.

Nice To Haves

• Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR) through the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) or a Federal Certified Realtime Reporter (FCRR) (for Court Reporter II classification).
• Legal experience.
• Bilingual skills in English and Spanish.

Responsibilities

• Verbatim reporting and transcribing for court proceedings, hearings and conferences.
• Entering case information in DOCKET, an enhancement of JUSTICE (the court case management system).
• Capturing and maintaining a verbatim record of court proceedings and other matters of increased complexity.
• Typing portions of Judge's decision in real time.
• Checking and operating electronic recording equipment to record court proceedings.
• Logging court proceedings.
• Playing back sections of recordings for the judge or jury as requested.
• Maintaining automated logs of proceedings and actions.
• Correlating logged information with recorded data.
• Marking and logging exhibits as they are accepted into the record.
• Making notations of witness or other participant appearances, behavior, as well as session times etc. to augment the audio record.
• Performing duties related to maintaining and storing court recordings.
• Supervising signing in of witnesses.
• Maintaining courtroom supplies.
• Providing realtime records for court trials, hearings, or conferences.
• Attending courtroom proceedings and other proceedings to make verbatim official recordings.
• Reading back transcripts during trial and courtroom proceedings.
• Transcribing the proceedings according to required formats into accurate transcripts for purposes of appeal or by order of the court.
• Reviewing and certifying the accuracy of printed transcripts and filing in a timely manner.
• Identifying participants by name to facilitate reporting.
• Reading aloud statements of participants as requested during proceedings.
• Preparing, distributing, and preserving transcripts and related reports and documents.
• Maintaining files and records of notes and exhibits.
• Performing clerical duties related to the court.
• Attending meetings and training as required.

Benefits

• Comprehensive package of pay, benefits, paid time off, retirement and professional development opportunities.
• Equipment and software provided and updated by the AOCP (laptop, docking station, monitor(s), steno machine, software, microphone, cloud backup storage for stenographic reporters; audio recording system (laptop/PC, docking station, microphone(s), mixer), monitor(s), and audio recording software for digital reporters).
• $2,500 hiring bonus for qualified applicants applying as a District Court Courtroom Clerk (with CER certification).
• $5,000 hiring bonus for qualified applicants applying as a Court Reporter I or Court Reporter II (with RPR, CER, CET, CRR, or FCRR certification).
• Online education and reimbursement for certifications to support advancement to Official Court Reporter I.
• Additional income may be earned for preparing transcripts.

What This Job Offers

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