JUSTICE OF THE PEACE COURT CLERK CHIEF

Position Summary

The Chief Court Clerk is responsible for daily operations of the Justice of the Peace Office including docket coordination, department budget oversight, the department calendar and coordination of tasks and deliverables in response to legal inquiries. This position is accountable for timely, accurate and complete responses, within required deadlines. The Chief Court Clerk must be professional, well organized, and maintain a high level of confidentiality, while frequently working under short deadlines. The ideal candidate for this position should be one who is flexible with work assignments and thrives in a fast-paced environment. This position requires expert-level written and verbal communication skills, strong decision-making ability, time management skills, computer skills, and attention to detail.

Essential Functions

Responsible for upholding supervision of the office by checking work for accuracy, maintaining supplies, training employees, getting and implementing office procedures and coordinating docket procedures
Controls department’s financial information by filing reports, making copies, maintaining financial reports and interfacing with the County Auditor and the County Treasurer’s Offices
Receives payments by collecting fees, issuing receipts, and entering information into computer, handling hot-checks, processing payments by mail, and preparing bank statements
Assists the general-public by answering questions, providing information, taking payments, and other various duties.
Processes criminal and civil suits by typing forms, filing and dating documents, logging information in docket books, issuing warrants, and processing various forms and certificates
Maintains court docket by setting court dates and hearings, notifying appropriate parties, processing documents, and issuing summons
Communicates the updates and the changes in the law by attending seminars and schools, reading newsletters, and notifying appropriate parties
Prepares and maintains documents for civil and criminal cases; reviews case files to ensure all documentation is done correctly; reviews civil cases and approves on behalf of Judge Writs of Possessions
Maintains personnel records, including vacation, sick and overtime/comp time
Oversees bond accounting duties in the specialized software
Supervises and manages the work of Court Clerks; trains personnel as needed; approves time off and other employee requests as necessary
Prepares and makes recommendations to the annual budget as well as ensures all expenses are within the allocated amount; orders supplies as necessary
Calculates and processes exact fines and filing fee amounts; receives and processes payment for fees and fines; handles receipts for money; reconciles all monies received; creates related financial reports; completes bank deposits as necessary
Prepares a variety of reports related to court issues
Performs clerical and data entry work relate to criminal, civil, traffic, and other types of cases; processes and maintains a variety of files and records; enters, stores, sorts, and retrieves information as requested
Answers the telephone and assists the public with inquiries; refers callers to appropriate office, department, or person; or takes appropriate messages for unavailable personnel
Oversees department calendar; schedules and conducts monthly staff meetings and travel arrangements
Regular attendance and timeliness is required
LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMER: The above job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed; it is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required for the position.

Minimum Requirements

EDUCATION:
Required:

Associate’s Degree in Paralegal, Criminal Justice, Social Work or related field, in lieu of degree minimum 3 years’ experience in legal support, criminal justice or other related experience
Preferred:

Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, Social Work or related field, in lieu of degree minimum of 5 years of experience in legal support, criminal justice other related experience
Justice of the Peace Court Clerk Certification as well as Clerk of the Court designation

SKILLS ~ EXPERIENCE:
Required:

Type accurately at a speed of at least 45 words per minute
Knowledge of McLennan County Justice Court regulations, policies, and procedures
Knowledge of federal, state and local laws related to traffic, criminal procedure, civil procedure, family code, penal code juvenile laws
Good knowledge of court clerk procedures and processes
Knowledge of leadership and supervisory principles, practices, and techniques
Ability to exhibit a high level of confidentiality and integrity while handling sensitive matters
Strong organizational skills and proven ability to maintain accurate, detailed records
Ability to accurately sort, file, and retrieve material using alphabetical, numerical, or chronological systems
Keen attention to detail; careful and accurate data entry
Knowledge of basic arithmetic, algebra and statistics including add, subtract, multiply, divide, interest, decimals and percentages
Exceptional skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with County employees and officials, judges, attorneys, representatives of outside agencies, and the general public
General skill in operating standard office equipment such as personal computers, calculators, and telephones
General knowledge of basic hardware and software and uses of a variety of different computer operating systems such as Microsoft Office Work, Excel, Outlook
Maintain appropriate necessary certifications
Preferred:

3 years’ experience in criminal justice administration, legal support or closely related field
6 months lead work or supervisory experience
(BILINGUAL) Fluent Spanish speaking, reading and writing with excellent communication

Supplemental Information

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS: Individual works indoors in a well-lighted office environment, some contact with person’s accused or convicted of crimes.

PHYSICAL DEMAND REQUIREMENTS:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear
The employee frequently is required to stand. The employee is occasionally required to walk; sit; use hands to find, handle, or feel objects, reach with hands and arms; stoop and kneel
Must be able to safely lift 20 lbs.

HOURS / SPECIAL CONDITIONS: Work outside the normal office hours (Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) may be required on rare occasion

McLennan County will conduct background checks on new hires that will include a criminal background check related to convictions and deferred adjudications in the past seven years and may include credit reports, motor vehicle records, employment records, and educational attainment. A conviction or deferred adjudication is not an automatic bar to employment. Each case is considered individually.