Judicial Support Specialist - Houston

The U. S. District and Bankruptcy Courts for the Southern District of Texas make up one of the largest and busiest districts among the country's 94 federal judicial districts. The district and bankruptcy courts, combined with the appellate courts and the Supreme Court, make up the judicial branch of the federal government. The Southern District of Texas consists of the following seven divisional offices: Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Galveston, Houston, Laredo, McAllen, and Victoria. The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas is seeking qualified applicants for its Judicial Support Specialist Program, which is a developmental program designed for individuals interested in a career with the federal judiciary. A fully certified Judicial Support Specialist (JSS) performs a variety of critical duties for the Court, including opening of cases; summarizing case events on the automated docket; assisting with the selection of juries; recording court proceedings electronically; certifying court records; ensuring data quality; and closing cases. The starting salary range for this position is CL 23 ($46,529 - $58,193) annually with promotional opportunity to CL24 - CL 25 ($51,551 - $92,565).Employees are expected to assist customers with the use of publicly designated computer terminals and provide basic non-legal information to the public, bar, and the Court. Some limited cashiering duties associated with the collection of fines and fees as well as mail processing are required. Employees are also expected to regularly perform duties in these areas: - Electronic Court Recording Operator (ERO): Attends court hearings and produces a clear electronic recording and logs of the proceedings. Monitors and processes requests for transcripts and CDs of recorded hearings. - Docketing: Makes summary entries of all documents and proceedings on the docket and closes cases upon receipt of terminating documents, such as judgments and closing orders. - Intake: Receives, reviews, and files incoming documents; collects appropriate fees; verifies attorneys' authority to practice before the Court; and furnishes information to a wide variety of people within and outside of the Court. - Jury: Assists in Jury Administration under direct supervision of Supervisor and/or Deputy-in-Charge on an as needed basis. - Appeals: Receives documents pertaining to a variety of case types and refers them to appropriate personnel with minimum delay. JSS personnel will also be trained to serve as back-up to case managers, who act as liaison between the judicial officers and the bar; prepare statistical summaries on the status of cases; serve as a primary source of information on scheduling and case processes; attend proceedings as needed; administer oaths; assist with the orderly flow of court proceedings including, setting up courtrooms, assuring presence of all necessary participants, and managing exhibits; and ensure that the record reflects any actions taken by the judge. Qualified candidates will possess a high school diploma or equivalent, as well as two years of general and progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that indicates the possession of, or the ability to acquire, the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position. Additionally, a qualified candidate will possess one to three years experience requiring the application of clerical procedures, the routine use of keyboard skills, use of specialized terminology, and demonstrated ability to apply a body of rules, regulations, directives, or laws. Applicants should be able to handle a large volume of work and possess the ability to multi-task, prioritize, and manage his/her own workload. Excellent customer service, communication, and organizational skills are also required. Preference will be given to applicants who have a four-year college degree in related fields; experience and judgment with legal documents such as those that might be found…