Court Legal Process Clerk I/II

Position Summary

**The Legal Process Clerk I is the entry level of the Legal Process Clerk series. Candidates are expected to start at LP I and promote to the Legal Process Clerk II level upon successful completion of the probationary period at 6 months.

The Position:

Under direct supervision, this entry level clerical position performs a full range of specialized tasks, typically as a deputy clerk of the court, related to receiving, reviewing and filing court related documents, and explaining procedures and rules; and to perform other clerical duties in support of court operations.

Incumbents will be expected to gradually perform a broader range of duties with increasing responsibility and independence as experience is gained. The Court Legal Process Clerk II is the journey/working level and is characterized by the performance of duties which require a working advanced knowledge of the methods and procedures applicable to various court assignments.

Class Characteristics:

Incumbents perform a variety of legal support duties that do not require substantial courtroom work. Assignments may include, but are not limited to: 1) processing legal documents and providing assistance to customers filing paperwork in various court divisions such as Civil, Juvenile, Probate, Criminal, Traffic, or Family Law: 2) processing and coordinating potential jurors summoned for jury duty; 3) data entry/processing minutes/documents, and calendaring cases; or 4) records management, processing appeals, imaging court documents and maintaining exhibits.

Typical Duties

Positions in this class may perform any or all of the below listed duties. These should be interpreted as examples of the work, and are not necessarily all-inclusive:

• Performs routine legal clerical support work requiring some knowledge and understanding of court functions, policies and procedures within the area assigned; reviews documents, and verifies information;
• Assists the public and other agencies at court counters or by telephone or website;
• Receives and examines legal documents for accuracy, completeness and conformity to requirements; affixes seals and stamps to endorse, certify, and/or file documents;
• Prepares and maintains documents and exhibits; retrieves and delivers files and documents to court or appropriate parties;
• Enters codes and retrieves data from computer systems;
• Files and images court documents;
• Responds to record requests and makes copies as required;
• Provides information regarding court procedures; answers inquiries and explains legal filing processes;
• Verifies, enters, retrieves, corrects and updates information in manual or automated case management systems;
• At the direction of the judge, prepares and issues legal orders such as warrants, writs, orders, subpoenas, abstracts and other official documents on behalf of the court; recalls warrants, exonerates bail, prepares judgments, and dismisses or seals cases in accordance with established codes and court procedures;
• Prepares a variety of documents related to court operations including court minutes, court calendars, notices of hearings, court appearances, or petitions; and coordinates the flow of documents necessary for court assignments;
• Explains and accepts fines and fees; issues receipts and balances cash drawers;
• Performs duties in support of jury activities such as drawing jury pools, qualifying jurors, impaneling juries, keeping records on juror compensation;
• Performs other related duties as required

Qualifications

Any combination of education and work experience that would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed:

A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities required for the entry level position would be an educational level equivalent to a high school diploma or GED, and two years of general clerical experience in public sector, financial, legal, law enforcement or court setting. Two (2) years of college may be substituted for one (1) year of general clerical work experience. BA or BS may be substituted for two (2) years of general clerical work experience.

Ability To:

• Understand, explain, and apply specific statutes, codes, laws, and regulations.
• Answer a variety of questions related to department programs, procedures or services.
• Maintain complex legal records.
• Assemble materials and prepare reports.
• Follow oral and written instructions and communicate effectively orally and in writing; locate, identify and correct technical inaccuracies.
• Work independently in performing assignments and in resolving problems and deviations.
• Use independent initiative and discretion in organizing work and carrying out instructions within a structured environment.
• Adapt to varying changes within the court system and work well under sometimes difficult and stressful conditions; establish and maintain cooperative and harmonious relationships with judges, attorneys, litigants, law enforcement officials, other employees and the general public.
• Make accurate arithmetic calculations and reconcile daily cash receipts.
• Operate a variety of office equipment, and the ability to type at a corrected speed of 40 words per minute.

Knowledge Of:

• General clerical tasks including filing;
• Office practices and procedures;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and other software applications; techniques of effective customer service
• Basic arithmetic, English grammar, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and composition.

Other Requirements: Possession of a valid Class C California driver's license and the ability to maintain proof of liability insurance in accordance with Court policy may be required, depending on assignment.

Process to Apply

PROCESS TO APPLY:

Please apply online at: http://sonoma.courts.ca.gov/info/jobs

APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

The selection procedure will consist of an application with supplemental questionnaire screening, written examination and a panel interview process.

Please list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of the application and be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions. You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position.

Each application and supplemental questionnaire will be thoroughly evaluated for satisfaction of minimum qualifications and relevance of educational coursework, training, experience, and knowledge and abilities which relate to the position. Candidates possessing the most appropriate job-related qualifications will be invited to participate in the written examination.

The Superior Court of California, County of Sonoma is committed to creating a diverse environment and an open, inclusive culture free from bias. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Accommodation:

Applicants with a disability who may require special assistance in any step of the selection process should advise Human Resources by emailing humanresources@sonomacourt.org upon submittal of application.

Background Investigation:
Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a thorough background check, including verification of prior employment, and the provision of appropriate identifying documents to certify eligibility to work in the United States. Please be advised that finalist(s) must be fingerprinted for criminal record check purposes and that continued employment is contingent upon information received in the report. Convictions, depending upon the type, number and date, may be disqualifying. False statements or omission of facts regarding background or employment history may result in disqualification or dismissal.

Please note, all benefits for Part-Time employment are pro-rated

Retirement Plan:
Participation in the Sonoma County Employee’s Retirement Association (SCERA), a 1937 Act Retirement Plan based on PEPRA. The 2025/26 mandatory contribution is 7.7% for employees and 29.9% for the Court. This is a defined benefit plan fully integrated with Social Security.

Vacation Leave:
Regular, full-time employees in benefit unit 02 on paid status accrue vacation at a rate of 3.5 hours per pay period for the first two years (a little over 2 weeks and 1 day each year), with incremental increases to the accrual rate each year through year 5 and additional increases every 5 years thereafter, to year 20. Maximum accrual balance is 376 hours.

Sick Leave:
12 days per year with no limit on accumulation.

Holidays:
14 paid fixed holidays per year, plus 24 miscellaneous floating holiday hours, granted via compensatory time off.

Insurance:
Family vision care, family Dental care as well as employee short and long term disability plans, are fully paid by the Court. Choice of three health plans: Health Net PPO, Health Net HMO, and a Kaiser Permanente HMO plan. The Court's contribution is currently 92% of the premium for the health plan selected.

Life Insurance
$50,000 Term Life Insurance is provided by the Court; additional life insurance may be purchased by the employee.


Deferred Compensation:
Employees may contribute a portion of their salary into a 457 Deferred Compensation account (up to the IRS annual maximum).

Dependent and Medical Care Assistance Programs:
Employees may participate in these tax exempt programs which allow certain personal expenses to be paid from pre-tax salary.

Employee Assistance Program