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, Mc Allen, 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.

Total Compensation

The starting salary range for this position is $39,212 to $49025 annually for exceptionally qualified individuals (starting grade is CL 23). Promotional opportunities exist for those successfully trained in the program (typically from $54,292 - $59,966) within 2-3 years. With tenure and successful performance, salary can go as high $77,966.

In addition to the opportunity to serve your country in a rewarding public service position, the federal judiciary, the third branch of the federal government, provides a generous benefits package which, in addition to salary, is an important component of total compensation:

• Time off: 13 days of paid vacation for the first three years, increasing with service thereafter, 13 sick days accrued per year, 11 paid holidays.
• Federal pension plan.
• One percent automatic contribution and up to 4% employer-matching to the Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401K).
• Choice of a variety of employer-subsidized federal health and life insurance plans. Optional dental, vision, and long-term care coverage.
• Flexible spending account to pay out-of-pocket health care, dependent care, and commuter expenses with tax-free dollars.
• Eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

More information on benefits and working for the Judiciary may be found here.

Representative Duties

Employees will be 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.

• Electronic Court Recording Operator (ERO): Attending court hearings and producing a clear electronic recording and logs of the proceedings. Monitor and process 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.
• Limited cashiering duties associated with the collection of fines and fees as well as mail processing are required.

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.

Qualifications

Qualified candidates must possess a high school diploma or equivalent, two years general clerical experience, and at least one year of specialized 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. Education may be substituted for general experience, but not specialized.

Applicants should be able to handle a large volume of work, have the ability to handle a variety of competing tasks, and 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 in a law office or in another court of any jurisdiction, or prior paralegal experience.

Strong preference is given to candidates who have experience in both civil and criminal law.

Miscellaneous

Internal Applicants - Please ensure that you inform your supervisor of your application to this position.

Applicants must be United States citizens or able to meet the citizenship requirements. Go to https://www.uscourts.gov/careers/search-judiciary-jobs/citizenship-requirements-employment-judiciary for more information on the citizenship requirement

Participation in the interview process is at the applicant's own expense. Applicants may be asked to take proficiency test. The Court will only communicate with those qualified applicants who are selected for an interview. If you are not notified, another applicant was selected. Employees of the United States Courts are not included in the government's Civil Service classification. They are, however, entitled to the same benefits as other federal government employees.

Employees who work for the Court are considered "at-will" and work at the pleasure of the Court. As a condition of employment, successful applicants will be subject to a background check, credit check and/or records check with law enforcement agencies. Also, this position is subject to mandatory electronic funds transfer participation for payment of net pay.

The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this announcement, withdraw the announcement, or fill the position at any time before the closing date, any of which may occur without prior written notice.