Court Clerks

Career Description: Perform clerical duties in court of law; prepare docket of cases to be called; secure information for judges; and contact witnesses, attorneys, and litigants to obtain information for court.

Industry: Office and Administrative Support

Other Job Titles for Court Clerks:

• Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
• Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
• Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
• Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
• First Interest High-Point: Primary-Rank Descriptiveness
• Second Interest High-Point: Secondary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
• Third Interest High-Point: Tertiary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness

• Prepare dockets or calendars of cases to be called, using typewriters or computers.
• Record case dispositions, court orders, and arrangements made for payment of court fees.
• Answer inquiries from the general public regarding judicial procedures, court appearances, trial dates, adjournments, outstanding warrants, summonses, subpoenas, witness fees, and payment of fines.
• Prepare and issue orders of the court, including probation orders, release documentation, sentencing information, and summonses.
• Prepare documents recording the outcomes of court proceedings.
• Instruct parties about timing of court appearances.
• Explain procedures or forms to parties in cases or to the general public.
• Search files and contact witnesses, attorneys, and litigants to obtain information for the court.
• Follow procedures to secure courtrooms and exhibits, such as money, drugs, and weapons.
• Amend indictments when necessary and endorse indictments with pertinent information.
• Read charges and related information to the court and, if necessary, record defendants' pleas.
• Swear in jury members, interpreters, witnesses, and defendants.
• Collect court fees or fines and record amounts collected.
• Direct support staff in handling of paperwork processed by clerks' offices.
• Prepare and mark all applicable court exhibits and evidence.
• Examine legal documents submitted to courts for adherence to laws or court procedures.
• Record court proceedings, using recording equipment, or record minutes of court proceedings, using stenotype machines or shorthand.
• Prepare courtrooms with paper, pens, water, easels, and electronic equipment and ensure that recording equipment is working.
• Conduct roll calls and poll jurors.
• Open courts, calling them to order and announcing judges.
• Meet with judges, lawyers, parole officers, police, and social agency officials to coordinate the functions of the court.
• Maintain a supply of packing materials.
• Assemble containers and crates used to transport items such as machines or vehicles.
• Obtain flight numbers, airplane numbers, and names of crew members from dispatchers, and record data on airplane flight papers.
• Send samples of merchandise to quality control units for inspection.
• Maintain inventory records.
• Perform personal bookkeeping services.
• Compute deductions for income and social security taxes.
• Prepare purchase orders and expense reports.

Emerging Tasks

• Perform administrative tasks such as answering telephone calls, filing court documents, and maintaining office supplies and equipment.
• Prepare staff schedules and daily dockets and calendars of cases to be called, using typewriters or computers.

• Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment: Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources: Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Performing General Physical Activities: Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• Provide Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
• Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment: Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Staffing Organizational Units: Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
• Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Detailed Work Activities

• collect fees
• compile information for court cases
• compile itinerary of planned meetings or activities
• explain government rules or policies
• fill out business or government forms
• maintain inventory of office forms
• maintain records, reports, or files
• maintain telephone logs
• obtain information from witnesses, attorneys, or litigants
• relay information to proper officials
• take messages
• transcribe spoken or written information
• use computer to transcribe testimony
• use computers to enter, access or retrieve data
• use interviewing procedures
• use shorthand writing procedures
• use knowledge of mainframe computers
• use telephone communication techniques
• prepare reports
• provide customer service
• reconcile or balance financial records
• resolve customer or public complaints
• use computers to enter, access and retrieve financial data
• use computers to enter, access or retrieve data
• use knowledge of written communication in sales work
• use oral or written communication techniques
• use telephone communication techniques
• verify bank or financial transactions
• write business correspondence
• sort books, publications, or other items
• take messages
• use accounting or bookkeeping software
• use computers to enter, access or retrieve data
• use spreadsheet software
• use word processing or desktop publishing software

Overall Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful in these occupations, but usually is not needed. For example, a teller might benefit from experience working directly with the public, but an inexperienced person could still learn to be a teller with little difficulty.

Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees.

Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma and may require some vocational training or job-related course work. In some cases, an associate's or bachelor's degree could be needed.

Examples
These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include sheet metal workers, forest fire fighters, customer service representatives, pharmacy technicians, salespersons (retail), and tellers.

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• Projected growth (2006-2016): 8.77%
• Projected need (2006-2016): 10,044
• Employment (2006): 114,584

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