Sheriff Court Service Assistant

The COR's Sheriff Department is seeking a Court Services Assistant I. Under immediate supervision, performs specialized civil legal clerical support to Sheriff's Court Services by preparing, processing, and tracking legal documents for numerous civil legal actions; performs related duties as required. Sheriff's Court Services Assistant I serves as the entry level class in the Sheriff's Court Services Assistant series and is expected to progress to Sheriff's Court Services Assistant II after satisfactory job performance and meeting the minimum qualifications. Incumbents are responsible for learning legal terminology and to prepare, examine and process legal documents in support of Sheriff's Court Services, utilizing journey level clerical skills and limited application of specialized civil legal procedures and processes.

* In a learning capacity processes legal documents and records through the Sheriff's Court Services process based on established procedure or special instructions in case files from the courts, judges, or attorneys; examines documents for conformance with established rules, standards and/or legal requirements.

* Provides the public, litigants, law enforcement officials and/or other employees procedural and case information which requires distinguishing among, and consideration of, sensitive, protected, and public information and requires understanding or interpretation/explanation of legal documents (e.g., subpoenas, evictions, earnings withholding orders), legal/court procedures or specific file notations regarding case/processing and status.

* Tracks documents for civil procedures such as evictions, bankruptcies, small claims, summons and complaints, civil and criminal subpoenas, restraining orders, and earnings withholding orders through the civil process for case file building by obtaining signatures, and attaching required addenda, ensuring validity and adherence to statutory time limits, answering questions and explaining civil code procedures to litigants and their attorneys.

* Based on court judgments: maintains records for levies on judgment debtor's/defendant's bank accounts; wages vehicles; processes accounts receivable, stock certificates, and real properties; prepares and/or processes public notices of sale, bids for sales, notices of attachments, notices of levy, release of levy, notices of modification and termination, notices of bankruptcy, claims of exemptions, opposition to claims, and third party claims to comply with court, litigant, or attorney instruction.

* Compares plaintiffs' and court's documentation to civil code for consistency before execution; disburses monies after prescribed periods; returns writs to court after appropriate documentation showing completion of instruction.

* Prepares correspondence and/or legal forms and documents in compliance with written procedural guidelines set forth by the department.

* Makes notations to case files and draws the attention of the attorney or litigant to case or procedural detail.

* Maintains case status information and contact with interested parties; notifies litigants and/or other involved parties of case disposition.

* Maintains reference materials, records systems, status logs and/or workload statistics; sorts and stores information based on alpha, numeric, content or other classification method; searches for and retrieves information stored in manual and/or automated systems; purges files in accordance with established procedure.

Experience: One year of clerical experience. Either of the following may be substituted for the clerical experience: Completion of 18 semester or 27 quarter units from a recognized college in secretarial sciences, office practices, business education or a closely-related field OR Completion of 360 hours of training from a recognized occupational training program in secretarial sciences, business education or a closely-related field.

Knowledge of: General office practices and procedures; clerical work methods and techniques.

Ability to: Learn to perform specialized clerical work in support of civil legal processes; learn and apply legal procedure specifics to assignment; evaluate unusual circumstances and resolve through the application of standard procedures; search for and retrieve information from manual and automated systems; prepare standard legal documents; research case status or legal procedure; prioritize own work; read and understand technical information; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships; understand and follow verbal and written directions; work under pressure and meet short deadlines; communicate effectively with people of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and temperaments; demonstrate tact and diplomacy; maintain accurate records and document actions taken; compare names and numbers accurately; maintain confidentiality of information.