Job Description

POSITION: Court Administrator 

DEPARTMENT: Circuit Court 

WORK SCHEDULE: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., M-F 

JOB CATEGORY: Pat (Professional, Administrative, Technological) 

DATE WRITTEN: November 2006 

STATUS: Full-time 

DATE REVISED: February 2023 

FLSA STATUS: Exempt

Incumbent serves as Court Administrator for St. Joseph Circuit Court, responsible for coordinating Court operations and providing administrative support to Circuit Court Judge.

DUTIES:

Supervises and directs assigned personnel, including analyzing human resource needs, reviewing documentation for newly created and significantly revised positions, interviewing candidates and making hiring decisions, providing orientation and training, planning and delegating work assignments, establishing work goals, developing and motivating staff, determining significant changes in responsibilities, evaluating performance, reviewing salaries, implementing personnel or corrective actions, keeping supervisor and subordinates informed of organization developments, maintaining discipline, communicating and administering personnel programs and procedures.

Consults with and advises presiding judge, magistrate judges, and senior judges.

Ensures that the needs of the Court, Judges, and public are met, and that State, County, and Court legal processes, policies, and procedures are followed.

Collaborates on the development of Court procedures and related guidelines for the effective operation of the Circuit Court and its programs.

Writes and administers grants for Circuit Court.Assists Judge in preparing Court budget, including monitoring expenditures to ensure compliance with budget allocations and supervising other related accounting and fiscal activities.

Manages local procurement, inventory, and supplies.

Prepares and processes Circuit Court payroll, including monitoring Kronos for timekeeping and making necessary corrections, entering hours worked, vacation, sick, personal leave, and compensatory time into computer. Generates various reports for payroll processing and submits payroll to Auditor.

Performs various bookkeeping duties, such as preparing and submitting claims and transfers to Auditor, balancing books, prepares budget for Circuit Court, Drug Free Fund, and Alternative Dispute Resolution funds.

Prepares reports on court budget, expenditures worksheet, and quarterly reports, submitting reports to the State as required. Prepares and submits Title IV-D budget and claims to the State.

Maintains personnel files, enters new employee information into computer, and makes adjustments in employee information, such as service records.

Serves as liaison between Circuit Court and various government, public agencies, and departments, offering assistance and/or explaining court procedures and practices as needed.

Prepares statistical reports for and communicates with Indiana Supreme Court, Division of State Court Administration, and Indiana Judicial Center.

Assists in development and implementation of local court rules.

Drafts various legal documents.

Presents budget and account amendments to County Commissioners and Council.

Performs various clerical duties, such as updating attorney lists, monitoring law book acquisitions and distributions, typing and copying various administrative letters and correspondence, and maintaining office files and filing system.

Answers telephone and receives office visitors, responding to inquiries, providing information and assistance, scheduling appointments, and/or directing callers to appropriate individual or department.

Serves on various committees, attends meetings, workshops and staff training as required.

Performs related duties as assigned.

I. JOB REQUIREMENTS:

Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, Paralegal Studies, Pre-Law, or related field preferred.

Practical knowledge of practices and procedures of the Court and ability to assist various government and public agencies and departments as necessary.

Practical knowledge of legal terminology, standard legal documents, and petitions, with ability to perform legal research and draft and/or author correspondence, reports, and documents for Judge’s review.

Working knowledge of standard accounting/bookkeeping principles, with ability to prepare budget and payroll expenditures, maintain department inventory, and supervise financial activities.

Working knowledge of standard English grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and ability to prepare correspondence, documents, and detailed reports.

Ability to effectively supervise and direct including analyzing human resource needs, reviewing documentation for newly created and significantly revised positions, interviewing candidates and making hiring decisions, providing orientation and training, planning and delegating work assignments, establishing work goals, developing and motivating staff, determining significant changes in responsibilities, evaluating performance, reviewing salaries, implementing personnel or corrective actions, keeping supervisor and subordinates informed of organization developments, maintaining discipline, communicating and administering personnel programs and procedures.

Ability to properly operate standard office equipment, including computer, calculator, transcriber, copier, telephone, and fax machine.

Ability to effectively listen, comprehend, and communicate orally and in writing with co-workers, other County departments, judges and Court personnel, Prosecutor’s Office, Adult Probation, Public Defender’s Office, Indiana Judicial Center, Division of State Court Administration, Auditor, Purchasing, attorneys, and the public, including being sensitive to professional ethics, gender, cultural diversities, and disabilities.

Ability to provide public access to or maintain confidentiality of Department information and records according to state requirements.

Shall comply with all employer and Department policies and work rules, including, but not limited to, attendance, safety, drug-free workplace, and personal conduct.

Ability to competently serve the public with diplomacy and respect, including occasional encounters with irate/hostile persons.

Ability to understand, memorize, retain, and carry out oral and written instructions and present findings in oral or written form.

Ability to count, compute, and perform arithmetic operations.

Ability to compare, observe, and analyze data.

Ability to file, post, and mail materials.

Ability to work alone with minimum supervision and with others in a team environment, often under pressure from formal schedules and deadlines, and on several tasks at the same time.

Ability to apply knowledge of people and locations and plan/layout assigned work projects.

Ability to occasionally work extended and evening hours and occasionally travel out of town for conferences, sometimes not overnight.

II. DIFFICULTY OF WORK:

Incumbent exercises independent judgment in interpreting general guidelines, instructions, and rules to adapt them to specific cases and circumstances that arise during the course of performing a broad range of duties, many of which are unrelated to one another and present new or unique problems.

III. RESPONSIBILITY:

Incumbent performs duties within general guidelines where desired results are indicated. Incumbent is responsible for addressing unusual problems and/or circumstances and may discuss these with supervisor. Incumbent’s decisions have a substantial impact on departmental operations, and work product is periodically reviewed upon conclusion for soundness of judgment and conformity with departmental standards.

IV. PERSONAL WORK RELATIONSHIPS:

Incumbent maintains frequent communication with co-workers, other County departments, judges and Court personnel, Prosecutor’s Office, Adult Probation, Public Defender’s Office, Indiana Judicial Center, Division of State Court Administration, Auditor, Purchasing, attorneys, and the public for purposes of exchanging information, rendering service, and instructing.

Incumbent reports directly to Circuit Court Judge.

V. PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Incumbent performs duties in standard office and courtroom environments, involving sitting/walking at will, sitting/standing/walking for long periods, keyboarding, lifting/carrying/pushing/pulling objects weighing less than 50 pounds, bending/reaching, crouching/kneeling, handling/grasping/fingering objects, close/far vision, color and depth perception, speaking clearly, and hearing sounds/communication. Incumbent may be exposed to hostile or irate individuals.

Incumbent is occasionally required to work extended and evening hours and occasionally required to travel out of town for conferences, sometimes not overnight.

VI. OTHER:

The incumbent is a court employee. All court employees are required to maintain a high ethical standard both at work and outside of work. All court employees are bound by the Code of Judicial Conduct and must ensure that their actions are ethical in compliance with the Code.

APPLICANT/EMPLOYEE ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The job description for the position of Court Administrator for St. Joseph Circuit Court describes the duties and responsibilities for employment in this position. I acknowledge that I have received this job description and understand that it is not a contract of employment. I am responsible for reading this job description and complying with all job duties, requirements and responsibilities contained herein, and any subsequent revisions.

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