MAGISTRATE JUDGE COURTROOM DEPUTY
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON
MAGISTRATE JUDGE COURTROOM DEPUTY
ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER 22-WAW-09
ANNOUNCEMENT DATE November 30, 2021
CLOSING DATE Open until filled; preference given to resumes received by December 13, 2021
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington is currently accepting applications for a qualified Magistrate Judge Courtroom Deputy. This position is located in the office of the Clerk of Court at the federal courthouse in Seattle, Washington. Some travel within the district may be required.
The Magistrate Judge Courtroom Deputy is responsible for scheduling hearings, managing incourt proceedings and trial schedules, and assists in managing a Magistrate Judge’s civil and criminal caseload. This position is a liaison between judicial chambers and attorneys, interpreters, the Clerk’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service for specific case related information.
The successful candidate will be self-motivated, articulate, and detail oriented. This position requires professionalism, discretion, excellent communication skills, flexibility, initiative, and commitment. The Magistrate Judge Courtroom Deputy is part of a self-directed team, works closely with chambers staff, and interacts with outside agencies and the public.
REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES
• Manages their judge's cases by calendaring and regulating their movement; monitoring, posting, and maintaining pertinent documents; scheduling hearings, trials, and conferences.
• Manages court sessions and conferences by monitoring the orderly flow of proceedings, setting up the courtroom, assuring the presence of all necessary participants, managing exhibits for counsel and witnesses, taking notes of proceedings and rulings, digitally recording proceedings held before Magistrate Judges, and preparing and posting minute entries and/or orders.
• Acts as a liaison between other teams within the Clerk’s Office, the Bar, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Public Defender, and chambers to ensure cases proceed smoothly and efficiently. Serves as a primary contact for scheduling conferences, hearings, military calendars, trials, and other case processes.
• Organizes case material and researches the case history to produce a daily calendar for their judge. Reformats the judge’s daily calendar for public display online and for distribution to other agencies. Updates the daily calendar throughout the day as needed.
• Posts all minute entries of court proceedings, orders, and other necessary documents. Performs daily quality control checks on documents filed in cases pending before the Magistrate Judge. Opens cases upon receipt of initiating documents such as complaints, criminal information, indictments, and Probation and Pretrial Services petitions. Closes cases upon receipt of terminating documents, such as judgments and dispositive orders.
QUALIFICATIONS
• One to two years of specialized, progressively responsible administrative, legal, or clerical experience, preferably in a law firm, legal counsel’s office, or court environment. Experience should be in performing duties closely related to the work of this position, demonstrating the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• High school diploma or equivalent.
The successful candidate must also possess:
• Excellent and professional written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience with technology such as electronic calendars, courtroom technology, and virtual meeting platforms such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
• High-level interpersonal, customer service, prioritization, and organizational skills.
• The ability to work effectively as a part of a team, assisting co-workers and demonstrating a willingness to complete a wide variety of tasks as needed.
• The ability to multitask under strict deadlines and consistently demonstrate sound judgment.
• High ethical standards.
• Attention to detail.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Knowledge of federal rules and procedures.
• Docketing experience.
• Prior court experience.
• Experience with CM/ECF, (the Judiciary’s automated case management system).
• A college degree or paralegal certificate.
SALARY
Court Personnel System Classification Level:
CL26, Step 1 – 61, $51,565 - $83,803
CL27, Step 1 – 61, $56,646 - $92,084
Depending on experience and qualifications; additional promotional potential without further recruitment.
BENEFITS
The District Court offers a generous benefit package, competitive salary, and a dedication to work/life balance including flexible schedules, ORCA transit passes, 24-hour on-site fitness center, and telework opportunities. Judiciary employees participate in the Federal Employees Retirement System, Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401K), health and life insurance benefits, long term care options, annual sick leave accrual, and eleven paid holidays per year. Judiciary employees are not covered by the Executive Branch civil service classification system or regulations. For additional information on employment with the federal courts, please visit www.uscourts.gov
INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS
Qualified applicants should submit the following:
• Cover Letter
• Resume • AO78 Form (Application for Employment)
• Narrative statement of no more than one page answering the following question: This position is located in an office with self-directed work teams (no direct supervisors). Please describe the characteristics that you believe make a successful team member. Provide an example of when you have effectively worked as part of a team.
Attachments should be submitted as Microsoft Word (DOC) or Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files. Other formats are not acceptable. Applications will be considered complete when all required attachments, in the appropriate format, are received by Human Resources. Applications and/or attachments received after the closing date may not be considered. Application materials can be submitted via e-mail to: seattle_personnel@wawd.uscourts.gov
Or to:
Human Resources (#22-WAW-09)
U. S. District Court
700 Stewart Street, Suite 2218
Seattle, WA 98101
Only qualified applicants will be considered for this position. Applicants must be United
States citizens or eligible to work in the United States. Employees of the United States District Court are considered “at will” employees. Applicants selected for interviews must travel (for in-person interviews) or connect via Zoom (for remote interviews) at their own expense.
The United States District Court requires employees to follow a code of conduct which is available upon request. Reference checks with current and former employers will be conducted on top candidates. A background investigation with law enforcement agencies, including fingerprint and criminal record checks, will be conducted as a condition of employment. Any applicant selected for a position will be hired provisionally pending successful completion of the investigation. Unsatisfactory results may result in termination of employment.
The Federal Financial Management Reform Act requires direct deposit of federal wages.
The United States District Court for the Western District of Washington is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals and seek a diverse pool of applicants in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, disability, religion, and socio-economic circumstance.
The Court provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please notify Human Resources. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis.
The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, to withdraw the announcement, or to fill the position sooner than the closing date, any of which may occur without prior written or other notice. If a position becomes vacant in a similar classification, within a reasonable time from the original announcement, management may elect to select a candidate from the applicants who responded to the original announcement without posting the position. More than one position may be filled from this announcement.
The United States District Court is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity in the workplace.