Court Operations Specialist

Court Operations Specialist

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota is seeking a full-time Court Operations Specialist. This newly created hybrid position will perform a variety of functions to support the operational functions of the Clerk of Court's Office and support the United States Bankruptcy Court Judges when their regularly assigned courtroom deputy is unavailable. Representative duties include processing filings received by the Clerk's Office, opening and docketing mail, processing copy requests and payments, assisting court customers and members of the bar over the telephone and at the Clerk's Office counters, scheduling evidentiary and other hearings, pretrial matters and trials, and overall management of the judges' caseloads. This position entails a high level of knowledge and complexity regarding bankruptcy court and courtroom operations.

This position will support the work of the Clerk's Office Case Administrator Team, Courtroom Deputy Team, and our judges. The position requires the ability to work collaboratively with all operations staff, judges, and law clerks to support the operations of the Bankruptcy Court. Because this position requires flexibility to meet the current needs of the organization, it also demands a high level of personal accountability and the ability to work independently.

This position requires flexibility to work beyond the standard 8 am to 4:30 pm schedule depending on the duration of court proceedings and chambers needs. The position may include occasional overnight travel within the District of Minnesota for court-related proceedings.

This position reports to the chief deputy clerk.

Representative duties:

• Review and process filings received by the Clerk's Office.
• Open and docket mail.
• Process certified copy request and payments.
• Assist court customers and members of the bar over the telephone and at the Clerk's Office counters.
• Review the quality of electronically filed documents, ensuring that all orders and automated entries are appropriately and accurately docketed, and all necessary actions are completed in a timely manner.
• Enter documents, events, and make summary entries in the CM/ECF case management system in accordance with court policies and procedures.
• Prepare correspondence and distribute documents, notices, judgments, and orders. Respond to inquiries from the public, bar, and the court. Answer inquiries on case status, ensuring confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Record court proceedings using digital audio equipment.
• Assist with management of judges' caseloads in the absence of the regularly assigned courtroom deputy by scheduling hearings, trials, and adversary proceedings.
• Assist with monitoring deadlines and ensuring timely responses to judicial orders.
• Assist judges in maximizing efficient use of court time by gauging the appropriate amount of time to be allotted for proceedings and scheduling matters accordingly.
• Provide judges with status reports concerning upcoming calendars, including matters stricken, settled, or continued.
• Coordinate hearings and attend court sessions. Call the calendar, note appearances, and assist with the orderly flow of proceedings including, but not limited to, setting up the courtroom, assuring presence of all necessary participants, managing exhibits, troubleshooting courtroom recording software.
• Manage participants in telephonic and video hearings. Remind parties of etiquette and rules of decorum such as muting microphones when not speaking, not speaking over other parties, and speaking slowly and clearly to ensure an accurate record of the proceeding. Ensure each participant's name displays correctly on the video display when applicable. Monitor hearing participants throughout proceedings and provide guidance when courtroom decorum is not being adhered to.
• Take notes of proceedings and rulings. Prepare and file minutes. Swear in witnesses and interpreters, as well as other parties appearing before the court.
• Assist with the management of judges' Chapter 13 calendars, including confirmation hearings, requests for continuance, completing case status updates, updating public calendar entries, docketing case outcomes, and communicating with external stakeholders.
• Keep judges and chambers staff informed of case progress or proceedings.
• Act as liaison between the clerk's office, the bar, the public, and the judges to ensure that cases proceed smoothly and efficiently. Maintain contact with parties throughout proceedings.
• Prepare accurate statistical reports for submission to the Administrative Office, including, but not limited to, B102 report tracking.
• Provide guidance and assistance to colleagues performing case administration duties.
• May serve as a project manager on special initiatives related to court operations, process improvements, or technology initiatives.
• Perform other related duties, as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

To qualify for the position of Court Operations Specialist at CL 26, candidates must have a minimum of three years of office experience (2 years general, 1 year specialized). Candidates must be available for occasional overnight travel within the District of Minnesota.

Required General Experience:

Progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work which indicates the possession of or ability to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position.

Demonstrated experience in word processing, web-based environments, and data entry are required.

Candidates must be extremely well-organized, detail-oriented, highly motivated, dependable, and able to multitask in a time-sensitive and fast-paced environment.

Good judgment, sound ethics, the ability to apply concepts to determine what action needs to be taken, excellent oral and written communication skills, and good proofreading skills are essential. Demonstrated ability to work independently and multi-task.

Specialized Experience:

Progressively responsible clerical or administrative experience requiring the regular use of technology for word processing, data entry or report generation, a command of specialized terminology, and a demonstrated ability to understand and apply a body of rules, regulations, or laws. Such experience is commonly encountered in law firms, banking and credit firms, educational institutions, social service organizations, insurance companies, real estate and title offices, and corporate headquarters or human resources/payroll operations.

Preferred Skills and Experience:

Preferred candidates should have a minimum of two years post-high school education. A college degree or paralegal certificate is preferred.

Familiarity with electronic case filing, especially the CM/ECF (Case Management/ Electronic Case Filing) system, is desirable.

Previous experience supporting a judicial officer is a plus.

Additional Requirements:

Applicants must be citizens of the United States or be authorized to work in the United States. Please note the citizenship requirements at:

https://www.uscourts.gov/careers/search-judiciary-jobs/citizenship-requirements-employment-judiciary

This position is subject to an FBI fingerprint check.

The United States Bankruptcy Court requires employees to adhere to a Code of Ethics and Conduct which is available to applicants for review upon request.

Incumbents are hired subject to a probationary period of no less than six months. All court employees are "at will" employees, and therefore, may be removed from their positions at any time.

Job Benefits:

• Paid vacation and paid sick leave
• Optional participation in choice of health plans, dental and vision insurance programs, group life insurance program, long term care insurance, and optional participation in a pre-tax flexible spending account plan for commuter reimbursement, and dependent care and medical expenses not covered by health insurance
• Participation in the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS)
• Optional participation in the Thrift Savings Plan with matching contributions (similar to 401K)
• Public transit subsidy as the budget permits
• 11 paid holidays per year
• Some telework (limited)
• This position is subject to mandatory EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) participation for payment of net pay.

Application Instructions:

Qualified applicants should email a writing sample in the form of a cover letter outlining interest in the position and relevant experience, resume, and copy of transcript (unofficial copy will be accepted) in a single PDF document to: mnb_applications@mnb.uscourts.gov. Please refer to ANNOUNCEMENT #2026-02 in the email transmittal.

Applications are held in strict confidence and will remain under consideration until the position is filled.

Only the most qualified applicants will be contacted for personal interviews. No telephone calls please.

Applicants to be interviewed will be asked to provide a completed Application for Judicial Branch Federal Employment (Form AO 78) and a list of references. Finalists for the position must be prepared to provide at least 3 references, one of whom was a direct supervisor or manager within the last 3 years. Candidates will not be asked about their criminal history before receiving a tentative offer of employment. Candidates completing the AO-78 are not required to complete questions 18-20 regarding criminal history. Criminal history is not in itself