Court Operations Associate - Legal Administrative Assistant

Court Operations Associate

The Minnesota Tax Court is seeking qualified candidates for a full-time paid Court Operations Associate. Are you detail-oriented, organized, and eager to make a meaningful impact within the court system? Join our team at the Tax Court as a Court Operations Associate. In this role, you'll play a vital part in ensuring optimized court processes by managing case records, assisting with scheduling, and providing exceptional service to legal professionals and the public. Your problem-solving skills and critical thinking will be key as you navigate complex situations and help maintain the integrity of court operations. This position offers opportunities for growth, collaboration, and the satisfaction of contributing to a fair and efficient legal system. Apply now to be a cornerstone of our operations!

This position is eligible for a hybrid telework arrangement. With a telework arrangement, onsite attendance may be required for team meetings or as requested by management to meet business needs. Completion of a telework agreement will be required. Please review the Telework Policy for details.

Major job duties:

• Initiates electronic case records; records required data regarding parties, documents, docket entries, case status, disposition, calendaring/scheduling, and other information in various electronic case management and related systems.
• Communicates with litigants and the public regarding filing processes and requirements, deficiencies, scheduling, and other relevant information.
• Review legal documents for completeness, adequacy, accuracy, restricted identifiers, and compliance with rules and/or statutes and accept or reject; accordingly, determine processing required and take necessary action in accordance with court rules, statutes, and procedures; maintain and organize resources and materials electronically while utilizing applicable technology.
• Processes cases within assigned area of responsibility; research, tracks, and monitors case status and progression; follows up with judges, lawyers, and/or parties as necessary; coordinates scheduling cases for hearing.
• Provides assistance to attorneys, parties, self-represented litigants, judges, and the public by responding to a variety of questions in-person, over the phone, by mail, and/or electronically; provides forms, documents, and court procedure information; assists public in filling out various applications and forms; prepares courtroom for hearings; refers new or complex questions.
• May clerk courtroom on occasion, taking minutes, handling exhibits, and recording data.
• Attends and participates in meetings and trainings; maintains knowledge of court policies, processes, and procedures.
• Generates and reviews reports to ensure accuracy of data entry.
• Draft and maintain procedural guidance and training manuals; provide feedback on the use of technology and court procedures.

Minimum Qualifications

Legal administrative assistant experience or training that demonstrates the following skills and abilities:

• Skills in: Using legal terminology and procedures sufficient to draft documents and correspondence.
• Preparing and processing legal papers and correspondence.
• Organizing and maintaining law libraries, documents, and case files.
• Taking notes at legal meetings, such as client interviews, hearings, or depositions.
• Customer service practices and principles sufficient to identify each customer's needs, meet quality standards for services, that result in customer satisfaction
• Ability to: Coordinate with a diverse clientele in a legal setting to include attorneys, agencies, court personnel, and the public.
• Fluently communicate, read, understand, and respond to a variety of communications and follow detailed instructions and procedures.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in the legal field or court setting
• Legal Certificate or degree in a related field
• Extensive knowledge of court policies, procedures, processes, and terminology
• Experience working with a court case management or information system and electronic filing.
• Ability to read and interpret legal documents of varying types and complexity and apply knowledge of specific laws, statutes, rules, policies, and procedures related to the area of assignment.
• Ability to maintain an accurate electronic record filing system, with appropriate attention to detail and accuracy, in an environment with interruptions.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters and files appropriately and in compliance with all applicable rules, policies, and statutes.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others within and outside of the Tax Court.
• Ability to prioritize work effectively and be adaptable to changes with workloads, job assignments, new procedures, various computer systems, court trends, and priorities.

Physical Requirements

Requires occasionally transporting such articles as file boxes and laptops or heavier materials with help from others and/or moving light objects frequently. Even though the weights being lifted may only be a negligible amount, a job in this category may require moving or remaining in a stationary position to a significant degree while working with legal files and research materials.

Additional Requirements

The offer is contingent on passing a background and reference check. A criminal history does not automatically disqualify an applicant, and each case will be reviewed individually in alignment with fair hiring practices.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is an Equal Opportunity employer/educator committed to the principles of diversity. We prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or membership in a local commission as defined by law. As an affirmative action employer, we actively seek and encourage applications from women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and individuals with protected veteran status.

Reasonable accommodations will be made to all qualified applicants with disabilities. If you are an individual with a disability who needs assistance or cannot access the online job application system, please contact the job information line at 651-259-3637 or email careers@state.mn.us. Please indicate what assistance is needed.