Legal Clerk I – Civil Case Management Center

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What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
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• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The First Judicial District of Pennsylvania is the Philadelphia County Court System composed of two courts: the Court of Common Pleas and the Municipal Court. Our mission is to adjudicate cases and provide services to the community within our jurisdiction while ensuring fair, timely, and accessible justice to the people of Philadelphia.

About Department

The Civil Section has jurisdiction over actions at law and equity along with appeals from Municipal Court and certain administrative agencies and boards. The Trial Division Civil Section has jurisdiction over civil claims involving amounts in excess of $10,000. The variety of civil actions that may be brought in the Trial Division Civil Section includes Negligence, Contract and Equity Action.

In order to apply and be considered for this position, please visit https://fjdcareers.phila.gov/Cyberweb/ to complete an application and upload a resume.

Position Summary

An employee in this position is considered a valuable member of a team and provides administrative and clerical support to the Civil Case Management Center of the Trial Division - Civil.  This is entry level clerical legal work.  It differs from the nonlegal clerical classes by the constant work with legal documents and the degree of consequence of error and accountability involving the abstraction of pertinent information from legal documents in summary form to a docket which may serve as a basis for possible legal activity by counsel and the judiciary.  Work is performed according to clearly defined rules and procedures, under direct supervision from the department’s management.

Essential Functions

The following duties are normal for this position.  These are not to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive.  Other duties may be required and assigned.

• Act as point of contact for outside communication with the Civil Case Management Center, including answering phone calls, responding to emails, and directing communications to the appropriate party.
• Schedule case management conferences using court case management system.
• Examines legal instruments submitted via paper or an electronic filing system to determine information for posting to the case management system.
• Abstracts, summarizes and records filing dates, types of legal instruments, and in some cases, substance of legal documents into the case management system.
• Returns incorrect documents for appropriate action if necessary.
• Processes documents in accordance with standard procedures.
• Searches dockets and indexes in order to serve the public with information.
• Processes incoming official and essential legal documents for inclusion into a system of court records according to procedural rules.
• Inputs litigant address and contact information into court systems when necessary.
• Checks court documents for errors and serves as a quality control check.
• Maintains a court record filing system with adequate controls, standards, and access restrictions.
• Resolves and responds to inquiries via telephone and email concerning court documents or actions, including scheduling and filing procedures.
• Prepares legal documents for dissemination or appropriate legal action by signature.
• Distributes documents to correct destinations and may hand deliver legal documents or records.
• Instructs others on proper procedural steps.
• Perform duties as conference event host via advanced communication technology (Zoom).
• Performs mailing of court notices generated by the department.
• Maintains office-wide calendar to coordinate staff schedule, court events, and other important dates.
• Coordinates conferences with incarcerated litigants and interpretation services.

MARGINAL FUNCTIONS:

Answers the telephone or may meet or greet callers.

Provides general information pertaining to assigned function.

Replenishes computer printer, copier or fax machine paper supplies.

Performs other duties as assigned.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:

Standard courtroom and office conditions.

Direct contact with diverse court clientele.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• General knowledge of court system purpose and record keeping processes.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Ability to write legibly.
• Ability to effectively use various office-related computer applications, including: Word, Outlook, Zoom, Excel, and Teams.
• Ability to provide information clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to recognize different types of civil documents and legal instruments necessary to effectively perform the docketing function.
• Ability to learn to extract and summarize information from legal instruments in order to fulfill the requirements for docketing and indexing legal information.
• Ability to learn and comply with applicable rules, regulations, and procedures as they apply to posting information into dockets and indexes pertinent to the assigned function.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with coworkers and the general public.

In order to apply and be considered for this position, please visit https://fjdcareers.phila.gov/Cyberweb/ to complete an application and upload a resume.

1. High school diploma or equivalent and one to two years of progressively responsible clerical experience processing legal instruments and documents.

OR

1. Equivalent combinations of training and experience providing the characteristics required to perform the essential functions of the class may substitute for those listed.
2. Satisfactory clearance of a criminal background investigation.
3. Ability to perform the essential functions of a position in this class.
4. Work in-person (Not Remote)

In order to apply and be considered for this position, please visit https://fjdcareers.phila.gov/Cyberweb/ to complete an application and upload a resume.

In order to apply and be considered for this position, please visit https://fjdcareers.phila.gov/Cyberweb/ to complete an application and upload a resume.

Salary: $39,301 Annually

Discover the Perks of Being a City of Philadelphia Employee:

• Transportation: City employees get unlimited FREE public transportation all year long through SEPTA’s Key Advantage program. Employees can ride on SEPTA buses, subways, trolleys, and regional rail for their daily commute and more.
• Parental Benefits: The City offers its employees 8 weeks of paid parental leave.
• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents.
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available
• Pay off your student loans faster - As a qualifying employer, City of Philadelphia employees are eligible to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Join the ranks of hundreds of employees who have already benefited from this program and achieved student loan forgiveness.
• Unlock Tuition Discounts and Scholarships - The City of Philadelphia has forged partnerships with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities in the area, ensuring that our employees have access to a wide range of tuition discounts and scholarships. Experience savings of 10% to 40% on your educational expenses, extending not only to City employees but in some cases, spouse and dependents too!

Join the City of Philadelphia team today and seize these incredible benefits designed to enhance your financial well-being and personal growth!

Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non-medical, non-emergency or patient facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that are patient-facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel), must be fully vaccinated.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to faqpchr@phila.gov.

For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx