When we think of courtrooms, it's usually judges and attorneys who capture our attention, but there are many people quietly working behind the scenes to keep everything running like clockwork. There are myriad details involved with ensuring cases are heard on schedule, proper paperwork is filed and key witnesses show up in court.
A who's who of court staff
Besides the judge, prosecutor and defense attorney, professionals who work in a courtroom include:
- Bailiffs/court officers: Escort people in and out of the courtroom and help to maintain order.
- Court clerks: Handle administrative tasks, evidence as well as swearing in witnesses.
- Deputy clerks: Play a supporting role in providing administrative assistance under the direction of court clerks.
- Court administrators: Handle a range of roles, including financial administration, case flow management, information technology management, community relations and human resources.
- Court reporters: Document the official transcript of what happens during court proceedings.
- Court interpreters: Support non-English speaking people in court with translation services.
- Law clerks: Assist the judge with legal research, paperwork and juggling case files.
Depending on the level of the court (federal, state, local) and the type of case, there may be additional parties involved. For example, a court liaison communicates between the court and law enforcement agencies as well as victims' groups, assisting with the logistics of a criminal case.
Court administrator responsibilities
If you're unsure of the difference between a court administrator vs a court clerk, you're not alone. It's easy to confuse the two.
A court clerk maintains the records of a court while a court administrator serves as a pseudo courtroom "manager." The former ensures that important documents are processed and that counsel and other parties arrive for trials as scheduled and comply with relevant regulations. The latter handles a range of tasks to keep the courtroom operating efficiently.
Court administration is crucial to our legal system. “The increasing complexity of American life and the scope of litigation in the United States has created an administrative burden on the courts that cannot be handled by judges and traditional court staff alone. Courts need professional administrators to organize and manage nonjudicial matters under the guidance of judges," according to the National Association of Court Management.1
Court administration involves coordinating and prioritizing an array of court operations work. Their statutory duties include:
- Processing petitions and issuing warrants and summons in response
- Attesting to court writs, search warrants, bench warrants and subpoenas
- Processing payment of fines
- Talking with the press about cases
- Ensuring the technology the courts rely on is working correctly2
- Issuing temporary protective orders
- Enforcing court orders
- Managing case assignments
- Handling extradition documents
Court administrators work closely with judges. The judge in a case handles the legal aspects of cases while the court administrator handles the business side of courts. For example, superior court judges try criminal cases as well as major civil cases. To help the judge keep cases moving forward properly, the court administrator handles all the logistics of each case.
In some instances, the court administrator may oversee juror selection. This work includes identifying qualified jurors, managing juror pools and ensuring the right number of individuals to fulfill jury service for any case.
The Court Statistics Project - a partnership between the Conference of State Court Administrators and the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) - publishes caseload data from state courts across the U.S..3
These statistical reports help judges and administrators make decisions about developing and revising policies and allocating resources to keep individuals courts from getting overloaded.
Court administrators also serve an important bridge to the community. They help ensure the public has transparency into court proceedings and they work to ensure what happens in court is understandable to community members.
Educational requirements for court administrators
Typically, courts expect that someone working in court administration will have a bachelor's degree or a master's degree in accounting, business administration or criminal justice. Additionally, in-depth knowledge of budgeting and human resources is beneficial.
Depending on the role, a court administrator may need certification. The NCSC offers Certified Court Manager and Certified Court Executive offers certification programs, while the National Association for Court Management offers specific education for those working in federal courts.4
Court administrator jobs
Court administrators (who are often referred to as court managers or court executives) keep courts functioning efficiently. Aspiring court administrators may find careers in:
- U.S. District Courts, the Circuit Court or the U.S. Supreme Court
- State superior court, state supreme courts as well as state family or probate courts
- City or county courts
Important skills for court administrators
Court administrators bring together a diverse range of skills to help keep court operations working at top efficiency. For example:
Hard skills needed for court administrators
General requirements for court administrators include:
- Familiarity with legal terminology as well as federal, state, county and local rules
- Financial management/accounting abilities
- Recordkeeping, including proper documentation of correspondence and legal briefs
- Technical abilities to understand how recording devices and other tools are used in the courtroom
Soft skills needed for court administrators
Due to the complexities of the work and dealings with the public, court administrators will be well served if they also have the following soft skills.
- Problem solving abilities – Flexibility to think on your feet is necessary to address issues as they arise and keep cases moving forward.
- Organizational skills - Managing the court calendar and docket requires a systematic approach to planning.
- Multi-tasking - Court administrators juggle a multitude of tasks at the same time.
- Relationship building - As the point person with the public, court administrators must be able to build rapport with people from all walks of life.
- Good judgement - Court administration requires knowing the many rules of the court and ensuring that people abide by them.
- Grace under pressure - Depending on the nature of a case, emotions may run high in the courtroom. Court staff need to be able to perform well despite these circumstances.
Court clerk responsibilities
Swift resolution of criminal justice trials and civil cases helps build public trust in our courts. Court clerks are vital to keeping operations running well so that justice can be served.
Court clerks fulfill crucial duties that help save judges and lawyers time. By overseeing the court docket and providing administrative and legal research support, court clerks free judges to focus on the legal proceedings before them. In addition, court clerks communicate with lawyers to make sure the documents they file meet the court's requirements.
As key members of the court staff, court clerks handle many different responsibilities in preparation for trials. The clerk's office duties include:
- Preparing staff schedules
- Swearing in jury members, witnesses and defendants
- Preserving physical evidence for trials
- Issuing summonses, subpoenas, warrants and writs
- Reviewing and recording important documents such as briefs submitted by legal counsel
- Scheduling depositions and other courtroom appearances
- Gathering necessary information from witnesses, litigants and attorneys
- Preparing minutes to document what occurred in court on any given day
- Answering phones, helping the public with court calendar information as well as records requests
Court clerk jobs
Those who are interested in becoming a court clerk can look for jobs at:
- District courts, which handle civil and family matters
- Bankruptcy courts, which deal with insolvency issues
- Tax courts, which hear cases related to taxation
- Courts of appeals, which review decisions by lower courts
- Superior courts, which try major civil cases as well as serious criminal cases
- Supreme Court, which oversee cases with national significance
Educational requirements for court clerks
Generally, courts require those seeking a job as a court clerk to have at least a high school diploma and strong English literacy skills. Although some of these jobs don't require a college degree, candidates may want to gain some background in criminal justice or a similar field to become familiar with the role and rules of the court.
In addition, certifications such as the Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC) and Master Municipal Clerk (MMC) are available through the International Institute of Municipal Clerks.5,6 These certifications demonstrate to the court that the job candidate has an extensive knowledge of court procedures and proceedings.
The legal regulations governing courts do change over time, so continuing education is beneficial for anyone working as a court clerk. The National Association of Court Management offers many professional development courses to gain this knowledge.7 Also, check with your state to see if they have specific certifications or educational requirements.
Typically, court clerks also require some level of on-the-job training. Internships or volunteer jobs may provide the familiarity you need to work in this field. For example, the Court Opportunity Recruitment for All (CORA) portal lists internships and externship opportunities for students and new graduates.8
In addition to educational requirements, many jobs as members of the court staff require background checks and drug tests due to the sensitive nature of the work.
Important skills for court clerks
Court clerks have many different responsibilities and need a mix of hard and soft skills to do well in the legal environment. For example:
Hard skills needed for court clerks
In general, court clerks require specific abilities, including:
- Computer literacy, including how to use legal software and scheduling tools
- Administrative and recordkeeping skills, including performing data entry and formatting legal documents
- Compliance skills, including understanding court protocols and procedures
- Writing skills, such as issuing instructions to juries
- Research skills, including gathering information about statutes and prior court decisions on behalf of a judge
- Project management, including following the progress of cases and ensuring deadlines are met
Soft skills needed for court clerks
To fulfill the varied duties of their job, court clerks need a range of soft skills, such as:
- Attention to detail: These deadline-driven roles require professionals who are fastidious and are comfortable managing competing priorities.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills: Clerks need to communicate clearly with court staff and members of the public.
- Understanding of litigation and criminal justice: Court operations require a firm grasp of myriad rules related to how court cases proceed.
- Integrity: Honesty and ethical dealings are essential for professionals in this role.
- Time management: Keeping cases on schedule is a key element of the court clerk's role.
A job in the courts
If you're seeking a job working in a court, you'll want to do your research to learn about the previous work of the court and its judges. Having this information can help impress the hiring manager. Additionally, it's essential to fully understand all duties involved in the role, so studying the job and potentially talking with someone else who has held the same position before can be immensely helpful.
As with all roles in the court, candidates must dress and act professionally and demonstrate good judgement. These attributes are fundamental building blocks for those looking to create a career as a court administrator or court clerk.
Interested in the kinds of legal cases you could witness? Check out What is Environmental Law? 7 Ways the Legal System Protects Our Planet.
1National Association of Court Management https://www.fjc.gov/sites/default/files/2016/court_admin.pdf
2Technology in the Courtroom, United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts website: https://www.mad.uscourts.gov/attorneys/courtroom-technology.htm
3Court Statistic Project, National Center for State Courts website: https://www.ncsc.org/our-centers-projects/court-statistics-project
4National Association for Court Management website: https://nacmnet.org/resources/education/
5Certified Municipal Clerk program, International Institute of Municipal Clerks website: https://www.iimc.com/126/Certified-Municipal-Clerk-CMC-Program
6Master Municipal Clerk program, International Institute of Municipal Clerks website: https://www.iimc.com/128/Master-Municipal-Clerk-MMC-Program
7National Association of Court Management website: https://nacmnet.org/
8Court Opportunity Recruitment for All (CORA) portal, National Center for State Courts website: https://www.ncsc.org/our-centers-projects/cora
