Job Details for Generalist Clerk
| Court Name/Organization | New York Southern District Court |
| Overview of the Position | This position is located in the Clerk’s Office of the U.S. District Courthouse in White Plains, New York. The incumbent selected to fill this position will report to the Assistant to the Clerk and provide clerical and administrative assistance to the White Plains Record Room, Pro Se Intake Unit, and Finance Unit at the White Plains District Court. This is a unique position that spans multiple units within the Court. In the White Plains Record Room, the incumbent will be responsible for retrieving, sorting, scanning, copying, and filing documents, as well as receiving, screening, documenting, and distributing mail. For the Pro Se Intake Unit, the primary duties will involve answering routine inquiries via email, telephone, and in person, accepting documents from pro se litigants for filing, performing preparation of mailings/service packages, along with performing data entry in multiple systems. In the Finance Unit, the focus will be on processing financial transactions, maintaining required records, and ensuring strict accuracy while adhering to relevant policies, regulations, protocols, and internal controls. This position involves heavy public contact and requires considerable tact and patience. This list of responsibilities is not exhaustive and may include additional duties as assigned. This position will require occasional travel to the 500 Pearl Street Court House. This position is ineligible for telework. |
| Location | White Plains, NY |
| Opening and Closing Dates | 02/10/2025 - 02/24/2025 |
| Appointment Type | Permanent |
| Classification Level/Grade | CL 24 |
| Salary | $52,158 - $84,769 |
| Link to Court Careers Information | https://nysd.uscourts.gov/about/employment |
| Announcement Number | 25-03 |
| Link to Job Announcement | |
Position Description
The incumbent selected to fill this position will:
- Sort, classify, and file case records. Maintain integrity of the filing system by such means as monitoring proper access to records and maintaining timely and accurate filing of documents. Retrieve files and make copies of records for court personnel, attorneys, and others. Certify court documents. Create and process new case files. Open and close cases in the case management system, based on required documents and/or entries. Assist with entry of various other case documents on the docket.
- Check for prior or prohibited filing. Monitor for release of exhibits and sealed documents. Verify and issue summons. Verify attorney’s authority to practice.
- Operate a variety of copying, scanning, and records equipment. Answer and route incoming calls. Assist the public in use of computerized databases. Provide basic information to public, bar, and the court. Process prisoner form requests. Ensure data quality.
- Inform customers of required fees. Receive payments and issue receipts. Secure funds in cash register. Reconcile receipts and post to the appropriate fund/case account.
- Scan, copy, file, pickup, sort, and process mail. Process e-mail received from electronic filers.
- Receive and stamp incoming documents. Maintain court files.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
To be considered for a CL 24, applicants must be a high school graduate, or equivalent and must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to work at the CL 23 level. The position requires excellent written and oral communication skills, strong interpersonal skills, computer literacy and knowledge of legal terminology. The incumbent must be punctual and maintain good time and attendance. *Specialized work experience attained in other governmental and private sector positions may be creditable, but that experience must be evaluated to determine whether the level of experience is equivalent to work at the specified CL. All internal applicants requesting review of work experience outside the federal judiciary as part of the qualification process, please contact Human Resources. Internal applicants who are permanent employees must be in their current position for one year to apply.
General Experience
Preferred Qualifications
A college degree, high proficiency in Microsoft Excel, and Acrobat Adobe; knowledge of legal terminology are all highly desirable qualifications.
Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Court Operations: Knowledge of or the ability to learn court operations, functions, and organizational structure. Basic understanding of court documents. Ability to use the court automated case management system in order to obtain or research information needed to perform duties.
Information Technology and Automation: Knowledge and skill in the use of automated equipment including MS Outlook, Word and Excel applications. The applicant is expected to use multiple web-based applications and maintain judiciary privacy and security requirements.
Judgment and Ethics: Ability to consistently demonstrate sound ethics and judgment, maintain court confidentiality and security requirements, and comply with the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees.
Written and Oral Communication: Must have excellent interpersonal skills and be able to effectively communicate (orally and in writing) to individuals and groups to provide financial information and reports in understandable format. Ability to interact professionally with a wide variety of stakeholders, providing exceptional customer service and resolving difficulties while complying with regulations, rules, and procedures. Ability to provide and exchange accurate and timely information with individuals within and outside the court.
Finance: Some knowledge of accounting practices, procedures, internal controls, and separation of duties. Some knowledge of financial accounts and how to use automated systems to perform day‐to‐day activities. Must be able to maintain complete and highly accurate records and files. Skill and accuracy in working with numerical calculations. Excellent organization skills, the ability to respond to requests on short notice, and the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines. Must exercise flexibility.
Employee Benefits
- Paid Annual & Sick Leave
- 11 Paid Holidays
- Employer subsidized Health Insurance
- Group Life Insurance
- Supplemental Vision/Dental Insurance
- Retirement Benefits Plan (FERS)
- Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Transit Subsidy Program (pursuant to eligibility requirements)
- Onsite fitness center
- Pre-tax benefit programs
- Employee assistance program (EAP)
Miscellaneous
The incumbent selected to fill this position will:
- Sort, classify, and file case records. Maintain integrity of the filing system by such means as monitoring proper access to records and maintaining timely and accurate filing of documents. Retrieve files and make copies of records for court personnel, attorneys, and others. Certify court documents. Create and process new case files. Open and close cases in the case management system, based on required documents and/or entries. Assist with entry of various other case documents on the docket.
- Check for prior or prohibited filing. Monitor for release of exhibits and sealed documents. Verify and issue summons. Verify attorney’s authority to practice.
- Operate a variety of copying, scanning, and records equipment. Answer and route incoming calls. Assist the public in use of computerized databases. Provide basic information to public, bar, and the court. Process prisoner form requests. Ensure data quality.
- Inform customers of required fees. Receive payments and issue receipts. Secure funds in cash register. Reconcile receipts and post to the appropriate fund/case account.
- Scan, copy, file, pickup, sort, and process mail. Process e-mail received from electronic filers.
- Receive and stamp incoming documents. Maintain court files.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Application Info
To be considered for this position, please submit your resume detailing your education and work experience, a cover letter and an AO78 Application for Federal Employment.
The cover letter must indicate the position for which you are applying, including the vacancy number, and identify how your education and/or experience relate to the duties and responsibilities of the position. Only applications submitted via email will be accepted. It is preferred for the applications to be submitted in a single PDF document, and for candidates to include the vacancy number and position title in the subject field of the email containing the application. Applications submitted as zip files, cloud files and/or links will not be accepted. Applications that do not conform to the above procedures will not be considered. Only candidates selected for the testing process will be contacted. Please submit your application to: Personnel@nysd.uscourts.gov.
The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.