Law Clerk - G124 State Court Judge bei Columbus Consolidated Government, GA

About the Department

The law clerk's responsibilities include the following:

• Observes civil hearings and most trial proceedings involving legal argument; researches and summarizes legal issues as requested by the judge.
• Receives civil motions from the Clerk's office; calendars motions for review by the judge.
• Drafts orders addressing the facts and applicable law; presents orders for judicial approval and delivers approved orders to the Clerk's office.
• Reviews cases, identifies issues, and drafts summaries; categorizes and maintains files for cases.
• Collects and compiles proposed jury charges from attorneys and drafts the court's jury instructions and verdict form to be used by the jury; compiles completed verdict forms.
• Reviews recent legislation and developing legal issues relating to Georgia courts.
• Serves as a liaison to the general public.
• Categorizes and maintains files for leaves of absence filed by attorneys; files and categorizes conflict letters filed by attorneys.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Although the law clerk will not be expected to have supervisory and/or management responsibility on a regular basis, the State Court may utilize law students as interns from time to time. The Staff Attorney will be expected to supervise any such interns. Supervision will include reviewing their work for accuracy and completeness, providing guidance with respect to research and writing, and organizing meetings with the Judges as appropriate.

Position Duties

• Knowledge of theories, principles, and practices of criminal law and procedure, civil law and procedure, family law, contract, and employment law.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of customer service.
• Knowledge of Court practices and procedures.
• Knowledge of legal terminology.
• Knowledge of methods and techniques used to conduct legal research.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of legal document preparation.
• Skill in organizing and prioritizing work.
• Skill in performing effective customer service.
• Skill in resolving problems and making decisions.
• Skill in preparing and presenting oral and written communications/reports.
• Skill in performing legal case management.
• Skill in conducting effective legal research and drafting sound legal documents.
• Skill in identifying and investigating the facts of legal matters.
• Skill in negotiating, arbitrating, and mediating.
• Skill in operating personal computers, including spreadsheets, databases, word processing, presentation, and other related software.
• Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with other County personnel, officials, and the general public.
• Skill in communication and interpersonal techniques as applied to interaction with coworkers, supervisors, the general public, etc., are sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive work direction.
• Ability to work independently and with minimal supervision.

Minimum Qualifications

Graduation from an accredited school of law; legal experience preferred, including paralegal work. Must be a member in good standing with the State Bar of Georgia. If selected, an official, accredited college and law school transcript is required at the time of employment for all degrees and coursework.

The applicable law and procedural rules contribute to the complexity of work required for the position. The applicable law includes the Official Code of Georgia, Georgia case law, Supreme Court cases, federal cases, and forms the guidelines for this position.  This position is intended to last for a term of two years. At the end of the two year term, the duration of this position may be extended should the law clerk and Judges agree.

Other Qualifications

The work is typically performed while sitting at a desk or table while intermittently sitting, standing, or walking. The employee must occasionally lift light objects.  Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:

• Balancing – maintain equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing, or crouching.
• Feeling – perceiving attributes of objects by touch with skin, fingertips.
• Grasping – applying pressure to object with fingers, palm.
• Handling – picking, holding, or working with whole hand.
• Hearing 1 – perceiving sounds at normal speaking levels, receive information.
• Lifting – raising objects from lower to higher position, moving objects side to side, using upper extremities, back.
• Manual Dexterity – picking, pinching, typing, working with fingers rather than hand.
• Mental Acuity – ability to make rational decisions through sound logic, deductive reasoning.
• Reaching – extending hands or arms in any direction.
• Repetitive Motion – substantial movements of wrists, hands, fingers.
• Speaking – expressing ideas with spoken word, convey detailed, important instructions accurately, concisely.
• Standing – for sustained periods of time.
• Stooping – bending body downward, forward at waist, with full motion of lower extremities and back.
• Talking 1- expressing ideas by spoken word.
• Visual Acuity 1 - prepare, analyze data, transcribing, computer terminal, extensive reading.
• Walking - on foot to accomplish tasks, long distances, or site to site.