Part-Time Court Reporter

JOB PURPOSE AND OVERVIEW
The Franklin County Municipal Court is the largest and busiest municipal court in the State of Ohio. The Court has fourteen judges in the General Division and one judge in the Environmental Division. Judges preside over civil, criminal, and traffic cases and conduct both jury and court trials. The Court’s jurisdiction includes traffic cases, misdemeanor criminal cases, and civil cases where the amount at issue is $15,000 or less. The Environmental Division has exclusive jurisdiction to enforce local codes and regulations affecting real property, such as fire and building codes. The geographic jurisdiction of the Court is all of Franklin County and those portions of the City of Columbus that extend beyond the boundaries of Franklin County. Despite its jurisdiction and name, the Franklin County Municipal Court is the judicial branch of the City of Columbus government.

The Court Reporters’ Department is authorized to have 8 full-time and 4 part-time court reporters, who are assigned to different courtrooms on a rotating basis. Court reporters make a verbatim record of court proceedings, prepare a transcript from the record of court proceedings upon request and maintain records of exhibits introduced at court proceedings.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSITION

• Take a verbatim record of court proceedings.
• Maintain stenographic notes and exhibits introduced at court proceedings.
• Prepare transcripts from stenographic notes when requested.
• Answer telephones and retrieve file information for callers.
• Assist with projects as assigned by the Chief Court Reporter or the Court Administrator.
• Perform other duties as assigned and may be assigned on a temporary basis to other positions in other departments of the Court if needed
• This position involves a significant amount of sitting for extended periods of time.
• Candidates must be able to hear and see sufficiently to take accurate notes of all proceedings and must be able to lift up to 25 pounds. Court reporters may occasionally be required to work past 5:00 p.m.

Required equipment is provided by the Court including Luminex II Writer, a desktop computer, laptop computer and Eclipse software.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

• High school diploma or a certificate of its equivalent.
• Graduation from an accredited court reporting school.
• Ability to take and transcribe oral testimony at 225 words per minute and a jury charge at 200 words per minute.
• Ability to hook up and write real time proficiently.
• Proficiency in operating a personal computer and using, or being able to learn, Microsoft Office programs such as Word, Outlook, and Excel.
• Requires considerable knowledge of legal terminology and of English vocabulary, grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Knowledge of common office practices, procedures, and equipment.
• Ability to prioritize work and work independently without daily supervision.
• Must have good time-management skills and be highly organized and detail-oriented.
• Ability to communicate verbally effectively and professionally and in writing in English to diverse audiences.
• Pleasant personality and ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with judges, other elected officials, Court employees, law enforcement officers, lawyers, outside agencies, businesses, and the general public.
• Must be conscious of and sensitive to the diversity within the Court’s jurisdiction and be able to interact professionally with this diverse population of people from many different geographic, socioeconomic, religious, racial, and ethnic backgrounds on a regular basis.
• Professional appearance and demeanor appropriate for the position and expected of a representative of elected officials.
• Demonstrated dependability, reliability, and excellent attendance record.
• Patience, objectivity, maturity, effectiveness under stress, initiative, adaptability, leadership, and sound judgment.

Additional consideration will be given to individuals who have any of the following qualifications: previous experience as a court reporter; possession of a Registered Professional Reporter’s Certificate from the National Court Reporters Association; the ability to speak and write Spanish or a language commonly used by people of Somalia for whom English is a second language; or proficiency in American Sign Language (ASL).

COURT EXPECTATIONS OF EMPLOYEE
The court expects the employee will adhere to all court policies, guidelines, practices, and procedures in completing the duties and responsibilities of the position; act as a role model both inside and outside the court; perform duties as workload necessitates in a timely, accurate and thorough manner and be conscientious about meeting department productivity standards; and communicate regularly with supervisor about department issues.

AT-WILL EMPLOYMENT AND EQUAL-OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Employees of the court are at-will employees and serve at the pleasure of the court; they are not in the classified civil-service system and are not members of bargaining units. The court is an equal-opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on age, gender, religion, race, color, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, disability, military status, or genetic information.