Judicial Law Clerk

A Judicial Law Clerk is a quasi-judicial officer who performs work that would otherwise be performed by a Commissioned Judge, Senior Judge, Hearing Officer, Master or Conciliator in the Court of Common Pleas.  The primary role of a Judicial Law Clerk is to provide legal research and support directly to one or more Commissioned Judges to whom they are assigned; additional roles include providing support to Senior Judges, Hearing Officers, Masters and Conciliators, and temporarily acting in the capacity of a Hearing Officer, Master or Conciliator.  A Judicial Law Clerk operates with a moderately high degree of independence in the execution of daily responsibilities.  This position is supervised by, reports to, and acts upon authority delegated by the Judges of the Court and the District Court Administrator.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

1. Conduct legal research.
2. Prepare draft opinions, orders, memoranda and other legal documents for issuance by the Court.
3. Review, analyze and summarize case files, dockets, exhibits and litigants' pleadings.
4. Exercise primary responsibility for responding to all matters assigned to Judges pursuant to York County Rule of Civil Procedure 208.3(b).
5. Prepare caseload statistics, track caseflow, and assist Judges with the management of hearing and trial lists.
6. Attend, participate in, plan and host local and regional meetings, conferences and seminars.
7. Serve as Hearing Officer, Master or Conciliator during periods of absence or increased workload.
8. Provide backup clerical support to Judicial Administrative Assistants during periods of absence or increased workload.
9. Perform all other duties as assigned temporarily or permanently by Judges or the District Court Administrator.

Essential Requirements

1. Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
2. Certificate for admission to the Pennsylvania bar from the Board of Law Examiners, prior to or within six months of employment
3. Extensive proficiency performing legal research and issue analysis.
4. Superior oral and written communication skills.
5. Complete familiarity with the rules of procedure of the Commonwealth and the local Court.
6. Open-mindedness and impartiality during litigation and deliberation processes.
7. Decisiveness and clarity during determination and implementation processes. 
8.  Effectiveness fostering a sense of teamwork among chambers staff and other Court-appointed and Court-related personnel