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Job Details for Jury Administrator

Court Name/Organization:	Louisiana Middle District Court
Overview of the Position:	The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana is recruiting for the position of Jury Administrator. This position is located in the Clerk’s office and reports to the Chief Deputy Clerk. The Jury Administrator performs administrative and customer service work to coordinate and prepare qualified jurors for jury selection, in accordance with approved internal controls, procedures, and rules. The Jury Administrator performs the jury process from beginning to end while ensuring the court’s policies and procedures are carried out appropriately while maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the Jury Management System. The Jury Administrator assists in ensuring efficient and fair operations related to the summonsing, qualifying, selection, orientation, management, and payment of jurors for petit and grand juries, and makes appropriate determinations as to juror attendance.
Location:	Baton Rouge, LA
Opening and Closing Dates:	03/14/2024 - Open Until Filled
Appointment Type:	Permanent
Classification Level/Grade:	CL 25 - CL 27
Salary:	$47,966 - $94,338
Link to Court Careers Information:	https://www.lamd.uscourts.gov/employment
Announcement Number:	24-USDC-3
Link to Job Announcement

Position Description

Manage and maintain the district court’s jury processes. Ensure all jury operations are consistent with internal controls, procedures, rules, regulations, and the district’s Jury Plan. Assist with the review and update of the Jury Plan, as required.
Analyze the jury system, make recommendations, and implement efficiencies to the jury management system, incorporating such strategies as jury pooling, staggered jury reporting times, and other practices to reduce costs and maximize juror utilization.
Perform duties related to master wheel refill as required for petit and grand jury selection. Create jury wheel lists, including master, term, and panel, for both general and qualified jurors.
Oversee the preparation and mailing of summons notices and forms. Determine an appropriate number of questionnaires to be mailed based on an estimated percentage of returns. Determine from an examination of returned questionnaires those persons who are qualified as jurors under applicable statues and local rules. Oversee follow-up procedures on persons who fail to respond to questionnaires or jury summonses and take appropriate action to ensure compliance. Make decisions to grant or deny requests for deferral of service, along with follow-up on non-compliant jurors, including preparation of orders to show cause for the judges.
Recommend to judges the numbers of jurors to be summonsed in special circumstances. Monitor court calendars and/or coordinate with courtroom deputies or others, to determine appropriate numbers of jurors needed for trials.
Work with chambers staff, clerk’s office staff, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Attorney’s Office, or other groups to ensure the smooth operation of high-profile or protracted jury trials. Assist in planning and performing duties relating to sequestration of jurors.
Assist in determining court policy as to sizes of jury panels for various types of trials.
Maintain and update the inbound and outbound telephone calls through use of an interactive voice response system for summoned jurors. Develop and maintain juror information for the Court’s internet site. Respond to juror inquiries and requests in person, by phone, and in writing.
Develop and update orientation materials. Conduct juror orientation and assist jurors with logistical needs. Orient jurors as to all aspects of jury service, including service payment, excuses, reporting, absences, Jury Act rights, and respond to inquiries.
Monitor and record juror attendance for management of their service and payment. Prepare juror attendance letters.
Prepare vouchers for jury and vendor payments, including juror fees, mileage, lodging, and parking costs, as applicable. Prepare annual tax statements regarding juror compensation.
Prepare monthly jury statistical reports for submission to the Administrative Office. Prepare reports and memoranda regarding jury administration for the Clerk of Court and Chief Deputy.
Prepare and maintain all spaces occupied by jurors before, during, and after trials. i.e., Jury Assembly Room, jury deliberation rooms, etc.
Provide training to other employees assisting with jury administration work.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualification

To qualify for the position of Jury Administrator, the applicant must have a high school diploma or the equivalent. A college degree in a business-related field, higher education courses, and/or experience in a court/legal environment is preferred. This position requires a detail-oriented self-starter who can maintain confidentiality and complete job duties in an accurate and timely manner with little oversight. Excellent organizational skills, the ability to be flexible and respond to requests with little or no notice, and the ability to manage multiple tasks are essential. Exceptional communication and service skills are critical as frequent contact with a variety of individuals within and outside of the Judiciary is required. Additionally, specialized court experience is required as stated below.

CL 25 - One year of specialized experience equivalent to work at CL 24
CL 26 - One year of specialized experience equivalent to work at CL 25
CL 27 - Two years of specialized experience with one year equivalent to work at CL

Specialized experience: Progressively responsible clerical or administrative experience requiring the regular and recurring application of clerical procedures that demonstrate the ability to apply a body of rules, regulations, directives, or laws and involve the routine use of specialized terminology and automated software and equipment for word processing, data entry, or report generation.

Educational Substitution: Education may not be substituted for specialized experience because operational court support positions require hands-on experience to be credited as specialized experience.

Benefits

Judiciary employees serve under excepted appointment (not civil service). Employees working at least 20-hours per week, or more are eligible for benefits. The generous Federal Employees benefits package includes:

Eleven paid Federal holidays
Paid annual and sick leave
Social Security and Medicare benefits
Retirement benefits under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS-FRAE)
Tax Deferred Retirement savings and investment plan under Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with employer matching contributions
Health benefits under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB)
Supplemental Dental and Vision benefits offered through Federal Employees Vision and Dental Plan (FEDVIP)
Life insurance benefits under the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Program (FEGLI)
Flexible Benefits Program for Health Care and Dependent Care Reimbursement
Paid on-site assigned parking
24-hour on-site fitness center
Mandatory electronic fund transfer (direct deposit) participation for payment of net earnings

Miscellaneous

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or eligible to work in the U.S. Reference and background checks will be conducted on the final candidate(s). Work is performed in an office setting. Professional/business casual attire is required. Work may be required beyond normal business hours based on the needs of the Court. There are no provisions for paying overtime to court employees. However compensatory time may be granted in accordance with policy.

The most qualified applicants may be invited to one (or more) personal interview(s) with the Court. Applicants selected for interviews will be required to travel to the designated location at their own expense if interviewed in person. The Court is not authorized to reimburse applicants for travel and/or relocation expenses. All applicants who participate in the interview process will receive a written response if they are not selected. Please do not inquire about the status of your application.

Prior to appointment, the selectee considered for this position is required to undergo an FBI background check and investigation. The selectee may then be appointed provisionally, and retention will depend upon a favorable suitability determination of the investigation. Unfavorable results may result in termination of employment. The selectee is also subject to a one-year probationary period for this position.

Per Administrative Order 2021-7 all employees must be “fully vaccinated” against the COVID-19 virus (unless the Court has granted an exemption from this vaccination mandate on medical or religious grounds). “Fully vaccinated” is defined as two weeks after receiving the second dose of a two-dose vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) or the single-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson). Acceptable forms of proof of vaccination include the Centers for Disease Control COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card issued by the vaccine provider or the SMART Health Card that can be found in the LA Wallet application for mobile devices. Exemptions to the vaccination requirement will only be considered for individuals with medical conditions that prevent them from being vaccinated or for individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs that prohibit them from being vaccinated. Procedures for exemption requests will be provided upon request.

The Court requires employees to adhere to a Code of Ethics and Conduct which is available to applicants for review upon request. Employees of the United States Courts are NOT included in the government’s Civil Service classification. They are, however, entitled to the same benefits as other federal government employees depending on the appointment type. Employees who work at the Court are considered at-will and work at the pleasure of the Court.

The Court has the right to modify the conditions of this vacancy announcement, withdraw the announcement, or fill the position at any time, any of which may occur without prior written notice.

The Court provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities in accordance with the American with Disabilities Act. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please notify human resources. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis.

The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity in the workplace.

How To Apply

Qualified applicants should submit a complete applicant packet which includes: a letter of interest, a current/detailed resume, a list of three professional references, and a completed Application for Judicial Branch Federal Employment (Form AO-78). Internal applicants of the Clerk’s office for the Middle District of Louisiana do not have to submit a Form AO-78 or references. This position is open until filled, however preference will be given to applicant packets received by noon CT on Wed., March 27, 2024. Applications for Judicial Branch Federal Employment (Form AO-78) may be downloaded on our website. You must reference the vacancy announcement number in your letter of interest. Applications will not be considered complete until a complete applicant packet has been received by Human Resources. Hard copies will not be accepted. Please email or fax your complete applicant packet to:

humanresources@lamd.uscourts.gov

(Attachment must be saved as one PDF file – Multiple attachments will not be accepted.)

Attention: Human Resources; fax number 225.389.3542

The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.