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Job Details for Relief Courtroom Deputy

Court Name/Organization California Northern District Court
Overview of the Position The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California offers an exceptional work environment, offering competitive salaries and benefits, a schedule that supports work-life balance, access to an on-site fitness center, and the opportunity to join a team dedicated to upholding fairness and justice. The relief Courtroom deputy position is based in San Francisco and Oakland courthouses and will provide support to both locations. Some telework is available after the probationary period. If you’re looking to elevate your career while contributing to the work that matters, we invite you to apply today! (Priority consideration to applicants who apply by 6/13/2025)
Location San Francisco, Oakland, CA
Opening and Closing Dates 05/30/2025 - Open Until Filled
Appointment Type Permanent
Classification Level/Grade CL 26 - CL 27
Salary $67,306 - $120,196
Link to Court Careers Information https://www.cand.uscourts.gov/career-opportunities/
Announcement Number FY25-23
Link to Job Announcement

Position Description

The Relief Courtroom Deputy clerk is a “floater” position, providing administrative support in and out of the courtroom to judges when the regularly assigned courtroom deputy is not available. This position calls for accuracy, diplomacy and sensitivity in dealing with judges, attorneys, members of government agencies, and the public. Successful courtroom deputy clerks work with meticulous attention to detail, create systems to organize and prioritize tasks, and communicate with calm effectively with a calm and confident demeanor.

Primary Duties

Courtroom deputy clerks are responsible for managing judges’ cases by: 

  • Scheduling hearings, trials, and conferences, and coordinating the appearances in the courtroom of parties, attorneys, jurors, other court staff, and members of other court-related agencies.
  • Attending court and managing the orderly flow of court proceedings.
  • Creating documents to record pertinent results of courtroom proceedings.
  • Docketing court orders in the electronic docketing system and monitoring the docket to ensure timely filing by parties.
  • Responding to inquiries from attorneys, self-represented litigants, agencies, and the public, and acting as liaison between these individuals and the judge.
  • Informing the judge and staff of case progress.

Qualifications

The successful applicant must have:

  • For CL 26 one-year specialized experience, including at least one year at or equivalent to work at CL 25.
  • For CL 27 two years specialized experience, including at least one year specialized experience at or equivalent to CL 26.

For placement at salary levels above minimum up to and including step 25, (considering court- preferred skills and an evaluation of quality of experience), at least two years specialized experience at or equivalent to work at CL 26.

General Experience

Desirable Qualifications

  • Prior courtroom or federal court experience.
  • Experience using automated systems for filing documents and extracting relevant information.
  • A bachelor’s degree.

Specialized Experience

Specialized Experience is progressively responsible clerical experience involving the routine use of specialized terminology, and demonstrated ability to apply a body of rules, regulations, directives, or laws. Such experience is commonly encountered in law firms, legal counsel offices, banking and credit firms, educational institutions, social service organizations, insurance companies, real estate and title offices, and corporate headquarters or personnel/payroll operations.

Employee Benefits

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California is part of the federal Judicial branch of government and is independent of the Executive and Legislative branches. The court sets its own employment policies including remote work and performance management, while also valuing employees' individualism and continuing to strive towards a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace. Judicial Branch employees are "at will” employees and are not subject to the employment regulations of competitive service. However, judiciary employees are entitled to benefits similar to those of other federal government employees including:

  • A minimum of 11 paid holidays per year

  • Paid annual leave in the amount of 13 days per year for the first three years, 20 days per year after 3 years, and 26 days per year after fifteen years.

  • Paid sick leave in the amount of 13 days per year

  • Federal Employees’ Retirement System (FERS)

  • Optional participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (with up to 5% employer matching contributions), the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), Federal Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP), the Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI), the Flexible Benefits Program, the Commuter Benefit Program, SmartBenefits (mass transit subsidy up to $325 per month), Long-Term Care Insurance, and Professional Liability Insurance

  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Work Life Services

For more information about federal court benefits, please visit the U.S. Courts website.

Miscellaneous

The Relief Courtroom Deputy clerk is a “floater” position, providing administrative support in and out of the courtroom to judges when the regularly assigned courtroom deputy is not available. This position calls for accuracy, diplomacy and sensitivity in dealing with judges, attorneys, members of government agencies, and the public. Successful courtroom deputy clerks work with meticulous attention to detail, create systems to organize and prioritize tasks, and communicate with calm effectively with a calm and confident demeanor.

Primary Duties

Courtroom deputy clerks are responsible for managing judges’ cases by: 

  • Scheduling hearings, trials, and conferences, and coordinating the appearances in the courtroom of parties, attorneys, jurors, other court staff, and members of other court-related agencies.
  • Attending court and managing the orderly flow of court proceedings.
  • Creating documents to record pertinent results of courtroom proceedings.
  • Docketing court orders in the electronic docketing system and monitoring the docket to ensure timely filing by parties.
  • Responding to inquiries from attorneys, self-represented litigants, agencies, and the public, and acting as liaison between these individuals and the judge.
  • Informing the judge and staff of case progress.

Application Info

Applicants must submit the following:

  1. Cover Letter
  2. Resume
  3. Three professional references.

To be considered for this position, visit our agency website to submit the online application, along with the above-listed documents. Please be sure to fully complete your application by providing all work history from the past ten years. Attachments should be submitted as Microsoft Word (DOC) or Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files.  Other formats are not acceptable. 

Applications will be considered complete when the online application and all required attachments, in the appropriate format, are received by the Human Resources Unit.

The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.