Trial Court Internship - District Court (Framingham/Natick)

Title: Trial Court Internship - District Court (Framingham/Natick)

Starting Pay: Undergraduate rate - $20 per hour; Graduate rate - $24 per hour 

Departmental Mission Statement: As a gateway to justice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the District Court is dedicated to the administration of justice in a fair, impartial and timely manner in accordance with the rule of law. In fulfilling this role, the District Court shall provide the communities it serves with an environment that is safe, accessible and respectful to all. The District Court shall conduct its business with integrity, competence and a commitment to excellence in order to promote public trust and confidence in the judicial system.

Organizational Profile:

https://www.mass.gov/orgs/district-court

Notes: Bilingual (Spanish / Portuguese proficiency) candidates are encouraged to apply.

Position Summary: 

The intern is responsible for performing a variety of duties related to the processing of cases, including entering data in automated systems, within an office of a Clerk-Magistrate, or an equivalent office. In addition to case processing duties, the intern is responsible for providing service to the public and other individuals who have business with the court, consistent with policies on confidentiality. The intern’s daily duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Job Duties:

• Provides customer service to attorneys, litigants, law enforcement personnel, and the general public. This includes assisting the public in filling out forms and applications and responding to routine requests for information concerning cases, scheduling and court procedures. May use specialized communication skills in performing these duties. 
• Receives training and assists experienced users on MassCourts, a comprehensive, integrated case management system which features electronic filing of complaints, extensive docketing, scheduling, and management reporting, or on another case processing system. 
• Performs general case intake duties, including receiving court papers and documents, determining general case category, making docket entries, either manually or through an automated case processing system as necessary, and preparing case file folders. 
• Prepares manually or enters through an automated case processing system as necessary, complaints, petitions, summonses, warrants, daily lists, orders of commitment, other standard form documents, and updates to case information. Such functions may be performed in an office or in a courtroom. 
• Sends out notices to various parties and attorneys. 
• Answers incoming phone calls, routes callers to appropriate personnel, takes messages, and provides routine information in response to inquiries. 
• Copies, files, retrieves, and sorts court papers, documents and folders according to established procedures.
• Receives, date stamps, sorts, and distributes incoming mail. Processes outgoing mail. 
• Performs general cases duties for special projects as determined by the Supervising Clerk Magistrate
• Maintains statistical data concerning cases processing activities. 
• Performs related duties as required.

Minimum Requirements:

• Working towards a Bachelor's or Graduate Degree from an accredited college of university
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office, Adobe and other computer software
• Ability to analyze and solve problems
• Strong Interpersonal Skills
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in oral and written forms
• Ability to work independently and part of a team.

Positions are paid, full-time (37.5 hours per week)