Court Clerk Training

Court clerks perform a variety of administrative tasks for courts, local municipalities, government licensing agencies, and offices. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational handbook, court clerks commonly prepare dockets of cases to be called by a court, secure information for judges and courts, prepare bylaws for town or city councils, answer correspondence via mail and email, keep fiscal records, issue licenses and various kinds of permits, and record various types of data.

There are two different ways that you can obtain court clerk training. You can get experience or you can get a degree. Either option will get you into the field and get your career started. The difference is the level of position you will start at, your salary and the speed in which you can advance to higher paying positions.

In either case, your court clerk training will need to give you the skills and knowledge to fulfill the responsibilities of the position. Court clerks are generally known to handle all of the administrative functions of running the court to make sure that it runs smoothly. These responsibilities will include maintaining, organizing and auditing all of the court documents, preparing documents and files for each court case and keeping minutes of the court proceedings. Additional responsibilities will be keeping a docket of the current and upcoming court cases, tracking down documents that are missing and handling a variety of clerical tasks needed by the judge during the trial.

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Court Clerk Training Experience

As with many professions, it is possible to get an entry level position if you are willing to start at the very bottom of the ladder. The minimum requirements for this type of position are a high school diploma. This will be a very clerical oriented position with a low level court. Without a degree, you will probably need additional skills and knowledge on your resume to catch the attention of the hiring agent.

Any experience that you can add to your resume related to word processing, customer service or bookkeeping will be beneficial. It would also be a huge benefit if you had experience with any aspect of the legal profession and legal terminology.

Once you obtained an entry level position, your court clerk training would be on-the-job. Gaining experience will eventually allow you to seek positions that have an increased level of responsibility, which would result in an increase of pay. You can build a career in this manner, however it is likely to take many years of successful service to be considered for higher positions if you don't have a degree.

Court Clerk Degree

Most people who are interested in court clerk training focus on two types of degrees. These are an associate's or a bachelor's degree. There is not actually a "court clerk" major, but Public Administration, Business Administration or a Criminal Justice major are the ones that are used most frequently as an entrance into the court clerk profession. There are a few people who continue their education to obtain a master's degree. This level of degree will help you gain a higher position with many of the federal courts.

You can choose either option to start getting court clerk training, but you must be aware of the differences between them. Choosing to start with a degree at the associate or bachelor level will help you start with a higher paying job and will allow you to advance your career much more quickly.

Court Clerk Education Requirements

The level of education required is dependent upon the specific type of court that you will function as a clerk for. While some may only require a high school diploma, others will desire applicants who have some education in criminal justice, specifically the legal system and legal vocabulary. In addition, computer literacy and writing skills are generally important for anyone wishing to become a court clerk.

Court Clerk Work & Promotion Opportunities

Many who start off as court clerks may eventually work their way up to court administrator positions. Busier, high volume court houses often employ court administrators which manage court clerks. Most states have court administrators who usually have a great deal of previous experience and hold advanced degrees in legal studies or similiar degrees.