Court Clerk

Court Clerk Tribal Court Department of Justice Services

Announcement # •
Issue Date: 01-08-26 •
Closing Date: 01-22-26

The Clerk is an Officer of the Yakama Nation Courts and their primary authorities and responsibilities are derived from the Revised Yakama Code (RYC). The Clerk's Office mission is to provide an exemplary level of service and responsiveness to all who do business with the Tribal Courts. The goal is to ensure that accurate and accessible records are kept and to create and sustain a customer-oriented quality service that provides access to the Court and promotes public confidence in the justice system.

The Clerk is the initial point of contact for the Courts and it is essential to the reputation of the Yakama Nation Tribal Courts to maintain community trust by providing respectful, timely, and responsive services. On a daily basis, the Clerk must conduct all business with a high degree of professionalism, competence and accuracy by using excellent customer service and phone etiquette skills.

The Clerk will provide clerical‑legal support to the Criminal, Civil, Children’s, and Appeals Courts as assigned by the Court Administrator. These assignments may routinely change.

The Court Clerk will work collaboratively with other court staff in maintaining an extensive specialized record‑keeping system for the Courts. The Clerk is responsible for the supervision and security of all Court records, files, dockets or other records required by the Revised Yakama Code (RYC) and Court Administrator, and shall keep a written, audio, and automated record of all proceedings of the courts.

• On a daily basis will create, manage, update, organize and ensure proper flow of case files in both hard‑copy and electronic form for case management as new petitions, complaints and legal documents are filed with the courts.
• Properly stores, arranges and indexes case file‑records in both hard copy and automated‑electronic form on a daily basis.
• Receives, file stamps, and initials all incoming legal documents and keeps meticulous log summaries of case activities. Ongoing research and communication with other Court staff will be critical in ensuring that duplicative files/case numbers are not created in error for existing cases.
• Develops and maintains daily dockets. This may include docket meetings and inserting notes on the official docket whether notice was properly delivered or not.
• Assists the courts in the drafting of Complaints, Subpoenas, Warrants and other documents necessary to the functions of the courts.
• Properly handles all new/incoming legal documents that are regularly filed before the Tribal Courts by preparing a new file or locating existing (related) file(s) to present to the presiding Judge;
  Promptly schedules hearings and mails out court notices/orders within the firm time frames established by the RYC or by the courts;
• Using the Automated Court Case Management System and Court Clerk Manual, assigns an appropriate case number for new petitions and complaints and follows through by placing cases on the docket or scheduling for hearing according to the procedures set forth in the RYC.
• Clerk Court hearings to operate the audio/video recording systems and may be required to draft various orders for the Court;
• Abide by Yakama Nation Rules and Regulations.

Knowledge of the Revised Yakama Code is required. Must be able to learn legal terminology, court processes/procedures and to appropriately communicate these processes/procedures to the relevant staff and the general public.

Ability to work under stressful conditions and demonstrate good morals and temperate habits.

Ability to compose grammatically correct legal documents and receive verbal/written instructions necessary to prepare legal documents with a high degree of accuracy.

Ability to stand and/or sit for long period of time.

Ability to effectively communicate, assist, and instruct Court user how to fill out court forms and provide a brief description of expected timelines and processes without giving legal advice.

Ability to learn and apply requirements of the Revised Yakama Code, the Court Clerk…