Job Details

Court Clerk I

The Superior Court of California, County of Butte is now accepting applications for Court Clerk I. Application deadline: March 10, 2026 - 11:59 PM.

Butte County Superior Court is located in beautiful Northern California, where the valley floor meets the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains, approximately 1.5 hours north of Sacramento. At over 1,600 square miles and with a population of approximately 225,000, Butte County is full of natural beauty and provides endless recreational opportunities. It is home to one of the largest municipal parks in the country, Bidwell Park, which boasts over 3,600 acres of hiking and mountain bike trails, swimming holes, picnic areas, golf and disc golf courses, and more! Outdoor adventures also await in places like Lake Oroville, Feather Falls, Table Mountain, and Lassen and Plumas National Forests which border the county to the east. In the county's urban center of Chico, you'll find a vibrant downtown, art, culture, unique restaurants, music, and weekly farmers' markets. Right in the center of it all is the CSU, Chico campus, which provides a stunning backdrop and a variety of events and activities throughout the year.

Butte County Superior Court is a unified superior court operating two facilities, one courthouse in Chico, and another courthouse in the county seat of Oroville. All legal, operational, and administrative functions of the court are governed by the Presiding Judge and the Court Executive Officer. The court has thirteen judicial officers, or eleven judges and two commissioners, and approximately 135 support staff. Despite its size, Butte is recognized throughout the state as a leader in many court collaborations, including self-help services, case management system consortiums, our highly acclaimed and model civic outreach program, and numerous multi-court employee education events. Butte County is home to a community with diverse needs, and the court continually adapts to provide effective and reliable access to justice.

This is the entry level, trainee classification of the Court Clerk series. Incumbents participate in a comprehensive training program to gain the knowledge and abilities necessary to serve as a Court Clerk. Incumbents are trained to work with applicable legal forms and documents and learn the necessary and appropriate legal terminology and procedures of the division to which they are assigned. In addition, incumbents are expected to successfully complete a non-case specific court orientation and training program which may include but is not limited to: ethics for court employees, verbal and written communications skills, customer service, change management, teamwork dynamics and community access and diversity. Incumbents will be required to successfully complete the training program prior to receiving permanent employee status.

The following duties are typical of those performed by the incumbent in this classification; however, other duties may also be required:

• Receives and examines legal documents for completeness and conformity to requirements; processes acceptable documents according to established procedures; returns unacceptable documents; maintains court files and archives; retrieves and delivers files and documents to appropriate parties;
• Determines, accepts and records fees, fines, forfeitures, and bails; makes appropriate notations in electronic accounting system; balances cash drawers;
• Provides information regarding court policies and procedures; answers inquiries pertaining to court records and provides assistance to the public in accessing court services and programs;
• Verifies, enters, retrieves, corrects, and updates information in the court's automated case management system;
• Assigns matters to proper division of the court; calendars court proceedings, prepares, distributes and posts court calendars;
• Prepares notices and types forms, documents, reports, and correspondence; processes mail for proper disposition; copies legal documents; and
• As directed, prepares and issues legal orders such as warrants, writs, orders, subpoenas, abstracts, and other official documents on behalf of the court; recalls warrants, exonerates bail; prepares judgments and dismisses or seals cases in accordance with established codes and court procedures.

Knowledge of:

• Modern office equipment including typewriters, fax machines and photocopiers;
• Desktop computers and software applications including word processing and databases;
• Proper maintenance of records, preparing correspondence and reports; filing, indexing, and cross-referencing methods;
• Tabulating and posting data and basic mathematical computations;
• Principles of English grammar, spelling, and punctuation;
• Methods and practices of legal offices, basic legal terminology and documents; and
• Basic public contact and customer service techniques.

Ability to:

• Type accurately and enter data into a computer system from clear copy and rough notes at a speed sufficient to perform assigned duties; operate a variety of office equipment including personal computers;
• Review documents for accuracy, completeness, and conformity with legal requirements; learn relevant legal terminology; be accurate and pay close attention to detail; maintain complex records; follow standardized procedures; and
• Communicate clearly both verbally and in writing; understand and follow through with written and verbal instructions; establish and maintain effective working relationships with judicial officers, attorneys, fellow employees, and the general public.

Any combination of education, training and experience that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and abilities would be: Experience & Education: Two years of clerical experience involving public contact. Successful completion of a program of Paralegal Studies or an Associate of Arts Degree from an accredited college or university in legal, legal clerical, or a closely related field may be substituted for one year of the experience.

Criminal History Requirement: Candidates are required to pass a criminal history background check. License Requirement: Possession of a valid California Class C driver's license may be required or the ability to provide alternate transportation that meets job requirements. Physical Requirements: Personal mobility to work in various office settings, locations and in confined work spaces; manual dexterity to use computers and standard office equipment; ability to lift and carry items occasionally weighing up to twenty-five (25) pounds; pushing objects weighing up to 200 pounds and pulling objects weighing up to 100 pounds; physical ability to sit for extended periods of time; stoop, reach overhead, bend, crawl, climb stairs and occasionally climb ladders to access equipment; vision which can be corrected to a level sufficient to read hand-written, typed and computer generated information and data, as well as computer terminal displays; hearing and speech ability sufficient to enable communication by telephone and in person. Work Environment: While performing the responsibilities of this classification, the following work environment characteristics are representative of the environment an employee will encounter. Incumbents will perform work inside of buildings, in an office environment and in a controlled environmental facility, with little exposure to outdoor temperatures, dirt, or dust. The working conditions are typically quiet but may be loud at times at some locations and will require working alone or closely with others. The noise level and traffic level in the work environment are similar to a busy office. This role requires heavy use of a computer or laptop, including keyboard and mouse, and routine use of other standard office equipment. Travel to visit other branches within the county, or neighboring counties, and travel to attend professional meetings and trainings in and outside of the county may be required on a frequent basis. Normal court business hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Projects, maintenance work, and other position duties which impact court operations may necessitate this position working beyond normal business hours or on the weekend. Alternate work shifts may occur.

Disclaimer: This document is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by an incumbent assigned to this job classification. It is not intended to provide an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities of incumbents so classified.

Reasonable accommodations may be available to a qualified individual with a disability which will enable them to perform the essential functions of the classification.

Application Process: Please submit a complete online application, including responses to the required supplemental questions, at Applications will not be accepted by other means. This recruitment will remain open until March 10, 2026, at 11:59 PM. The best-qualified candidates will be selected to advance to an interview.