Summary
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas is seeking qualified applicants for a full-time Official Court Reporter at its divisional office in Fayetteville. This position primarily provides court reporting services for one district judge. Occasionally, the court reporter must be available to perform court reporting services for any judicial proceeding within the Western District of Arkansas. Travel, including some overnight lodging, may occasionally be required.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
Position Location: John Paul Hammerschmidt Federal Courthouse - Fayetteville, Arkansas
Duties
Court reporters are responsible for reporting court proceedings verbatim in court and in chambers, for producing requested transcripts, and for filing required transcripts electronically in CM/ECF with the Clerk of Court.
The initial deadline for applications is November 22, 2024. Applications received by this date will be given first consideration. Thereafter, submissions will be accepted until the position is filled.
REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES:
The Official Court Reporter performs duties and responsibilities which include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Performs court reporting services for judicial proceedings.
- Display realtime transcript to the bench and court staff.
- Backs up daily (rough) transcripts to an internal shared drive within twenty four (24) hours of the proceeding. Provides and maintains personal equipment to include realtime equipment, which must be compatible with court equipment.
- Maintains accurate, legible records which are subject to audits and/or available to read back any or all portions of the court records.
- Provides transcripts and copies, at the request of a party or the court, within time frames and cost requirements established by the Judicial Conference of the United States.
- Determines that billing and formats comply with Judicial Conference requirements.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
Applicants must be United States citizens or lawful permanent residents actively seeking citizenship. Judicial Branch employees are considered "At-Will" employees and are not subject to the employment regulations of competitive service. Salary will be based on experience and qualifications. Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) for payroll deposit is required.
This position may be required to work in excess of a regular eight-hour day or to work an altered work schedule to support the operations of the court, without additional compensation.
Applicants will be required to submit to a background investigation (including references, criminal history, and credit history) prior to an offer of employment being made. The person selected for this position will also be required to submit fingerprints for an FBI background check or other security clearance. Initial appointment shall be on a six-month probationary basis.
Qualifications
To qualify for the position, an individual must have at least four years of prime stenographic Computer Aided Transcription (CAT) court reporting experience in the freelance field or in other courts or a combination thereof; qualified testing for listing on the Registry of Professional Reporters of the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) or passed an equivalent qualifying examination that certifies 180 wpm literary, 200 wpm jury charge and 225 wpm testimony. The successful candidate must possess excellent organizational and communication skills to permit the production of transcripts within strict time limitations, work well under pressure, and be willing to work as part of a team under the general direction of the Clerk of Court, and the specific direction of the district judge. A judicial employee must maintain a professional appearance and demeanor at all times.
Strong preference will be given to candidates who have Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR) and Registered Merit Reporter (RMR) credentials. The salary range for applicants meeting those requirements is $102,013.00 to $106,650.00, plus transcript income. Applicants may be subject to testing of realtime reporting capabilities, using personal equipment, during the interview process.
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Please read the "Next steps" section for more information.
Required Documents
Please read the "How to Apply" section.
How to Apply
Application Procedures:
Qualified applicants should submit a complete application packet which is to include: a cover letter, a current and detailed resume, photocopies of applicable certifications, three (3) employment references, and a completed Application for Judicial Branch Federal Employment (Form AO-78). You may download this application from the U.S. Courts website at https://www.uscourts.gov/forms/human-resources-forms/application-judicial-branch-federal-employment. Attachments should be saved as a single PDF file. Email your complete packet to: jobs@arwd.uscourts.gov.
The court provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please notify Human Resources at Kara_Pittman@arwd.uscourts.gov.
Next steps
Travel and relocation expenses will not be reimbursed. Only one position will be filled by this vacancy announcement. All employees are required to adhere to the "Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees" which is available for review upon request. The court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, to withdraw the job announcement, or to fill the position at any time before the closing date, any of which actions may occur without any prior written or other notice. Due to the volume of applications received, only candidates in consideration for this position will be contacted.
The United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and values diversity in the workplace.
https://www.arwd.uscourts.gov/.