WHAT WE OFFER
COURT CLERK EDUCATION
We offer a series of Court Clerk courses, from an introductory level to an intermediate level, and finishing up with a master level. Each level is followed by a certification exam. We have designed a curriculum for Tribal Court Clerks that addresses day-to-day job duties as well as common challenges staff may face.
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Our courses are structured on a 50-minute hour. Each 2-day course is 4 hours long each day.
We offer a certification test at the end of each Court Clerk level.
Level I: Building Foundational Skills (2-Day Course)
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As a new court clerk, you must recognize how the judiciary is set up within the tribe’s government structure and what types of laws govern the court. You will be able to identify how due process applies when processing court documents and calendaring/docketing cases. You can expect this course to help you develop the fundamental skills to become a proficient court
clerk.
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Level 2: Enhancing Foundational Skills (2-Day Course)
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The court should operate to its fullest potential with minimal interruptions while providing services to the community. This program will highlight and explain what Tribal, State, and Federal laws and policies are mandated in your court. Level II will focus on establishing comprehensive office procedures to ensure cases are properly docketed and timely flowing through the court system. You will also develop the skills necessary to properly perform the following functions: case audits, courtroom roles, and data collection.
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Level 3: Mastering Foundational Skills (2-Day Course)
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As an experienced court clerk, you will begin the journey to the mastery level. Level III explores areas of advanced court clerk responsibility and accountability. You will be able to effectively move documents and case files to ensure caseflow and to prevent a backlog of cases. You will demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of audits, establishing a retention and destruction schedule, financial management, and personnel management.
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TRIBAL COURT ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT SERIES
Court Administrators, Court Managers, and Judges are court leaders who must be accountable and responsible to both the judicial system and the tribal community for an efficient and effective Court. Court Management requires knowledge of each facet of court administration, court operations and also requires the court leader to develop specialized skills in all areas to ensure the court is functioning at its highest level.
Tribal Court Administrators or Managers, Court Clerks granted administrative functions as well as Judges, come expand your knowledge base and increase your skills to effectively manage the Tribal Court.
The Tribal Court Administration and Management series will delve into the complexities of court administration and management. We will explore the purpose and responsibilities of the court and determine if the court’s mission and vision are strategically aligned with the identified goals to build or enhance the foundation of the court. We will discuss effective management of court operations, handling the challenges of the workforce and discover how court governance has a key role in creating performance standards. We will show how efficient and professional performance of the court’s work will promote a fair and timely resolution of all cases filed. After analyzing areas that hamper case and workflow, we will demonstrate the necessity of prompt corrective action to avoid backlog, diminishment of litigant rights and erosion of public trust in the court.
Increasing your skills in court administration and management will enhance workforce productivity, which positively impacts caseflow and provides transparent and fair judicial services to the community. Learn to build a solid court foundation and strategically plan for future growth and improvement of your justice system
This Series is structured on a 50-minute hour. Each 2-day course is 5 hours long each day,
beginning at 9 am PST.
LEVEL 1: COURT ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT SERIES
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The first course in the Tribal Court Administration and Management Series will study the role of the Court Administrator or Court Manager and their relationship with, and influence on, the justice system to ensure the court is operating at its highest potential and providing effective judicial services to the community. Next, we will explore how court employees are expected to adhere to high professional standards and ethics and how handling this enhanced level of scrutiny can pose a challenge for workforce supervision. The course will help you create tools to manage staff and assist their growth as court employees. We will also examine the development and use of quality control mechanisms to ensure essential components of Court Operations are identified. Finally, we will strategize how to meet the challenges of caseflow and workflow management.
LEVEL 2: COURT ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT SERIES
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The second course in the Tribal Court Administration and Management Series will move into identifying additional essential components of Court Operations. We will begin with analyzing your records and information management systems to select what and how that information will be shared. Next, court technology options are growing in this time of social isolation and health protection, so we will examine how you can incorporate new systems into your court operations and offer various options to provide effective judicial services. Enhancing your communication skills are a vital component for you as a supervisor and we will share tips on gaining confidence with this important supervisory talent. Workforce supervision is also a significant part of your daily workflow; gain enhanced skills in this essential area of employee supervision. Finally, delve into the complexities of budgeting and financial management to expand your knowledge in this area.
LEVEL 3: COURT ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT SERIES
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The final course in the Tribal Court Administration and Management Series will survey the remaining essential components of Court Operations. We will discuss personnel management and the process for developing a toolkit that will assist your growth as a supervisor. We will explore the process of statistical analyzation and how you can improve your court system with proper data analysis and reporting. Special Support Services affect court business so we will examine how to manage these parallel entities and other processes. As we conclude the Series, we will tackle the topic of planning for the future success of your court.
ELECTIVE CLASSES
Jury Management (2-hour class)
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This elective course will explore best practices for jury management. Jury trials require more preparation time from the Court Clerk’s Office. We will discuss how to prepare and issue the proper documents; walk through the process of jury selection; and focus on the Court Clerk’s duties during a jury trial.
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After this session, Court Clerks will be able to:
a. Prepare a jury summons and questionnaire;
b. Describe how a jury is seated; and
c. Outline the duties of a court clerk during a jury trial.
Appeals (2-hour class)
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When litigants make the decision to appeal a court decision, additional duties and procedures are triggered in the Court Clerk’s Office. This elective course will examine the appeal process and highlight the general procedures you need to know to fulfill your responsibilities while continuing to safeguard due process.
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After this session, Court Clerks will be able to:
a. Identify the parties in the appeal process;
b. Discuss the purpose of the appeal process; and
c. Describe the general procedure involved in going before the appeals court.
Time Management (2-hour class)
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Time management is the process of prioritizing your daily tasks to work at your most efficient level. This elective course will review techniques to minimize distractions, prioritize tasks and use your calendar to meet deadlines and adhere to required timeframes.
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After this session, Tribal Court Staff will be able to:
a. Define the concept of time management;
b. Determine how to prioritize tasks;
c. Give examples of how to minimize distractions; and
d. Utilize the calendar to maintain timeframes and deadlines.
Internal Court Assessment (4-hour class)
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Courts should periodically conduct internal court assessments. This process will allow you to identify areas of concern that you need to address now and plan how to handle issues that are less critical in the future. This elective will discuss the seven critical areas of court self-assessment.
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After this session, Court Administrators and Court Clerks will be able to:
a. Explain why courts should conduct a self-assessment;
b. Identify the 7 critical areas of self-assessment; and
c. Propose 3 ways to improve their court immediately.
Court Safety Policies (2-hour class)
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This elective course will identify potential risks your court may face. We will
consider your current safety measures and talk about how you can implement safety options on a budget.
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After this session, Tribal Court Staff will be able to:
a. Identify and assess areas of potential risk;
b. Discuss your current safety measures; and
c. Examine how you can address safety options on a budget.
Stress Management (2-hour class)
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This elective course will identify stressors that are unique to the court system, yourself, and your family, and reduce and manage those stressors as a routine part of your life. We will talk about how to balance your work life with your personal life and suggest some ways to apply stress management skills when you are on the job.
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After this session, Tribal Court Staff will be able to:
a. Identify stressors that are unique to the court system, yourself, and your family, and reduce
and manage those stresses as a routine part of your life;
b. Anticipate and prepare for increases in stress, recognize early signs of burnout, and mobilize
your support system;
c. Balance the demands of professional and personal life and apply stress management skills to
your job; and
d. Outline how unmanaged stress affects your long-term health prospects and how attitudinal
factors affect your career, home, and other long-term relationships.
Handling Difficult People (2-hour class)
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This elective course can help you develop better techniques for dealing with high-conflict people and we will give you pointers on how to create an internal policy for dealing with demanding court customers.
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After this session, Tribal Court Staff will be able to:
a. Develop better techniques for dealing with high-conflict people;
b. Manage internal and external factors that cause conflict at work; and
c. Help create an internal policy about dealing with difficult court customers.
Communication Skills (2-hour class)
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Are you a good listener? Join us to discover some tips on becoming a better listener. This elective course will also discuss the difference between verbal communication and non-verbal communication to show you how to respond more appropriately to your co-workers as well as internal and external court customers. We will discuss how to make sure your court is accessible to the community.
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After this session, Tribal Court Staff will be able to:
a. Discuss the difference between verbal communication and non-verbal communication;
b. Identify the benefits of using “plain language” in your court system; and
c. Recognize the importance of being a good listener.
TAILORED COURSE TOPICS
We can create custom courses out of any combination of the topics listed below that are personalized for your jurisdiction. For example, we can tailor the Court Clark courses to reflect the Tribe's codes, statuses, rules, orders, ordinances, or laws used by your staff. The Court Clerk certification exams can be customized as well.
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Action Planning
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Advocacy Skills
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Appeal Process
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Appellate Skills
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Attorney/Advocate Licensure and Discipline
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Auditing and Evaluating Cases
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Budgets
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Case Management
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Case flow Management
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Code Development and Revision
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Court Administration
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Court Development
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Court Personnel Ethics
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Court Security
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Customer Service
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Data Analysis
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Data Collection and Reporting
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Electronic Case Filing
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Employee Training and Retention
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Fiscal Management
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Internal Controls and Policy Development
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Judicial Ethics and Discipline
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Judicial Skills
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Jury Management
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Managing the Calendar/Docket
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Personnel Management
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Procedural Fairness
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Professional Responsibilities
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Record Keeping
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Roles and Duties of Court Administrators
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Roles and Duties of Tribal Court Clerks
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Staff Morale
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Strategic Planning
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Stress Management
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Succession and Strategic Planning
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Team Building
If you would like a quote for a custom course, please contact us at admin@sage-education.org
CONSULTING SERVICES
We also offer consulting services for court reviews, corrective actions, procedure manual development, policy review and development, code review, revision and development, and judicial benchbooks tailored to the specific court.
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If you need onsite consultation, please contact us to discuss your options at