The Job of a Court Administrator

Last week, the Daily Globe carried news of Sandi Hensley, the Rock County Court Administrator retiring after 33 years of service in March, 2012. From 2010, she had also handled the additional responsibility of Nobles County Court Administrator, moving between Luverne and Worthington several times a week. What also was news at the same time was that upon her retirement, until suitable replacement was found, Steve Schulze would be concurrently handling the administrations of Murray, Pipestone, Rock and Nobles counties. It goes to show the importance and scarcity of efficient court administrators.

Hensley, who had joined the Rock County Court as a deputy clerk of courts in 1979, could recall a time when typewriters and carbon papers were still in use and photocopiers were relatively scarce. Retiring at a time when traffic tickets are filed electronically, Hensley had seen a sea-change in the functions and roles of paralegals.

When asked about the role of a court administrator, Hensley told the media, “We take care of anything that comes into the courts, opening files, handling the court schedule, making the calls for jury duty … we process court orders and distribute the information, sending it out to the different agencies involved.” However, she admits, the best part of her job that she is going to miss is performing civil marriage ceremonies.

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The function of court administration being carried out by specialized staff is becoming the norm in modern courts. What is primarily required is a master's or bachelor's degree in public or business administration or related field. The job of a court administrator usually involves evaluating and maintaining the organization, practices, and procedures of courts; compiling data and record keeping; designing, implementing and maintaining management systems of court personnel and documents.

There are many functions and processes where a court administrator becomes necessary: many issues like probation, marital support, mental health, and juvenile cases that were handled by magistrates, executive magistrates or similar functionaries in earlier systems of courts are now tackled by court administrators.

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Specific duties of court administrators include better scheduling of jurors' time, efficient notification of trial timings by using computers, helping to prepare budgets, personnel management and catering to the needs of both professional and non professional court workers from judges to maintenance crews of a court. A court administrator may also be in charge of the physical condition of a court including appropriate artwork and cleanliness, or preparing budgets and lobbying the legislature.

The job of a court administrator is one of the most sought after among other upper management positions in court systems including those of federal court circuit executive, clerk of court, jury commissioner, and chief probation officer.

In a recent nationwide survey of law enforcement criminal justice needs and resources, it was found that the presence of professional court managers trained in management skills will keep increasing in the court systems as caseloads continue to increase and the elimination of smaller courts continue.

Alice Fins, Opportunities in Paralegal Careers Revised ed., (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005)