SUPERIOR COURT OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY SEEKS QUALIFIED APPLICANTS FOR COURT COMMISSIONER
Accepting Applications Now Through July 14
The Court seeks highly qualified, motivated, and accomplished individuals committed to upholding the law and adjudicating cases fairly and efficiently to fill the position of court commissioner. The ideal candidate possesses strong legal and writing skills, a high level of personal integrity, good judgment, decisiveness, patience, intelligence, and exemplary people skills.
ABOUT THE POSITION:
Court commissioners conduct hearings and adjudicate cases in civil, criminal, family law, juvenile, probate, small claims, and traffic matters. Court commissioners manage heavy dockets, call calendar matters, hear testimony, rule on objections, admit evidence, and issue rulings. Upon agreement of the parties, they may also sit as temporary judges. Court commissioners may be assigned to sit in any of the Court’s 36 courthouses located across Los Angeles County, and their assignments and locations are based on the needs of the Court. Court commissioners hold an at-will position, serve at the pleasure of the Court, and are not subject to other vested terms of service. Commissioners work under the authority of the Judges of the Court and are subject to the direction of the Presiding Judge and their designees. Court commissioners are prohibited from practicing law during their employment with the Court.
The annual salary for a court commissioner is $196,497.96, plus a generous benefits package. Watch this video for more information on the position and to learn more about the fulfilling experience of current court commissioners.
SELECTION REQUIREMENTS:
Court commissioners must be a member in good standing of the State Bar of California with a minimum of ten years’ experience practicing law in California. Court commissioners must be a resident of California and possess United States citizenship.
SELECTION PROCEDURE AND TIMELINE:
Pursuant to Los Angeles Superior Court Local Rule 1.9, Court commissioners are selected by the Court’s Court Commissioner Selection Committee (Committee). Between August 14 and September 1, teams consisting of two Committee members each will conduct virtual interviews with a specified number of the most qualified applicants. Between October 16 and 23, the Committee will invite those candidates it deems most qualified for in-person interviews before the full Committee and will place the names of the highest-ranking candidates on an eligibility list in rank order. As the Court fills vacant court commissioner positions, it will distribute to its judges a ballot with the names of candidates in rank order, along with each candidate’s photograph and biographical statement, and ask that they vote for a candidate to fill the vacancy or vacancies. Every court commissioner-elect must pass a criminal background investigation before appointment.
PROHIBITION AGAINST SOLICITING SUPPORT FOR CANDIDACY:
Per Court Policy, court commissioner applicants are prohibited from soliciting judges’ support for their candidacy. The integrity of the recruitment process for the court commissioner position is important to the Court. It is imperative that all candidates abide by the Court’s policy and refrain from soliciting support from judges. Notwithstanding this prohibition on solicitation, applicants may list up to four judges familiar with their work as references.
APPLICATION INFORMATION:
The Court is accepting applications now through July 14. Qualified applicants interested in the position can apply here.
All applicants are required to submit a Los Angeles Superior Court commissioner application, associated materials, and a supplemental questionnaire online. At the conclusion of the recruitment process, Human Resources personnel will notify applicants of the outcome. The Court is an equal-opportunity employer. Applicants with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations to participate in the recruitment process can contact apatterson@lacourt.org.
You can view the current notice here.
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