Final Filing Date: July 24, 2026, by 5:00 pm
(Postmarks not accepted)
Salary is $78.00 to $94.80 per hour range (up to 24 hours per week)
For complete position information, application process,
and employment application, please visit:
Employment Opportunities & Employment Application | Superior Court of California | County of Tuolumne
The Position
This position performs various judicial functions as prescribed by law or conferred by the court including, but not limited to, those judicial functions as prescribed by Government Code and Family Code Sections 4251 and 4252. Commissioners have the same jurisdiction and exercise the same powers and duties as the judges of the courts with respect to infractions and small claims actions, and in other matters pursuant to stipulation of the parties.
This position is employed by the Superior Court of California, County of Tuolumne, is unrepresented, and is At-will under the hiring authority and supervision of the Presiding Judge.
Representative Duties
(For illustrative purposes only – does not include all the duties that may be performed)
· Acts as a temporary judge in court cases pursuant to the stipulation of counsel or parties; conducts a daily court calendar; presides over hearings and trials; makes rulings, findings, judgments, and orders.
· Exercises the same powers and duties as a judge of the court in assigned cases.
· Presides over proceedings in one or more of the following: family law and juvenile court, civil, small claims, criminal and traffic matters, hearings and trials of infractions, misdemeanors, probate, and other hearings as assigned by the Presiding Judge.
· Arraigns defendants; grants continuances; hears, reviews, and rules on a variety of petitions, motions, and other actions; takes evidence from concerned parties and other witnesses; makes or recommends appropriate court orders; accepts pleas when appropriate and imposes sentences; sets cases for hearing and trial; conducts court trials, as assigned by the Presiding Judge
· Reviews court files, documents, and related materials to assess cases prior to and following hearings; prepares court documents, records, reports, correspondence, and other written materials pertaining to case findings.
· Holds pre-hearing conferences for the settlement or simplification of issues.
· Researches specified decisional issues.
· May be responsible for adjudicating cases.
· Performs work appropriate to the position as required by court needs or as assigned.
· Reviews and summarizes evidence, procedural history, and applicable law on matters before the court.
· Reviews family law judgments and related family law pleadings for completeness, irregularities, and compliance with the law.
· Identifies and analyzes factual and legal issues relevant to the disposition of matters, researches legal authorities.
· Researches and analyzes matters before the court, identifies, and discusses unresolved issues necessary for the disposition of matters, and formulates dispositions.
· Responds to judges’ inquiries on procedural and substantive issues during trials and hearings; conducts reviews of documents at the request of judges.
· May serve as legal adviser to the court judicial officers, Court Executive Officer, staff, or judicial committees on specific matters before the court.
· May assist with the drafting of local court rules and other legal work required by the court.
· Reviews accountings filed by fiduciaries in probate matters to ensure that the estate is being properly managed, investments are in compliance with the law, and the accountings are accurate; notifies the court of discrepancies and makes surcharge recommendations as necessary.
· Reviews proposed Family Law Judgments for completeness and compliance with law.
Supervision Received and Exercised
The Presiding Judge provides general direction and supervision in relation to Bench duties. The Court Executive Officer provides administrative direction on employment-related matters. No employees report directly to this position.
Minimum Qualifications
Education/Experience:
· Graduation from an accredited Law School.
· Active membership in good standing in the State Bar of California for a minimum of ten (10) years prior to appointment, or in any state and California for a combined period of not less than ten (10) years, unless inactive membership due to previously holding the position of judge, referee, or commissioner.
· A minimum of ten (10) years’ experience as a practicing attorney.
· Minimum of ten (10) years professional legal experience in family, civil, criminal, juvenile, probate, and/or law and motion litigations.
Licenses:
· Active member of the California State Bar in good standing.
· Possession of a valid California driver’s license.
Other Requirements:
· Citizenship in the United States.
· Residency in California
· Incumbents cannot engage in the active practice of law either for compensation or on a pro bono basis while employed in this position by the Superior Court.
· Pass pre-employment fingerprint and professional background checks through the DOJ/FBI.
Knowledge of:
· Legal principles, precedents, and applications as applied to judicial procedures.
· Judicial system including but not limited to, family and civil law, juvenile, criminal, probate, codes, and statutes.
· California Codes such as Vehicle, Penal, Evidence, Civil, Civil Procedure and Code of Judicial Conduct.
· California Rules of Court and procedures related to the acceptance of pleas, rulings, sentencing and disposition of criminal cases.
· Court procedures, protocols, and calendaring practices.
· Principles, practices, and methods of legal research and analysis.
· Scope and character of California (CA) and federal statutory and case law and provisions of the United Sates and CA Constitutions.
· CA Rules of Court; the legislative process; statutes and constitutional provisions governing the organization, duties, powers, procedures, management, and conduct of the work of trial courts.
· Principles of administrative, constitutional law, probate, civil, criminal, and family law.
· Legal research methods and programs, particularly Westlaw.
· Rules of evidence and procedure in California trial courts.
· Rules, statutes, policies, and procedures applicable to court operations.
· Office practices and procedures, including filing and record-keeping systems.
Ability to:
· Read, understand, and objectively analyze and interpret legal issues, principles and arguments.
· Direct and control courtroom proceedings in a decisive, orderly, and equitable manner.
· Communicate orally and in writing in a concise and effective manner.
· Exercise appropriate judicial temperament and demeanor.
· Effectively handle pressure in difficult and unexpected situations by responding in a calm and rational manner.
· Assist in developing court policy and procedures.
· Meet the education and training requirements established in CRC Rule 5.340 by attending new judicial officer and continuing education programs, including AB1058 training.
· Evaluate and succinctly summarize motions and petitions before the court.
· Perform complex legal research, including computerized legal research; apply legal principles and precedents to particular sets of facts.
· Analyze legal issues.
· Interpret, explain, and apply relevant laws, regulations, policies and procedures.
· Develop legal opinions, with a working knowledge of substantive law and procedures in the areas of probate, civil, criminal, and family law.
· Present and instruct statements of facts, law, policy, and argument clearly, concisely, and logically in both written and oral form, and assist in preparation and posting of Tentative Rulings and Probate Notes.
· Draft legal opinions, briefs, memoranda, and other legal documents and correspondence.
· Communicate effectively in English, orally and in writing.
· Establish and maintain effective and diplomatic working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
· Exercise initiative and sound judgment within established guidelines.
· Organize and prioritize work assignments and activities.
· Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information in the course of work.
· Meet the education and training requirements for this position by remaining current on relevant legal trends and attending appropriate continuing education programs.
· Assist in developing local court rules and forms.
· Serve as the document examiner for Family Law judgments.
· Effectively work under time pressures daily and be able to meet deadlines.
· Efficiently operate personal computers and use Windows applications.
Physical Requirements
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an incumbent to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. In compliance with state and federal law, the court will engage in the interactive process to provide a reasonable accommodation for any qualified incumbent or applicant with a disability.
Work is performed in a typical office setting with adequate lighting and moderate temperature while using standard office equipment such as a computer and phone. While performing the duties of this job, the incumbent is constantly required to sit, stand, walk, use hands and fingers to handle or feel objects and controls, and engage in repetitive hand movement while performing computer data entry and writing.
The incumbent is frequently required to talk, hear, reach, bend, and sit, must be able to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and walk up and down stairs if the elevator is not in working order. Specific vision abilities required by this job include near vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Specific hearing and speaking abilities required by this job include sufficient ability to talk in person and over the phone. The incumbent must be able to occasionally drive to and from meeting and/or training locations.
Benefits
· CalPERS Retirement plan (Court pays monthly employer’s share; employee pays employee’s EPMC on a monthly pre-tax basis at 8%).
· Up to 14 paid holidays per calendar year if holiday occurs on a regularly scheduled workday.
· 15 Days paid Leave per calendar year (Not accruable and cannot be cashed out).
· Monthly court contribution toward monthly health insurance premium cost of $1,385.00.
· Court-paid $100,000 Group Term Basic Life Insurance plan.
· Court-paid Basic Short-term and Long-term Disability plans.
· Merit-based Deferred Compensation Match after completion of Probationary period of one year based on performance.
· Computer loan program with 3-year interest-free loan for purchases up to $3,000.
Application and Selection Procedure
Interested applicants must submit a completed and signed Superior Court of California, County of Tuolumne employment application, cover letter, resume, and a completed response in narrative form the Supplemental Questions listed on page 6 order to be considered for this position. Incomplete application packets .
Before 5 PM on Friday, July 24, 2026.
Please forward required application materials via email to:
[email protected]
· Application packets evaluated as best qualified according to position criteria will be invited to participate in a panel interview to measure the candidates’ knowledge and skills specific to the position.
· If you have questions on the above or wish to request reasonable accommodation for this application process, please call the HR Department @ (209) 533-6914 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday or email [email protected].
- Information and Instructions -
To acquire knowledge of your education, work experience, and training, the first phase of the selection process for this position will be a review of your employment application, resume, cover letter, and responses to the Supplemental Questions below. The information you provide on the Court’s employment application and supplemental questions will be used to evaluate your overall qualifications for this position. Qualified applicants will be invited to participate in an interview based on the results of this evaluation process.
Please answer each of the following nine (9) Supplemental Questions and sign the related Certification section. Your answers must be typed and presented in a concise narrative form, using detailed examples to support your answers. The completed and signed questionnaire must be submitted with the other required documents in your Tuolumne Superior Court employment application package in order for you to be considered for this position. Please remember to sign and date the bottom of this questionnaire; if additional pages are needed to answer the questions, please include your name and date at the top of each page.
– SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS –
1. Describe the personal characteristics and professional practices you believe a commissioner should possess.
2. Describe the most significant case you have handled in court and elaborate on why you believe it was significant.
3. Have you personally prepared any appellate briefs (i.e., do not list any briefs prepared by others that you signed because of your position in a law office)? If so, generally describe issues you have briefed. Additionally, select what you consider to be your most successful and persuasive brief, and elaborate on the issues argued.
4. Have you ever been disciplined or cited for a break of ethics or unprofessional conduct by, or been the subject of a complaint to, any court, administrative agency, bar association, disciplinary committee, or other professional group? If so, provide the details. (Please list any complaint even if it was dismissed or did not result in disciplinary action.)
5. Describe your experience and comfort level in the use of electronic legal research tools.
6. Describe the two strengths that you possess that you believe best qualify you for the position. Why?
7. What areas of law are you most familiar with; conversely, what areas of law listed above are you least familiar with?
8. Describe the nature and extent of your service, if any, as a referee, judge pro tem, arbitrator, or mediator, either privately or through a judicial arbitration program. Please include dates of service.
9. On a standard 8.5X11 sheet of paper, please set out your preferred template for outlining and summarizing a pending family, civil, or probate matter for submission to the judge who will hear and decide the motion, illustrating the nature of the information you believe most salient to the judge’s decision-making process.
- CERTIFICATION ON NEXT PAGE -
Superior Court of California
County of Tuolumne
12855 Justice Center Dr.Sonora, CA 95370
CERTIFICATION
I certify by my signature below that all statements made in this Supplemental Questionnaire were written by me, and that they are true and complete. I understand that any misstatement of material fact(s) will subject me to disqualification from this application process.
Applicant Name
Applicant Signature Date
POSITION APPLIED FOR: Commissioner
Pay: $78.00 - $94.80 per hour
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Experience:
- Practicing Attorney: 10 years (Required)
Security clearance:
Ability to Commute:
- Sonora, CA 95370 (Required)
Ability to Relocate:
- Sonora, CA 95370: Relocate before starting work (Required)
Work Location: In person
