Special to IFN

Iredell County Clerk of Superior Court Jim Mixson recently attended the N.C. Conference of Clerks of Superior Court annual Winter Educational Conference in Raleigh.

The conference was a collaborative effort of the Conference of Clerks of Superior Court, the Administrative Office of the Courts and the UNC School of Government. Clerks received updates and training on a variety of topics including civil proceedings before the clerk, changes to foreclosure sales, customer service, dealing with change, artificial intelligence and the courts, ethics, evidence, and probate proceedings among other topics.

“The roles of the Clerk of Superior Court in North Carolina are incredibly diverse. We serve as the record keeper, controller and as each county’s probate judge in addition to being the hiring authority for our respective offices,” explained Mixson, who serves as president of the N.C. Conference of Clerks of Superior Court.

“Receiving continuing education on these roles is vital to the administration of justice throughout our state.”

Clerks also received updates from State Treasurer Brad Briner, State Auditor Dave Boliek, and Administrative Office of the Courts Director Ryan Boyce. In addition, the clerks were addressed by N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby. The clerks also hosted a reception for state lawmakers. 

“We are very thankful to Treasurer Briner and Auditor Boliek for taking time out of their busy schedules to join us. It is always a pleasure to hear Director Boyce’s updates and Chief Justice Newby’s words of encouragement,” Mixson said. “Working together with the General Assembly is crucial for good government and for the efficient administration of justice and we were grateful so many legislators joined us Wednesday evening.”

The Clerk of Superior Court is a state constitutional office and is the hub of all judicial proceedings in each of the 100 counties in North Carolina. Each county has a Clerk of Superior Court, who is independently selected in a county-wide election. During their four-year term, Clerks are responsible for the administrative, clerical, and record-keeping functions of district and superior courts. Unlike clerks of court in other states, Clerks of Superior Court in North Carolina are also judges that have original and exclusive jurisdiction over probate matters and hear numerous other proceedings, including incompetency determinations, appointment of guardians, adoptions, foreclosures, partitions of land, legitimations, and many other civil matters.

The Conference of Clerks of Superior Court was created in 2006 by the General Assembly to improve the administration of justice in North Carolina. The Conference, consisting of all 100 elected Clerks of Superior Court from across the state and supported by administrative staff, works to improve public accessibility to the courts through the Office of the Clerk of Superior Court in each county, serve as a resource for the Clerks of Superior Court in key areas of court administration, and to act as a liaison on behalf of all elected Clerks of Superior Court to both governmental and non-governmental stakeholders.