Clerk’s Office Corner

By The Honorable Dorothy Brown’s Clerk’s Office Corner

For five years the Honorable Dorothy Brown has been committed to enhancing the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County through improved 21st century technology, customer service, employee development and training, operational efficiency and financial accountability. One of Dorothy Brown’s most rewarding experiences as Clerk has been to see the initiatives she has established help the citizens of Cook County better navigate the court system and receive courteous treatment in the process. The Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County will provide updates on its various programs in this “Clerk’s Office Corner” in each issue of The Tort Reporter.

Clerk Brown introduced the Attorney Direct Deposit Bond Refunds program to the legal community with the option to have cash bond refund payments deposited directly to the business checking or savings account of an attorney’s choice. Participation in this program is intended to expedite bond refund payments because attorneys will not have to wait for their bond refund checks to arrive in the mail. This payment option also eliminates potential delays attributed to late postal delivery or to checks being lost.

To participate in the Direct Deposit Bond Refund Program, a firm must have a business checking or savings account. For more information, please visit the Clerk’s Office Accounting Department in the Daley Center, Room 1005. Business hours are Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Clerk Brown used 21st century technology to improve customer service in the Civil Division Bulk Filing Department in Room 602A of the Daley Center. The former labor intensive, manual process of bulk filing has been replaced with an automated system that provides consistent processing times, a tracking system and automatic e-mail notification to bulk filers letting them know when their copies are ready to be picked up.

The installation of the Integrated Cashiering and Security System (ICSS) is one of the most effective and comprehensive improvements made in the Clerk’s Office. The ICSS was implemented in the 22 operational divisions and districts within the Clerk’s Office. Increased efficiency derived from the newly implemented technology benefits internal operations and reduces the occurrence of errors. Transactions have been made easier and wait lines are moving rapidly. ICSS also allows for efficient management of the large volume of fees and fines for which the Clerk’s Office is responsible.

Overall, timely accounting, updating of court records, improved reconciliation procedures and efficient customer service are a few of the many benefits of programs implemented by Clerk Brown to better serve all Cook County citizens.

For more information on any Clerk’s Office service, please visit our website at www. cookcountyclerkofcourt.org. Please visit this column in the next issue of The Tort Reporter for more developments in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County.