Paralegal I - Confidential

at  Shasta County

TYPICAL QUALIFICATIONS

Any combination of education and experience sufficient to directly demonstrate possession and application of the following:
Knowledge of: Procedures involved in finding relevant material in standard legal reference books; methods and techniques of legal research, discovery and fact investigation; civil procedure; principles of legal writing legal concepts, terminology, phraseology, forms, documents, principles, procedures and practices; federal, state, and local court processes and procedures; general operation of the court system; computer equipment and applications utilized by the department; office methods and practices, procedures, supplies and equipment; proper English usage, grammar, spelling and punctuation; business correspondence and report writing; basic principles and techniques of training and supervision.
Ability to: Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information; understand and carry out complex oral and written directions; independently gather information and prepare reports and correspondence; research, analyze and apply legal principles, facts, evidence and precedents to legal issues; organize large amounts of data, facts and research; communicate effectively both orally and in writing; read and understand federal and state court decisions, statutes, regulations and legal documents; draft legal documents and pleadings; analyze situations accurately and adopt an effective course of action; interpret and apply laws, rules and written and oral directions to specific situations requiring the use of independent judgment and minimal supervision; use sound judgment within the scope and limit of authority delegated; manage assigned workload; operate personal computers and utilize computer applications used by the department; establish and maintain cooperative work relationships; follow workplace safety policies and procedures. Work primarily in an office environment including sitting at a desk working with computer equipment, on the phone and in meetings for prolonged periods; regularly working with files and with general office equipment; travel to and take notes in Court.
These employment standards are typically attained with a minimum of two (2) years of experience as a paralegal in a civil law practice.

APPLICANTS WILL BE SCREENED AND THOSE CONSIDERED BEST QUALIFIED WILL BE INVITED TO APPEAR FOR AN ORAL AND/OR WRITTEN EXAMINATION. MEETING THE ANNOUNCED REQUIREMENTS DOES NOT GUARANTEE INCLUSION INTO THE SELECTION PROCESS. DEPENDING UPON THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED, THE SELECTION PROCESS MAY CONSIST OF ADDITIONAL APPLICATION SCREENING, WRITTEN AND/OR PRACTICAL EXAM(S), ORAL INTERVIEW, OR ANY COMBINATION THEREOF.

Veterans’ Credit: Veterans (as defined by California Government Code section 18973) who have been discharged from military service under conditions other than dishonorable and who receive a passing score on all components of the employment examinations (up to and including oral examinations) shall receive credit for an additional five points to be added to their final examination score. To be considered for this credit, a veteran MUST provide a copy of his or her discharge document (DD-214 or equivalent) and information as to the type of discharge (honorable, dishonorable, etc.) WITH THE EMPLOYMENT APPLICATION ON OR BEFORE THE FINAL FILING DATE.
Applicants are encouraged to apply on-line at www.ShastaCountyCareers.com or submit an application to the Shasta County Personnel Office.
Arrangements may be made to accommodate applicants with disabilities. Requests for accommodations may be made to the Shasta County Personnel Office by the filing deadline posted on this bulletin. Shasta County does not discriminate on the basis of disability. If you feel you are being denied service based on a disability, our ADA Coordinator may be reached at (530) 225-5515; relay service (800) 735-2922; fax (530) 225-5345.
Shasta County will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Shasta County is concerned about a conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting calcivilrights.ca.gov/fair-chance-act.

Duties include, but are not limited to the following:
Performs paralegal services for the County Counsel and attorney staff; researches legal issues and reviews statutes and other municipal codes/ordinances, recorded judicial decisions, legal articles, and other documents; drafts routine pleadings, briefs, appeals and other litigation related documents including, but not limited to, petitions, complaints, answers, and declarations; reviews and summarizes deposition and hearing transcripts; drafts routine ordinances, resolutions, leases, contracts and contract amendments, staff reports, deed restrictions/conservation easements and standard real estate documents; acts on an intermediate level as small claims advisor; provides legal technical support in various areas of civil law for projects such as: processing, codification and publication of County ordinances and ensuring internal consistency of the County Code; prepares public hearing notices; and calendaring and tracking milestones related to real estate transactions; assists staff in tracking existing and proposed legislation; provides legislative history and status reports; contacts attorneys and others to coordinate calendars, meetings and the conduct of legal business; organizes and maintains litigation and non-litigation files and materials; organizes document control in situations involving voluminous documents; may appear in court in a support capacity for attorneys; performs related duties as assigned.