Paralegal

Job Description

The Job

Apply Today And Help Make A Difference In Our Community

San Bernardino County is recruiting for Paralegals to provide professional legal support to attorneys in the preparation of legal documents, legal research, case analysis, and trial preparation. Typical duties include researching and analyzing legal authorities such as statutes, ordinances, regulations, court decisions, pleadings, police reports, and other legal documents. Incumbents work closely with attorneys to analyze cases, identify legal issues, and conduct legal research on relevant laws and case precedents. Additional responsibilities may include reviewing police reports; drafting and reviewing criminal and civil pleadings, jury instructions, verdict forms, and other litigation-related documents; preparing summaries of case law for use in legal briefs and other filings; and verifying the validity of legal authorities through citation research.

This position offers an opportunity to contribute to the legal process through comprehensive research, analytical support, and case preparation in a public service environment.
Vacancies exist in the District Attorney's office and the Public Defender's office .

For more detailed information, refer to the Paralegal job description.

EXCELLENT BENEFITS

To review job-specific benefits, refer to: Summary of Benefits and the Memoranda of Understanding

The County also offers an alternative Modified Benefits Option (MBO) that provides a wage differential.

About the District Attorney's Office

San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office is one of the finest organizations representing the people in criminal court proceedings in the state of California, if not the entire United States.

Our office strives to provide the best legal representation for the people, as well as the finest customer service to those we serve.

Located approximately 36 miles from downtown Los Angeles, the county of San Bernardino is the largest county in the United States, spanning 20,105 square miles.

With a staff of 241 deputy district attorneys, 62 district attorney investigators, 41 victim advocates, 246 administrative and clerical staff members, and 10 law clerks, our office proudly serves the approximately 2.19 million people who live in our county, and countless more who work and play on a daily basis.
Our mission is to represent the interests of the People in the criminal justice system, as mandated by California State law. Your District Attorney’s Office serves the residents of San Bernardino County by respecting and inspiring confidence in the rule of law, both inside and outside the Office; Collaboratively ensuring justice with excellence, integrity, and compassion by transparently partnering with the public, law enforcement, and the judiciary; Stewarding public resources to hold the guilty accountable, support victims of crime, and honoring the humanity of all involved in the criminal justice system; Restoring a culture of service and accountability to the most powerful law office in the county whose singular mission will be to restore systems and people to provide equal justice for all.

About The Public Defender's Office

The Law Offices of the Public Defender San Bernardino County is a county department that is staffed with attorneys licensed by the State Bar of California. The attorneys who handle cases in court are called Deputy Public Defenders. In addition to attorneys, the Public Defender employs Investigators to fully investigate cases handled by the Department. The Department also has a unit of social service practitioners and support staff to ensure the best holistic representation for clients.

The Public Defender will be appointed to represent any criminal or civil commitment defendant who cannot afford to hire an attorney, unless the office has a legal conflict of interest with that defendant’s case. The Public Defender represents adults and juveniles charged with misdemeanor or felony crimes, and individuals facing involuntary civil commitment for mental disorders or commitment under the Sexually Violent Predator statute.

The Law Offices of the Public Defender San Bernardino County is a leader in innovation, developing and implementing programs to operate more efficiently and improving individual lives. Using a holistic approach, the Public Defender seeks to increase client opportunities for achieving self-sufficiency. In addition to providing legal defense, our agency also seeks to arrange client access to social service programs and assistance with receiving alcohol and drug rehabilitation services and counseling for mental health issues.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

1) Background: A background investigation will be conducted, including a DOJ/FBI fingerprint check.

2) Travel: Travel throughout the County may be required and employees will be required to make provisions for such transportation.
3) Sponsorship : San Bernardino County is not able to consider candidates who will require visa sponsorship at the time of application or in the future

Minimum Requirements

EDUCATION: Applicants must meet one of the options below.

NOTE : Candidates are required to attach copies of qualifying degree, transcripts, and/or attorney declaration or application will be disqualified .

Option 1: Possess a certificate of completion of a paralegal program approved by the American Bar Association.

Option 2: Possess a certificate of completion of a paralegal program at, or a degree from, a post-secondary institution that requires the successful completion of a minimum of 24 semester (36 quarter) units in law-related courses that has been accredited by a national or regional accrediting organization or approved by the Bureau of Private Post-secondary and Vocational Education.

Option 3: Possess a baccalaureate degree or an advanced degree in any subject from an accredited college or university , a minimum of one (1) year of law-related experience under the supervision of an attorney who has been an active member of the State Bar of California for at least the preceding three years or who has practiced in the federal courts of this state for at least the preceding three (3) years, and a written declaration from this attorney stating the applicant is qualified to perform legal tasks.

Desired Qualifications

The ideal candidate is detail-oriented and able to work effectively with both attorneys and support staff to meet work objectives. The incumbent must have criminal or civil law experience with trial preparation, motion writing, and discovery procedures. Must be proficient in managing case-related data using Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word. Bilingual skills are desirable but not required. Additional compensation is associated with positions requiring the use of bilingual skills. Testing of bilingual skills may be required to receive additional compensation.

Selection Process

Examination Procedure : There will be a competitive evaluation of qualifications based on the information provided in the Application and the Supplemental Questionnaire. You are encouraged to include detailed descriptions of your qualifying experience and skills, as only the most highly qualified applicants will be referred to the Department.

Application Procedure : Please complete and submit the online employment application and supplemental questionnaire by 5:00 pm on November 30, 2026 . Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the application and/or supplemental questionnaire.

To ensure timely and successful submission of your online application, please allow ample time to complete and submit your application before the posted filing deadline. Applicants will be automatically logged-out if they have not submitted the application and all required materials prior to the posted deadline. Once your application has been successfully submitted, you will receive an onscreen confirmation and an email. We recommend that you save and/or print these for your records. Please note, if you do not receive an onscreen confirmation and an email acknowledging our receipt of your application, we have not received your application.

All communications regarding the selection process will be via email. Applicants are encouraged to check their e-mail frequently to learn additional information regarding this recruitment. Check your GovernmentJobs account for notifications. Update your firewalls to allow e-mails from San Bernardino County through governmentjobs.com. Update your Spam, Junk, and Bulk settings to ensure it will not spam/block/filter communications from email addresses with the following domain "@hr.sbcounty.gov". Finally, be sure to keep your personal information updated. Taking these steps now will help ensure you receive all communications regarding this recruitment.

EEO/ADA: San Bernardino County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant employer, dedicated to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants.

ADA Accommodation: If you have a disability and need accommodations during the testing process, please submit the Special Testing Accommodations Request Form within one week of a recruitment filing deadline.

Veterans’ Preference: Eligible veterans, their spouses, or widows/widowers who are not current County employees may receive additional Veterans' Preference points. For details and instructions on how to request these points, please refer to the Veterans' Preference Policy .

For more important details, review the Applicant Information and County Employment Process .

Technical & Inspection Unit

San Bernardino County offers a range of benefit programs for employees and their eligible dependents. These include health, dental, vision, and life insurance, as well as a variety of other voluntary benefits. Programs and benefit amounts vary and are based on bargaining unit, family size, hire date, plan selection, and number of hours worked.

Please review the appropriate Summary of Benefits * for more information

Refer to the appropriate MOU, contact the County’s Employee Benefits and Services Division at (909) 387-5787 or visit the Employee Benefits website for more detailed information.

*Retirement benefits subject to change.

Closing Date/Time: 11/30/2026 5:00 PM Pacific