Civil Legal Secretary I

Introduction

Placer County is comprised of over 1,400 square miles of beautiful and diverse geography, ranging from the residential and commercial areas of South Placer, through the historic foothill areas of Auburn, Foresthill, and Colfax, and to the County's jewel of the North Lake Tahoe basin. Placer is a great place to live, work, play, and learn! For more information about Placer County, please visit www.placer.ca.gov.

POSITION INFORMATION

The Placer County Counsel's Office is currently hiring for one (1) permanent full-time vacancy of Civil Legal Secretary I.

Please note: The salary for this classification will be approximately $58,947.20 - $73,652.80, effective August 9, 2025.

BENEFITS

Placer County offers a comprehensive benefits package to employees. The following information represents benefits currently available to permanent Placer County employees and may be subject to change. Applicants should inquire as to the most current benefit package during hiring interviews or by contacting the Human Resources Department.

Click here to view Confidential benefits.

For more information regarding the benefits Placer County has to offer, please visit Placer County's Human Resources website.

DEFINITION

To provide a variety of highly responsible and specialized secretarial, technical and administrative legal support duties related to litigation and transactional law, including drafting, formatting and filing a variety of legal documents in support of the County Counsel’s Office.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This is the entry level class in the Civil Legal Secretary series. This class is distinguished from the journey level by the performance of the more routine and less complex tasks and duties assigned to positions within the series. Employees at this level are not expected to perform with the same independence of direction and judgment on matters allocated to the journey level. This class is typically used as a training class; employees may have only limited directly related work experience. Employees work under immediate supervision while learning to perform the full breadth of job tasks independently.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Receives immediate supervision from assigned professional or management staff, receives technical and/or functional supervision from a Senior Civil Legal Secretary.

EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Draft, format, proofread and finalize a variety of legal documents in support of assigned attorneys including, but not limited to, pleadings, briefs, writs, appellate briefs, motions, orders, civil discovery requests and responses, administrative records, warrants, judgments, agenda items and background materials, ordinances, resolutions, contracts, leases, and other civil litigation and legal transactional documents.
• Assist attorneys with trial and hearing preparation; format and prepare exhibit list, witness list, and jury instructions; may support attorneys in court and administrative proceedings, as assigned. Perform a variety of duties in support of document management including receiving, scanning, organizing, filing, and destroying documents in paper and electronic files.
• Perform routine and technical legal research, compile materials and prepare reports and documents.
• Interpret, analyze, and determine compliance or acceptance of information and materials.
• Establish and maintain systems related to assigned technical areas of responsibility; monitor area activities and report progress as required.
• Review contracts and routine legal documents prepared by County departments for accuracy and completeness.
• Draft, prepare and track civil subpoenas; research and locate contact information of involved parties; provide instructions for deposition officer and coordinate production of documents.
• Arrange for the presence of witnesses and make deposition arrangements including coordinating with court reporter.
• Receive and input Public Records Act requests and track timelines associated with such; assist in preparing responses; overseeing production of request.
• Receive, input and track Board of Supervisor agenda items.
• Recommend and assist in the implementation of goals and objectives; establish schedules and methods for office operations; implement office policies and procedures.
• Monitor and control expenditures and process invoices; track a variety of operational statistics.
• May be requested to assist with on-the-job training of newly hired staff regarding policies and procedures.
• Perform a variety of responsible administrative support activities on behalf of attorneys and management including, but not limited to, scheduling and maintaining calendar of appointments, court hearings, and depositions on behalf of attorneys; making meeting arrangements; monitoring and following-up on due dates.
• Serve as first point of contact at front desk, receiving, logging and distributing files, documents and Public Records Requests, answering phones, receiving, opening and processing incoming mail and greeting visitors.
• Respond to complex inquiries and requests for information from the public and County staff.
• Perform electronic and traditional filing in varied state and federal courts and administrative agencies.
• Independently respond to letters and general correspondence of a routine nature.
• Operate standard law office equipment including multi-line telephone, high volume printer, scanner, word processing and other document preparation applications; legal practice and case management software, other standalone computer software programs as related to assigned area.
• Provide responsible technical assistance and training in areas of expertise to office co-workers and other County employees.
• Organize evidence and documents for effective analysis and presentation by attorney.
• Review and summarize deposition transcripts and other discovery responses.
• Transcribe audio and video recordings.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with co-workers, other County employees and the public using principles of good customer service.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Experience and Training

Any combination of experience and training that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience: Two years of experience performing secretarial and technical legal support duties in a public or private legal office that included supporting civil litigation and transactional activities.

Training: Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade preferably supplemented by course work in business, paralegal studies or a closely related field.



Required License or Certificate:

May need to possess a valid driver's license as required by the position. Proof of adequate vehicle insurance and medical clearance may also be required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of legal secretarial and legal support including drafting, proofreading and filing a variety of legal documents in state court.
  
• Computer software, including word processing, data base and spreadsheet applications.
  
• English usage, spelling, punctuation and grammar; and arithmetic, basic mathematical calculations and statistics and statistical methods.
  
• Modern office procedures, methods and computer equipment.
  
• Principles and practices of report writing.
  
• Business letter writing.
  
• State court rules and procedures.
  

Ability to:

• On a continuous basis, sit at desk and/or stand at counter for long periods of time. Intermittently twist and reach office equipment; write and use keyboard to communicate through written means; perform simple grasping and fine manipulation; lift light weight.
  
  
• Intermittently review documents related to department operations; observe, identify and problem solve office operations and procedures; understand, interpret and explain department policies and procedures; explain operations and problem solve office issues for the public and with staff.
  
  
• Learn to perform legal research in carrying out technical administrative and legal support duties.
  
  
• Work with accuracy and thoroughness under stress.
  
  
• Compile and maintain records and prepare reports.
  
  
• Learn to analyze situations quickly and objectively to determine proper course of action.
  
  
• Use a personal computer and office equipment necessary for successful job performance.
  
  
• Type at a speed necessary for successful job performance.
  
  
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
  
  
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
  
  
• Work with various cultural and ethnic groups in a tactful and effective manner.
  
  
• Preserve confidentiality of sensitive material routinely encountered as part of work assignments.
• Develop and recommend policies and procedures related to assigned office operations.
  
  

SELECTION PROCEDURE

Training & Experience Rating (100%)

Based upon responses to the supplemental questionnaire, the applicant’s education, training, and experience will be evaluated using a pre-determined formula. Scores from this evaluation will determine applicant ranking and placement on the eligible list.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT

Prior to the date of hire, applicants must undergo a fingerprint test by the Department of Justice, pass a medical examination (which may include a drug screening and possibly a psychological evaluation), sign a constitutional oath, and submit proof of U.S. citizenship or legal right to remain and work in the U.S. For some positions, applicants may also be required to submit proof of age, undergo a background investigation (which may include a credit check, voice stress analysis, and/or a polygraph), and/or be bonded. Additionally, positions in law enforcement classifications and those supporting law enforcement functions will be required to complete a conviction history questionnaire prior to or during the interview process. Applicants for positions with access to Medi-Cal billing software or who are licensed providers must clear the Federal Exclusion List, credentialing, and social security verification. Failure to clear these requirements may result in an employment offer being withdrawn.

SUBSTITUTE LISTS

The eligible list resulting from this recruitment may be certified as a substitute list for a substantially similar classification. For this purpose, a substantially similar classification is one at a lower level in the same classification (example: entry level vs. journey level) and/or a similar classification (similar work performed, similar training and experience qualifications required). If you are contacted for an interview by a County department, you will be informed of the classification and other relevant information. If you choose not to interview for a substantially similar classification, you will remain on the eligible list for which you originally applied.

EMPLOYEES OF OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES

Placer County offers an expedited process for qualifying certain applicants for interviews. Candidates currently employed, or employed within the last year, by a public agency operating under a personnel civil service or merit system may be eligible to be placed on a Public Agency Eligible List and certified as eligible for appointment to a similar job assignment without going through the examination process. For more information on the Public Agency Eligible List, to download forms, or to apply, please click here.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Placer County is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an active nondiscrimination program. It is the stated policy of Placer County that unlawful harassment, discrimination, and retaliation are prohibited and that all employees, applicants, agents, contractors, and interns/volunteers shall receive equal consideration and treatment. All terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, transfer, and promotion will be based on the qualifications of the individual for the positions being filled regardless of the following characteristics: gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, race (including traits associated with race, which include, but are not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists), color, ancestry, religion (including creed and belief), national origin, citizenship, primary language, immigration status, physical disability (Including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics/information), age (40 or over), marital status, military and/or veteran status, sex (including parental status, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), reproductive health decision making, the person’s use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace, political orientation, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law or any combination of two or more characteristics stated herein. Please contact the Human Resources Department at least 5 working days before a scheduled examination if you require accommodation in the examination process. Medical disability verification may be required prior to accommodation.

Conclusion

For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Preciosa Ayala-Burkhardt, Administrative Technician, at PAyala@placer.ca.gov or (530) 886-4637.

Closing Date/Time: Open Until Filled

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• Placer County

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