Placer County

Student Legal Assistant (#14106)

$22.66-$28.30 Hourly / $3,927.73-$4,905.33 Monthly / $47,132.80-$58,864.00 Yearly


DEFINITION

(Unclassified)

To provide general assistance to legal staff; and to perform legal research and other work associated with the activities of a law office.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Receives general supervision from attorney staff.

EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES

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

  • Analyze legal problems; conduct routine legal research.
  • Prepare drafts of resolutions and legislative measures; prepare memoranda for judges or attorneys in writing orders and opinions.
  • Ascertain the last amended form of the statutory law on a given subject; compile, annotate, and index provisions of law and information regarding court decisions.
  • Assist in the work of a law library; maintain records and indexes of legal cases.
  • 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: None required.

Training: Equivalent to the successful completion of one academic year in a recognized law school.

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.

Note: This class is designed to afford law students an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the County's legal work.  It enables County departments to utilize the services of law students for subprofessional work during the course of their legal training and facilitates more effective recruitment of applicants for legal careers in County service.  Use of the class is restricted to bonafide law students and recent law graduates pending admission to the California State Bar.  Student Legal Assistants are assigned duties and responsibilities at a level commensurate with their training and background. The class is not intended to be used to permit employees to remain permanently in the County service, and tenure is restricted to temporary employment.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of:

  • Legal principles and their applications.
  • Basic methods of legal research, discovery and fact investigation.
  • Principles of legal writing.
  • Use of legal reference works and legal terms to a degree corresponding to the extent of the student's legal training.
  • Judicial structure.

Ability to:

  • On a continuous basis, sit at a desk while preparing cases; communicate through written and oral means.
  • On a continuous basis, analyze a case and determine the law's application; interpret the applicable law or statute; know basic legal research methods; remember and understand case law and statutes; and explain case status to staff as required.
  • Reason logically; analyze situations accurately and adopt an effective course of action.
  • Perform basic legal research.
  • Draft basic legal proceedings.

CLASS: 14106; EST: 5/1/1996; REV: 3/1/2003;