Legal Secretary - Senior

This is a promotional recruitment - only permanent and/or probationary County employees are eligible to apply.

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 General benefits

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

To provide responsible, administrative, and secretarial assistance to a legal unit; to provide highly responsible administrative staff assistance including conducting specific and moderately complex analyses of a wide range of legal documents; and may provide technical and functional supervision over assigned staff.

This is the advanced journey-level class in the Legal Secretary series.  Positions at this level are distinguished from other classes within the series by the level of responsibility assumed, complexity of duties assigned, independence of action taken, by the amount of time spent performing assigned duties, and by the nature of the public contact made.  Employees perform the most difficult and responsible types of duties assigned to classes within this series including routine legal research, preparation of first drafts and may provide technical and functional supervision over lower-level staff.  Employees at this level are required to be fully trained in procedures related to Misdemeanor, DUI, Family Protection, and the Felony Units of the District Attorney's Office.

Receives direction from management or supervisory staff.

Exercises technical and functional supervision over assigned legal secretarial and clerical staff.

• Provide responsible secretarial and technical assistance to professional legal staff; perform routine legal research and prepare draft Board of Supervisors agenda items.
• Provide routine administrative staff assistance including conducting specific analyses of a wide range of legal documents.
• Assist in formulating office policy, goals, and procedures; collect and compile relevant data supporting recommendations.
• Assist in the development of new program elements and program modifications as necessary to meet stated goals and objectives.
• Perform administrative detail work and maintain appropriate records and statistics.
• Conduct surveys and perform research and statistical analysis as requested; prepare related reports.
• Compile materials and prepare reports and documents.
• Review contracts for accuracy and completeness of signatures, dates, and exhibits.
• Respond to inquiries and requests for information from the public and County staff.
• 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.

It is the responsibility of applicants to identify in their application materials how they meet the minimum qualifications listed below.

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

Experience: Four (4) years of highly responsible legal secretarial experience including research and analysis of legal documents.

Training: Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth-grade.

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 of:

• Principles and practices of a law environment.
• Principles and practices of routine legal filings and court legal processes.
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
• Legal terminology.
• Principles and practices of legal secretarial work.
• Principles of customer service.
• Modern office procedures, methods, and computer equipment.
• Basic statistics and analytical techniques.

Ability to:

• On a continuous basis, know and understand all aspects of the job; intermittently review documents related to department operations; understand, identify, interpret, explain, and problem solve department operations, practices, policies, and procedures; recall and utilize a variety of information; work under time pressure and complete a high volume of tasks with frequent interruptions; focus on a single task for long periods of time.
• On a continuous basis, sit at a desk for long periods of time; intermittently walk, stand, bend, climb, squat, kneel, twist, and reach while retrieving or returning files and while accessing office equipment; speak, use telephone, and write or use keyboard to communicate; perform simple and power grasping and fine manipulation; see and hear with sufficient acuity to perform essential job functions; lift light weight.
• Use computer word processing, spread sheet, database, and customized applications.
• Work with accuracy and thoroughness under stress.
• Independently perform complex legal secretarial duties.
• Review and analyze legal documents and perform routine legal research.
• Research and draft legal documents.
• Analyze situations accurately and develop effective courses of action.
• Evaluate and develop improvements in operations, procedures, policies, or methods.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Perform administrative detail work including preparing clear and concise reports.
• 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.
• Assign work and train legal secretarial and clerical staff.

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.

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.

Thank you for your interest in employment with Placer County. Placer County is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an active nondiscrimination program. It is the stated policy of Placer County that 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 gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, race (including traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists), color, ancestry, religion (including creed and belief), national origin, citizenship, 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), political orientation, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law. 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.