Paralegal - Stockton, United States - City Of Stockton, CA

Description

DEFINITION
AT-WILL OPPORTUNITY


FUTURE SALARY INCREASES:

• Effective 7/1/2024, 3% Cost of Living Adjustment
• Effective 7/1/2025, 3% Cost of Living Adjustment

INCENTIVES FOR NEW EMPLOYEES:

• Sign on Bonus - $2,000
• 40 hours of sick leave for immediate use

FUTURE INCENTIVES:

• Employee employed as of 7/1/2024 will receive $2,000 lump sum
• Employee employed as of 7/1/2025 will receive $2,000 lump sum

FLSA STATUS:
Exempt


TENTATIVE INTERVIEW DATE:

TBD
The City Attorney's Office is seeking well-qualified individuals to fill a Paralegal position. This position will provide support to Deputy City Attorneys assigned to litigation. This position will conduct Legal Research and case review and may be utilized for Advisory support as needed.

City of Stockton employees in the City Attorney's Office work a 9/80 schedule: 7:30 am to 5:30 pm Mondays through Thursdays; 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Fridays, with alternating Fridays off.

Paralegals may be required to work additional hours and/or weekends to provide critical support for key initiatives.

Paralegals work under general supervision and perform a variety of confidential, complex, and specialized clerical, secretarial, and paraprofessional duties in the City Attorney's Office; relieves administrators of routine legal clerical duties; and performs related work as assigned.

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS

Legal Secretary - This class performs a full range of legal secretarial work and office administrative services for professional legal staff.

Incumbents apply technical legal secretarial skills with only occasional instruction or assistance while exercising judgment and discretion in the performance of duties.

Work is typically reviewed only on completion.

The Legal Secretary is distinguished from the Paralegal in that it is responsible for the legal secretarial and office administration assistance to the City Attorney and associated legal staff.

Paralegal - The Paralegal is fully competent to perform difficult, complex, specialized and/or confidential services at the direction of the professional staff in the City Attorney's Office.

The Paralegal is distinguished from the Deputy City Attorney position in that it does not require a law degree and performs less complex legal tasks.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES (Illustrative Only)

Both Legal Secretary and Paralegal

• Performs difficult, complex and/or confidential legal office support work, which may require the exercise of independent judgment, the application of technical skills, or knowledge of detailed or specialized activities related to the Law Department.
• Assists attorneys in the preparation of motions and discovery; intake of new cases; calendaring; scheduling of hearings, trials, and depositions; and copy and service (by mail and otherwise) of pleadings and discovery documents.
• Prepares, indexes, and files legal documents by researching and assembling information from a variety of sources (e.g., statutes, recorded judicial decisions, legal articles, treaties, constitutions, and legal codes) to prepare legal documents (e.g., briefs, pleadings, appeals, contracts, and affidavits);
• Types and transcribes a variety of correspondence and legal documents including: reports, forms, court pleadings, and other specialized documents (e.g., appellate briefs) from drafts, notes, resolutions, ordinances, legal opinions, contracts, briefs, leases, and agreements using a personal computer.
• Proofreads and checks legal documents and other materials for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with departmental policies and regulations; and checks legal cites for accuracy ensuring conformity with California Style Manualand/or The Bluebookguidelines.
• Maintains and organizes litigation and other departmental files including the copying, filing, and maintenance of individual case files and attends to a variety of law office administrative details.
• Acts as receptionist and receives and screens visitors and telephone calls and directs the caller to the proper person or personally handles the call.
• Arranges meetings by notifying participants and reserving rooms.
• Provides information to the public or City staff as required that may necessitate the use of independent judgment and the interpretation of policies, rules, or procedures.
• Assists with various tasks including compiling information and data for statistical and financial reports; maintaining a variety of records; checking and tabulating data; preparing simple statistical reports.
• Operates standard office equipment and various computer applications.

Paralegal Only

• Locates and interviews clients, witnesses, technical experts and others regarding cases.
• Briefs witnesses for trial, gathers and prepares exhibits and evidence for trial, assists attorney in preparation for court; accompanies attorney to court to assist during court proceedings.
• May train others in work procedures or direct the work of others on a project basis.
• Drafts legal documents, including discovery, administrative, pre-trial/trail documents, pleadings, motions, correspondence, and memoranda.
• Researches, studies, and summarizes laws, court decisions, and other legal authorities for use in the preparation of cases, opinions, pleadings, briefs, and other documents.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education/Experience:

Legal Secretary:

Possession of a high school diploma or GED and three (3) years of secretarial experience in a law office within the last five (5) years performing increasingly responsible and complex clerical work, including: preparations of various pleadings, motions, discoveries, and calendaring.

College or business school course work in law office administration is desirable.

Must possess a valid (two years old or less) typing certificate for at least 60 net words per minute from a recognized organization.

Paralegal:

Possession of a high school diploma or GED and three (3) years of experience as Legal Secretary and demonstrated proficiency to perform at the level of the higher classification, or one (1) year of progressively responsible experience as a Paralegal working under the supervision of an attorney.

Must possess a valid Paralegal Certificate from a recognized paralegal program approved by the American Bar Association, or possess a Juris Doctorate from a California Accredited Law School.

Other Requirements:

• Possession, or ability to obtain a valid California driver's license.

Knowledge of:

• Legal Research and case review;
• Standard legal references, legal terminology, forms, and documents used in legal clerical work;
• English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation; business letter writing;
• Modern office practices, procedures, and equipment;
• Civil Procedure, law and motion rules;
• Structure of the California Court System and local, state, and federal rules of court;
• Various computer software such as: Excel, Microsoft Word, and Power Point;
• Municipal legal procedures and practices involved in composing, processing, and filing a variety of legal documents;
• Municipal organization and local governmental agencies;
• Function of civil discovery and preparation of discovery documents; and
• California Style Manual and The Bluebook.

Skill in:

• Use of Lexis/Nexis and similar legal research programs;
• Writing Legal Memorandum;
• Organizing files, including exhibits for trial;
• Preparing Trial Notebooks;
• Effective Communication with outside entities;
• Remaining abreast of current industry practice through continuing legal education courses; and
• Researching information from print and internet-based resources.

Physical/Mental Abilities:

• Mobility - Constant sitting for long periods of time while operating a keyboard; occasional walking, bending, stooping, kneeling, reaching, pushing and pulling;
• Lifting - Occasional lifting of 10 pounds or less;
• Vision - Constant use of overall visual capabilities; frequent need for use of color perception, hand/eye coordination, reading and/or close up work;
• Dexterity - Frequent holding, grasping, typing, repetitive motion and writing;
• Hearing/Talking - Constant hearing and talking of normal speech in person and on the telephone; Occasionally speaking in front of large groups of people;
• Special Requirements - May require occasional weekend or evening work;
• Emotional/Psychological - Constant concentration, decision making and public contact; occasional ability to exercise sound judgment, especially under stressful situations; and working alone;
• Environmental Conditions - Occasional exposure to noise; and
• Working Conditions - Primarily performed in an office environment which is typically moderately quiet, but may be loud at times and at some locations.

This class specification should not be interpreted as all inclusive. It is intended to identify the essential functions and requirement of this job. Incumbents may be requested to perform job-related responsibilities and tasks other than those stated in this specification.

Any essential function or requirement of this class will be evaluated as necessary should an incumbent/applicant be unable to perform the function or requirement due to a disability as defined by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Reasonable accommodation for the specific disability will be made for the incumbent/applicant when possible.