Paralegal/Senior Paralegal

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　　Paralegal/Senior Paralegal

　　Salary

　　$53,248.00 - $81,785.60 Annually

　　Location

　　Ventura and may require travel throughout Ventura County and neighboring counties, CA

　　Job Type

　　Full-Time Regular

　　Job Number

　　1967DAO-23AA (JJ)

　　Department

　　District Attorney (recruitment by CEO-HR)

　　Opening Date

　　12/27/2023

　　Closing Date

　　Continuous

　　Description

　　Benefits

　　Questions

　　Description

　　The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office is the public prosecutor for the county’s 850,000 residents. The office employs approximately 300 employees including attorneys, investigators, victim advocates, and professional support staff who strive to seek justice, ensure public safety, and protect the rights of crime victims.

　　District Attorney’s Mission Statement: We are committed to public safety, the pursuit of truth and justice, to ensuring victims are protected, and our communities are served with fairness and integrity.

　　Under general supervision, Paralegals and Senior Paralegals assist attorneys in the preparation of cases for trial and hearing matters; prepare exhibits and witnesses for trial; analyze existing information regarding cases and research pertinent case laws; and research and develop the contents of legal documents.

　　The Paralegal classification provides paraprofessional legal assistance and differs from the Legal Processing Assistant series in that the latter provides less technical clerical and administrative duties.

　　The Senior Paralegal classification is the full journey level and lead in this series. The Senior Paralegal provides paraprofessional legal assistance for major or complex cases and differs from the Paralegal in that the latter performs less complex paralegal duties and does not serve as team leader.

　　The ideal candidate will have work experience in the following areas:

　　Working in a prosecutorial legal environment.

　　Interviewing victims and analyzing and organizing evidence.

　　Managing and maintaining a large database of historical information and retrieving information for attorneys as requested.

　　Preparing exhibits and witness materials in preparation for preliminary hearings and trials.

　　Helping to collect and organize large amounts of data for statistical analysis of programs.

　　AGENCY/DEPARTMENT: District Attorney

　　PAYROLL TITLES AND SALARIES:

　　Paralegal: $25.60 - $35.91 hourly

　　Senior Paralegal: $32.41 - 39.32 hourly

　　EDUCATIONAL/BILINGUAL INCENTIVE: Incumbents may be eligible to receive an educational incentive of either 2.5%, for an Associate's degree, a 3.5%, for a Bachelor's degree or 5% for a post graduate degree that is not required to work in the classification. Incumbents may also be eligible for bilingual incentive pay depending upon operational needs and certification skills.

　　The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future Regular (including Temporary and Fixed-term), Extra Help, Temporary, and Intermittent vacancies for this and similar vacancies within the District Attorney’s Office. There is currently one (1) Paralegal vacancy within the District Attorney's Office.

　　NOTE: If appointed at the lower level, incumbent may be promoted to the higher level without further examination upon meeting the minimum requirements, demonstrating satisfactory performance, and in accordance with the business needs of the department.

　　Paralegals and Senior Paralegals are represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and are eligible for overtime compensation.

　　TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

　　OPENING DATE: December 27, 2023

　　CLOSING DATE: Continuous and may close at any time; therefore, the schedule for the remainder of the process will depend upon when we receive a sufficient number of qualified applications to meet business needs. It is to your advantage to apply as soon as possible.

　　Previously: (January 5, 2024 at 5:00 p.m.).

　　Examples Of Duties

　　Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

　　Assists attorneys in pre-trial case preparation; organizes, controls and prepares exhibits based on statistical, documentary and other types of research; handles documentary evidence and reports relating to cases.

　　Gathers factual information and performs legal research that is not available through routine sources and requires deviation from established procedures.

　　Performs legal research involving prosecution or defense of suspects.

　　Prepares and organizes preliminary correspondence and legal documents such as affidavits, petitions, motions, trial briefs and other similar documents for the review and approval of an attorney.

　　Conducts and reviews client and witness interviews; reviews information to ensure sufficiency and accuracy and identifies additional information required.

　　Conducts legal research and locates statutes and relevant case citations; reviews documents to determine compliance with statutes, court decisions, and other applicable laws.

　　Performs other related duties as required.

　　In addition to the above, the Senior Paralegal is responsible for highly specialized and complex assignments requiring a high level of independence including the organization of documents used in the prosecution or defense of major crimes. Additionally, may serve as a lead, to include assigning and monitoring work, training employees in work methods, and providing work direction.

　　Typical Qualifications

　　These are entrance requirements to the examination process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.

　　EDUCATION, TRAINING, and EXPERIENCE

　　Paralegal - Education and experience which demonstrates possession of the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the job. The required knowledge, skills, and abilities can be obtained by:

　　Completion of a paralegal/legal assistant certificate program, OR

　　Two (2) years of law school

　　Senior Paralegal- Education and experience which demonstrates possession of the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the job. The required knowledge, skills, and abilities can be obtained by either:

　　Completion of a paralegal/legal assistant certificate program and three (3) years of experience as a Paralegal, or

　　Two (2) years of law school and three (3) years of experience as a Paralegal, or

　　Completion of a Juris Doctorate degree.

　　NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

　　Must be able to pass a background check.

　　Must have experience working in a legal prosecutorial environment such as a City Attorney's Office, District Attorney's Office, Attorney General's Office, or Department of Justice.

　　Must have experience in legal research and drafting pleadings, motions, and memorandum.

　　DESIRED:

　　Experience interviewing victims, analyzing and organizing evidence, and preparing exhibits and witness materials in preparation for preliminary hearings and trials.

　　Experience assisting in the enforcement of victim restitution orders in civil or criminal consumer protection cases.

　　KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES:

　　Paralegal

　　Working knowledge of:

　　Principles, concepts and methodology of legal research, discovery and fact investigation.

　　Legal principles and their applications.

　　Rules of evidence and the conduct of court proceedings.

　　Legal research methods

　　Investigative interviewing techniques.

　　Legal terminology

　　At the Senior Paralegal level, working knowledge is the same as above, plus working knowledge of the principles and techniques of supervision and training.

　　Working ability to:

　　Identify, evaluate and extract pertinent information from a wide variety of sources in the preparation of cases and legal documents.

　　Apply legal principles and practices.

　　Perform legal research and investigate incidents.

　　Draft legal documents.

　　Establish and maintain effective working relationships with members of the legal profession, public officials, and the general public.

　　Recruitment Process

　　FINAL FILING DATE: This is a continuous recruitment and may close at any time; therefore, apply as soon as possible if you are interested in it. Your application must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources no later than 5:00 p.m. on the closing date.

　　Previously: (Applications must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources in Ventura, California, no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 5, 2024.)

　　To apply online, please refer to our web site at www.ventura.org/ (http://www.ventura.org/hr) jobs (http://www.ventura.org/jobs). If you prefer to fill out a paper application form, please call (805) 654-5129 for application materials and submit them to County of Ventura Human Resources, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009.

　　LATERAL TRANSFER OPTION: If presently permanently employed in another "merit" or "civil service" public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a "merit" or "civil service" style examination, then appointment by "Lateral Transfer" may be possible. If interested, please click here (http://vcportal.ventura.org/CEO/HR/docs/Lateral_Transfer.pdf) for additional information.

　　Note to Applicants: It is essential that you complete all sections of your application and supplemental questionnaire thoroughly and accurately to demonstrate your qualifications. A resume may be attached to supplement your responses in the above-referenced sections; however, it may not be submitted in lieu of the application.

　　SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE – qualifying: All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this exam AT THE TIME OF FILING. The supplemental questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining qualifications for the position and acceptability for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire will result in the application being removed from consideration.

　　APPLICATION EVALUATION – qualifying: All applications will be reviewed to determine whether or not the stated requirements are met. Those individuals meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the screening and selection process.

　　TRAINING & EXPERIENCE EVALUATION

　　A Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E) is a structured evaluation of the job application materials submitted by a candidate, including the written responses to the supplemental questionnaire. The T&E is NOT a determination of whether the candidate meets the stated requirements; rather, the T&E is one method for determining who are the better qualified among those who have shown that they meet the stated requirements. In a T&E, applications are either scored or rank ordered according to criteria that most closely meet the business needs of the department. Candidates are typically scored/ranked in relation to one another; consequently, when the pool of candidates is exceptionally strong, many qualified candidates may receive a score or rank which is moderate or even low resulting in them not being advanced in the process.

　　NOTE: The selection process will likely consist of an Oral Exam, which may be preceded or replaced with the score from a Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E), contingent upon the size and quality of the candidate pool. In a typical T&E, your training and experience are evaluated in relation to the background, experience and factors identified for successful job performance during a job analysis. For this reason, it is recommended that your application materials clearly show your relevant background and specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is also highly recommended that the supplemental questions within the application are completed with care and diligence. Responses such as "See Resume" or "Refer to Resume" are not acceptable and may disqualify an applicant from further evaluation.

　　ORAL EXAM - 100%

　　A job related oral exam may be conducted to evaluate and compare participating applicant's knowledge, skills, and abilities in relation to those factors which job analysis has determined to be essential for successful performance of the job. Applicants must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.

　　If there are three (3) or fewer qualified applicants, an examination will not be conducted. Instead, a score of seventy percent (70%) will be assigned to each application, and each applicant will be placed on the eligible list.

　　Candidates successfully completing the exam process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one (1) year.

　　BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A thorough pre-employment, post offer background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information and driving record is required for this position.

　　For further information about this recruitment, please contact Jessica Jimenez by email at [email protected] or by telephone at (805) 654-3675.

　　EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

　　The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

　　Service Employees International Union (LOCAL 721)

　　(SEIU)

　　To learn more about Benefits, Retirement, and the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), see links below.

　　Benefits website (https://hr.ventura.org/benefits) or you may call (805) 654-2570.

　　Retirement FAQ's (https://vcportal.ventura.org/CEO/benefits/docs/RETIREMENT%20-%20FAQs.pdf)

　　Memorandum of Agreement

　　Union Code: UPP

　　01

　　Please check one of the options listed below that best reflects your qualifications for the paralegal or senior paralegal position.

　　NOTE: Full time is considered 40 hours per week; anything less than that must be prorated.

　　In order to receive credit for this experience, you MUST include each employer in the Work Experience section of your application, and all details for each employer must be included.

　　Completion of a paralegal/legal assistant certificate program

　　Completion of two (2) years of law school

　　Completion of a paralegal/legal assistant certificate program and three (3) years of experience as a paralegal

　　Completion of two (2) years of law school and 3 years of experience as a paralegal

　　Completion of Juris Doctorate degree

　　None of the above

　　02

　　Of the legal jurisdictions listed below please check those in which you have legal prosecutorial related work experience.

　　City Attorney's Office

　　District Attorney's Office

　　Attorney General's Office

　　Department of Justice

　　None of the above

　　03

　　Please describe your experience working in any of the following legal settings. In your response, include years of experience, employer name and list of duties performed

　　City Attorney's Office

　　District Attorney's Office

　　Attorney General's Office

　　Department of Justice

　　NOTE: Full time is considered 40 hours per week; anything less than that must be prorated.

　　In order to receive credit for this experience, you MUST include each employer in the Work Experience section of your application, and all details for each employer must be included.

　　04

　　Please describe your specific experience (including length of experience) with the following:

　　A.) Working or coordinating with prosecutors;

　　B.) Interviewing victims, analyzing and organizing evidence, and preparing exhibits and witness materials in preparation for preliminary hearings and trials;

　　C.) Assisting in the enforcement of victim restitution orders in civil or criminal consumer protection cases.

　　In order to receive credit for this experience, you MUST include each employer in the Work Experience section of your application, and all details for each employer must be included.

　　If you do not have experience, please type "No experience" as indicated by the letter (A, B, C).

　　05

　　Please describe your lead and/or supervision experience. Include the following:

　　A.) Name of employer where the experience was obtained;

　　B.) Years of experience

　　C.) Examples of duties performed as supervisor or lead

　　D.) Number of employees supervised

　　E.) If you were responsible for hiring, termination, disciplinary actions, and conducting performance evaluations.

　　NOTE: Full time is considered 40 hours per week; anything less than that must be prorated.

　　In order to receive credit for this experience, you MUST include each employer in the Work Experience section of your application, and all details for each employer must be included.

　　If you do not have this experience, please type "No experience."

　　06

　　Please describe the types of legal documents you have drafted/created including pleadings, motions, and discovery and the process you used for preparing them.

　　In order to receive credit for this experience, you MUST include each employer in the Work Experience section of your application, and all details for each employer must be included.

　　If you do not have this experience, please type "No experience."

　　07

　　If you have completed a Paralegal/Legal Assistant certificate program, please list where you obtained your certificate and the date you earned the certification.

　　08

　　Please note: You are applying for a position within a law enforcement agency. If you are successful in the application, testing and selection process, you will undergo a thorough background investigation prior to receiving an offer of employment. Are you willing to undergo a background check and have your background thoroughly investigated?

　　Yes

　　No

　　Required Question

　　Agency

　　Ventura County

　　Address

　　800 S. Victoria Avenue LOC. #1970 Ventura, California, 93009

　　Phone

　　(805) 654-5129

　　Website

　　http://hr.ventura.org

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