Career Opportunities in Southern California

We are also establishing one employment list to fill future vacancies in multiple locations within the County of Santa Barbara.  This job classification is also utilized by the Child Support Services, County Counsel’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, SBC Employees’ Retirement System, and the Sheriff’s Office.  Please make sure you select the locations and departments you are willing to accept current and future employment.  If you are interested in working with the Sheriff’s Office, you will need to select “All Locations” on the agency-wide and supplemental questionnaire.

Legal Office Professional Senior:  $73,122.25 – $88,915.49 Annually, plus uniform and bilingual allowance when applicable.  Benefits Info: For additional information, click HERE.

Legal Office Professional Senior Restricted:  $73,729.60 – $89,600.06 Annually, plus uniform and bilingual allowance when applicable.  The Legal Office Professional Senior Restricted is regularly privy to the decisions or recommendations of County management affecting employer-employee relations.  These employees are in the confidential-unrepresented bargaining unit.

Benefits Info:  For additional information, click HERE.
Note:  Applicants from other public sector employers may qualify for:

• Retirement reciprocity
• Time and service credit towards an advanced vacation accrual rate

ABOUT THE POSITION:  Under general direction, the incumbent in this classification is expected to possess considerable expertise in legal procedures and must exercise considerable tact, discretion, and sound independent judgment in the performance of duties with a relatively high consequence of error.  Candidate will serve as a central information point within a division to facilitate administrative communication.

LEVEL OF WORK:  The incumbent will apply an in-depth or broad understanding of an extensive body of legal rules and procedures concerning legal office protocol and management, processes and rules governing administrative, criminal, and civil proceedings; and technical or specialized program information, regulations, procedures, and policies related to an assigned legal support function.  The incumbent will learn to perform expert-level legal support and clerical work found in the work area.  The Legal Office Professional Senior is distinguished from classification in the LOP series by its focus on performing specialized, confidential, and highly responsible legal support services.  Employees are assigned specific ongoing work assignments and may be assigned to one or more attorneys.

INDEPENDENCE OF ACTION AND DECISION MAKING:  The incumbent will use independent judgment in carrying out assigned work, and experienced judgment rather than guides to fill in gaps, identify sources of information, interpret guidelines, decide approaches, adapt procedures, make working assumptions, and resolve problems.  Under general supervision, performs difficult legal support, general clerical, and other related tasks in civil and administrative cases; applies understanding of an extensive body of legal rules and procedures concerning legal office protocol and management, processes and rules governing administrative and civil proceedings.  There is substantial opportunity to use independent judgment in carrying out assigned work.  The incumbent will have the ability to understand and apply laws, rules, and written directions; establish and maintain effective working relationships; and communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

Each Legal Office Professional Senior’s duties vary from one department to another depending on the needs of the department and the nature of the work that you will be performing.

The Ideal Candidate will possess:

• Associate’s degree in paralegal studies, legal administration, criminal justice or a related field
• Eight or more years of professional legal office experience working in a law firm
• Five or more years working in a County defender or prosecuting attorney’s office
• Five or more years working with a case management system
• Knowledge of criminal litigation, criminal and civil court processes and procedures, including differences in calendaring and scheduling
• Excellent computer skills and ability to utilize various software programs
• Excellent written and communication skills
• Ability to work independently, organize and prioritize work, and meet critical deadlines
• Ability to multi-task, handle high stress situations, thrive under pressure and adapt to change
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to handle difficult situations with tact and diplomacy
• Excellent communication skills which includes the ability to exchange information in a clear, concise and organized manner to diverse groups of people to help them understand process objectives and priorities
• Ability to work successfully in a team environment, make positive contributions and assist others as necessary
• Strong legal research and analytical skills
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain sound working relationships with people of diverse experiences
• Adaptability, a positive attitude, and an impeccable character

Ability to maintain confidentialityExamples of Duties

• Prepare legal documents that require procedural research on questions relating to the assignment
• Apply knowledge of California’s legal practice and procedures for specialized law to support an attorney on complex legal processes
• Provide an advanced level of support to assigned attorneys on complex legal processes
• Provide integration of different software to prepare documents for specific office needs
• Retrieve and convert data into graphic form and incorporate that data into the text of a report
• Communicate complex and technical information to a wide range of individuals in a manner that fosters understanding
• Correct and coach others in oral and written communications
• Prepare complex business communications, write clear and concise documentation, edit and proofread legal and other documents
• Facilitate effective collaboration with attorneys, co-workers, partners, and customers
• Work with problem-solving teams, and develop and implement solutions to current and anticipated processing problems
• Interpret policy and legal codes and procedures when making decisions
• Work with challenging people in various situations, apply tact, sensitivity and diplomacy in stressful situations
• Apply business math concepts including quantitative formulas, ratios, proportions and equations

Supervision and Leadership (For supervisory assignments only)

• Some assignments may include supervisory responsibilities
• Incumbents may coach and/or lead co-workers
• Incumbents may serve as the full first-level supervisor of assigned staff

For the required competencies requirements and the full classification specification, click HERE.Employment Standards

Legal Office Professional Senior Competency Requirements:

• Knowledge of civil litigation, including subject matter, jurisdiction, personal venue, pleadings, parties to litigation, pre-trial, trial, and post-trial
• Knowledge of criminal litigation, including Constitutional restraints on investigation stage, Bill of Rights, and overview of a criminal proceeding
• Knowledge of criminal and civil court processes and procedures, including differences in calendaring and scheduling
• Knowledge of advanced legal terminology and concepts, jargon and abbreviations
• Knowledge of California’s legal practice and procedures for specialized law (e.g., criminal law, probate, adoptions, civil litigation, conservatorships and guardianships, workers’ compensation)
• Skill to prepare complex and/or uncommon legal forms
• Skill to support an attorney through process, investigation, discovery, and trial preparation
• Skill to locate and verify citations from legal publications, databases, and court decisions
• Skill to recognize changes in codes and procedural requirements that will affect rules and procedures related to legal office practices
• Skill to use Microsoft Word to create tables and insert objects into Word documents; format paragraphs, organize pages and create styles; create document references, insert table of contents and index; perform mail merges; create charts, work with worksheets and insert bitmapped graphics into word documents
• Skill to use PowerPoint to create a presentation from a template, wizard, or existing slides; make layout changes; work with text boxes and text; import text; work with graphics; create tables; and use bullets, auto numbering, slide transitions, animation, and speaker notes

To review all Legal Office Professional competencies and view the full Legal Office Professional Senior classification specification, click HERE.

Additional Requirements for Supervisory Assignments:
Incumbents must complete the pre-assignment component of the Santa Barbara County Operational Leadership Development Program before beginning a supervisory assignment and must complete the post-assignment component within six months of assignment.
 
Some positions MAY require the following Additional Qualifications:

• Possession of a valid California Class C Driver’s License may be required for some positions.
• The ability to read, write and/or converse fluently in English and Spanish may be required.  If you indicated on your application that you are bilingual, Human Resources will place you on the employment list for a job requiring bilingual skills.  Hiring departments may test you on your fluency.  If you do not demonstrate sufficient fluency, your name may be withheld from future certifications, in accordance with Civil Service Rule 7.

Some positions may require to pass a background investigation.  Current or excessive use of drugs, sale of drugs, serious criminal history, or deception relating to employment history may bar employment.

• Review applications and supplemental questionnaires to determine those applicants who meet the employment standards.
• Supplemental Questionnaire Ranking:  Responses to the required supplemental questionnaire will be evaluated and scored.  Candidates’ final score and rank on the eligibility list will be determined by their responses to the supplemental questionnaire.  This process may be eliminated if there are fewer than 11 qualified candidates.

Candidates must receive a percentage score of at least 70 on the supplemental questionnaire to be placed on an employment list.  An adjustment may be made to raw scores based on factors listed in Civil Service Rule VI.  Those candidates who are successful in the selection process will have their names placed on the employment list for a minimum of three months.  At the time the employment list is established, all candidates will receive an email notice of their score on the exam(s), rank on the employment list, and exact duration of the employment list.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS:  The County of Santa Barbara is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants.  Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter listed on the job posting.  We require verification of needed accommodation from a professional source, such as a Medical Provider or a learning institution.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION:  District Attorney, Public Defender, and Sheriff’s Office conduct a background investigation.  Current or excessive use of drugs, sale of drugs, serious criminal history, or deception relating to employment history may bar employment.  Other departments may require an extended background check including credit history; this is at the discretion of each department.

The following is used for positions in the Child Support Services Department:
Background Check:  This position has access to federal tax information (FTI) and is thus subject to the provisions of IRS Publication 1075 Tax Information Security Guidelines for Federal, State and Local Agencies, which include criminal history background investigations every 5 years, subsequent arrest notification and citizenship verification through e-Verify.

The following process is only used for the Sheriff’s Office:

• Personal History Questionnaire (PHQ).  Once candidates are placed on the employment list, the Human Resources Department will email candidates a notice regarding completion of a Personal History Questionnaire (PHQ).

Candidates who pass a PHQ and are in the top certified group, their applications will be sent to the hiring department for consideration.  Candidates who advance in the selection process will advance to the next step in the selection process and attend a selection interview with the hiring manager(s).  Candidate(s) selected for a position will advance to the background process which includes the following:

• Polygraph Examination: Measures the accuracy of information disclosed on the PHQ and during the background investigation.
• Background Investigation:  Includes an interview and in-depth background investigation of arrest records, personal, military, credit, and employment history; inquiry of persons who know you and evaluate whether you respect the law and rights of others; are dependable and responsible; have demonstrated mature judgment in areas such as the use of drugs and intoxicants; are honest; and a safe driver.
• Live Scan:  Electronic fingerprint scanning that is certified by the State Department of Justice.

Conditional Job Offer:  Once a conditional offer of employment has been made, candidates will be required to successfully complete a background check, which includes a conviction history check, and satisfactory reference checks.  Appointee will be subject to a post-offer medical evaluation or examination.  The appointee must satisfactorily complete a one-year probationary period.

Disaster Service Worker:  Pursuant to Governmental code section 3100, all employees with the County of Santa Barbara are declared to be disaster service workers subject to such disaster service.  Activities as may be assigned to them by their superiors or by law.

Recruiters will correspond with applicants by e-mail during each step in the recruitment process.  Applicants are reminded to check spam filters continuously during the Recruitment & Selection Process steps listed above to ensure they do not miss required deadlines.

COVID-19 Vaccination Verification and Testing:  This position may be subject to State Health Officer Orders (SHOOs) or County policy regarding vaccine verification and/or testing.  Please contact the hiring department for more information.

Statement of Commitment
The County of Santa Barbara is dedicated to cultivating and sustaining an environment that exhibits equity and inclusion everywhere, and at all levels of our organization.  The County believes equity is a fundamental principle that must be imbedded in policies, institutional practices and systems.  The County recognizes the negative impacts of systemic racism and is committed to eliminating the barriers affecting our Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and Asian community members, as well as people of other diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.  We envision a world where society and its systems (e.g. education, criminal justice, and health care, housing the economy) are just, fair, and inclusive, enabling all people to participate and reach their full potential.

We celebrate community and employee diversity, strive for inclusion and belonging, and promote empowered participation.  We aspire to build a workforce that is reflective of these values and the communities we serve.  We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and will resolutely uphold federal, California state law and/or Santa Barbara County ordinances.

We believe equity and inclusion are vital to fulfill the County’s mission and to embody a culture of “One County, One Future.”  Expanding the full range of employee talent allows the County to deliver our best to all our community members.

We believe in the dignity and humanity of all people.  We strive for a healthy and prosperous society that promotes all people having equitable access and opportunity.

APPLICATION AND SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE DEADLINE:  Tuesday, September 19, 2023, at 4:59 p.m. PST; postmarks not accepted.

Chanel Turner, Employment Analyst – cturner@countyofsb.org