Judicial Staff Counsel III

San Bernardino Superior Court • San Bernardino, CA

13d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Superior Court is seeking an experienced attorney with a strong background in Civil Litigation to provide trusted legal counsel and support to our judges. This position performs general and specialized legal research and analysis, reviews cases and makes recommendations to the Court, advises the Court on complex matters of law, and prepares drafts of legal opinions, legal memoranda, and other documents. Incumbents exercise a high degree of independent judgment with accurate and neutral legal research and analysis of substantive and procedural issues on matters pending before the court and provide recommendations for rulings to assist the judicial officers with their decisions.

Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree
• Active membership in good standing in the State Bar of California
• Five (5) years of experience in the practice of law, including three (3) years of experience in litigation, performing legal research and drafting legal opinions and/or briefs; or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
• Knowledge of Principles and practices of California and federal law and procedure with special emphasis on California Civil Law and Procedure
• Knowledge of California judicial system and local court operations and procedures
• Knowledge of Advanced principles, methods and techniques of legal research and investigation, including methods and procedures for conducting efficient online legal research
• Knowledge of Judicial ethics, responsibilities and the context in which they are carried out
• Knowledge of Principles and practices of sound business and legal communication
• Knowledge of correct English usage, including spelling, grammar and punctuation and the requirements of the California Style Manual.

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of Appellate Division processes and Rules of Court, statutes, and case law applicable to traffic, misdemeanor, and limited civil appeals
• Knowledge of Probate court processes and California probate law and procedure
• Knowledge of Federal and state law, codes and regulations applicable to CEQA and land use
• Knowledge of Federal and state law, codes and regulations applicable to complex litigation in California

Responsibilities

• Researches, identifies and analyzes legal and factual issues in matters set for hearing in the court; reviews case files including motions, writs and other pleadings, prepares legal memoranda and summary of findings and provides research used in rendering decisions.
• Confers with judicial officers regarding questions resulting from the memorandum, general legal issues regarding matters pending before the Court, and changes in the law or emerging issues impacting a pending case.
• Stays abreast of developments in statutory and case law to anticipate the effect of changes that would impact judicial recommendations.
• May research legal issues in specialized areas of probate law, including decedents' estates, wills, trusts, conservatorships and guardianships; analyzes legal issues; reviews case files, including motions and other pleadings; prepares memoranda and makes recommendations for disposition of matters before the Court.
• May review, evaluate and analyze appellate briefs, trial records, writ petitions, motions and other pertinent documents to determine factual accuracy, legal issues on appeal, and scope and complexity of issues raised; performs legal research and analysis of the merits of the parties' appellate arguments; drafts proposed appellate decisions; confers with judicial officers regarding issues; prepares final opinions as directed.
• May provide judicial support for specialized and emerging areas of the law including CEQA and complex litigation such as preparing comprehensive memoranda, analyzing developments in statutes and regulations, and coordinating with court staff and other courts on processes and procedures.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior