Paralegal I/II -CN: Health & Adult Welfare Division

County of Riverside•Riverside, CA

22h•Hybrid

About The Position

The County of Riverside's Office of County Counsel has an opportunity for a Paralegal I/II - CN to support the Health & Adult Welfare Division located in Riverside, CA. Under general supervision, the Paralegal I/II - CN performs a broad range of paralegal duties for one or more attorneys engaged in administrative or civil law in the Office of County Counsel; assists in the preparation of cases for trial and hearing matters; prepares exhibits, witnesses and index documents for trial; handles medical subpoenas; prepares and processes California Records Requests; performs other related duties as required. The Paralegal II - CN is distinguished from the Paralegal I - CN in that the latter performs basic and routine duties where the majority of the duties can be learned in a brief period of time, are clearly defined, and have established guidelines. The Paralegal series is further distinguished from various other legal classifications where the duties are less technical and focus on procedural or administrative tasks such as scheduling, calendaring, typing, proofing, or recordkeeping. Employees in a Confidential designated class are defined by Section 3.b. of the Employee Relations Resolution, as "any employee who may be privy to the decision-making process of County management affecting employee relations" and are only authorized for broad use within the departments of Executive Office, Clerk of the Board, County Counsel, and Human Resources. The department seeks candidates with prior experience in family law and social services, as well as previous experience handling medical subpoenas; preparing and processing California Records Requests. Competitive candidates will be proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.), able to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment, and highly organized while remaining flexible to manage changing assignments and priorities. Salary Range Paralegal I – CN: $62,704.98 - $84,805.70 Annually Paralegal II – CN: $66,354.60 - $91,655.23 Annually Hybrid schedule available after training and probationary period. The level at which the position will be filled is at the discretion of the department. The County of Riverside seeks candidates to fill positions throughout Riverside County. A list of eligible candidates will be established to fill current and future vacancies. Meet the Team! The Office of County Counsel is a full-service law office that provides advisory and litigation support on issues of vital concern to the County and its residents such as health care, public safety, child welfare, land development, environmental protection, public finance, taxation and elections.

Requirements

Paralegal I - CN Education: Successful completion of the education required by the State of California pursuant to the California Business and Professions Codes Chapter 5.6 Paralegals 6450 (c). A paralegal shall possess at least one of the following: (1) A certificate of completion of a paralegal program approved by the American Bar Association. (2) A certificate of completion of a paralegal program at, or a degree from, a postsecondary institution that requires the successful completion of a minimum of 24 semester, or equivalent, units in law-related courses and that has been accredited by a national or regional accrediting organization or approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education. (3) A baccalaureate degree or an advanced degree in any subject, a minimum of one year of law-related experience under the supervision of an attorney who has been an active member of the State Bar of California for at least the preceding three years or who has practiced in the federal courts of this state for at least the preceding three years, and a written declaration from this attorney stating that the person is qualified to perform paralegal tasks. (4) A high school diploma or general equivalency diploma, a minimum of three years of law-related experience under the supervision of an attorney who has been an active member of the State Bar of California for at least the preceding three years or who has practiced in the federal courts of this state for at least the preceding three years, and a written declaration from this attorney stating that the person is qualified to perform paralegal tasks. This experience and training shall be completed no later than December 31, 2003.
Paralegal I - CN Experience: None required.
Knowledge of: Principles of civil and criminal law and their application; legal research methods and techniques; preparation of briefs and opinions; resources available in a law library; trial and hearing procedures and rules of evidence; County government functions and legal responsibilities.
Ability to: Perform legal research; interview witnesses; analyze legal problems; prepare drafts of legal documents; present statements of fact and law; argue clearly and logically in written and oral form; interpret applicable state and federal codes, laws and statutes; work cooperatively with others.
Paralegal II - CN Education: Successful completion of the education required by the State of California pursuant to the California Business and Professions Codes Chapter 5.6 Paralegals 6450 (c). A paralegal shall possess at least one of the following: (1) A certificate of completion of a paralegal program approved by the American Bar Association. (2) A certificate of completion of a paralegal program at, or a degree from, a postsecondary institution that requires the successful completion of a minimum of 24 semester, or equivalent, units in law-related courses and that has been accredited by a national or regional accrediting organization or approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education. (3) A baccalaureate degree or an advanced degree in any subject, a minimum of one year of law-related experience under the supervision of an attorney who has been an active member of the State Bar of California for at least the preceding three years or who has practiced in the federal courts of this state for at least the preceding three years, and a written declaration from this attorney stating that the person is qualified to perform paralegal tasks. (4) A high school diploma or general equivalency diploma, a minimum of three years of law-related experience under the supervision of an attorney who has been an active member of the State Bar of California for at least the preceding three years or who has practiced in the federal courts of this state for at least the preceding three years, and a written declaration from this attorney stating that the person is qualified to perform paralegal tasks. This experience and training shall be completed no later than December 31, 2003.
Paralegal II - CN Experience: One year equivalent to a Paralegal I with the County of Riverside or in a law office performing paralegal duties that demonstrates possession of the knowledge and abilities relevant to the specific assignment.
Knowledge of: Principles of civil and criminal law and their application; legal research methods and techniques; preparation of briefs and opinions; resources available in a law library; trial and hearing procedures and rules of evidence; County government functions and legal responsibilities.
Ability to: Perform legal research; interview witnesses; analyze legal problems; prepare drafts of legal documents; present statements of fact and law; argue clearly and logically in written and oral form; interpret applicable state and federal codes, laws and statutes; work cooperatively with others.
Possession of a valid California Driver's License may be required.
Must maintain a current paralegal certification or degree by certified completion of the mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) post-employment standards.
The Paralegal series is required to certify completion of MCLE credits every two years pursuant to the California Business and Professions Code Chapter 5.6 Paralegals 6450 (d).

Nice To Haves

Prior experience in family law and social services.
Previous experience handling medical subpoenas.
Experience preparing and processing California Records Requests.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.).
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
Highly organized while remaining flexible to manage changing assignments and priorities.

Responsibilities

Research and analyze law sources (i.e., statutes, ordinances, court decisions, criminal pleadings, police reports, legal documents, and articles) for use in preparing legal documents (i.e., briefs, pleadings, contracts, deeds, opinions) for review, approval and use by an attorney.
Interview witnesses, defendants and others in civil or criminal cases for pre-trial or pre-hearing declarations; respond to propounding discovery and discovery requests.
Correspond with clients and witnesses; collect client background information.
Draft motions, memoranda of points and authorities, interrogatories and answers, complaints and answers, crossclaims, affidavits, briefs, and declarations.
Review legal documents and forms for completeness and conformance to specific requirements set forth in applicable legal codes.
Gather factual information and perform legal research not available through routine sources to assist attorneys in determining appropriate legal action.
Perform preliminary analysis of legislative bills and research legislative histories.
Summarize, organize and index prior opinions, testimony, depositions, and documentary material from interrogatories; organize and index trial documents; prepare exhibits and assist attorneys at trial by keeping track of exhibits, testimony and documents.
May act as a liaison to County departments and outside agencies; may serve as an immediate assistant to a senior or supervising attorney and may assist in the training, selection and evaluation of lower-level paralegals.