Legal Secretary - Entry

There is currently one vacancy at this level within the District Attorney’s Office in the Investigations Unit.

The eligible list established as a result of this recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies as they arise.

Placer County offers a comprehensive benefits package to employees. The following information represents benefits currently available to permanent Placer County employees and may be subject to change. Applicants should inquire as to the most current benefit package during hiring interviews or by contacting the Human Resources Department.

Click here to view General benefits

For more information regarding the benefits Placer County has to offer, please visit Placer County's Human Resources website.

To perform specialized, confidential and diversified legal secretarial work; to assist in the scheduling and handling of office details; and to relieve legal staff of administrative detail.

This is the entry level class in the Legal Secretary series.  Positions in this class typically have little directly related work experience and work under immediate supervision while learning job tasks.  The Legal Secretary - Entry class is distinguished from the journey level by the performance of less than the full range of duties assigned to the journey level.  Incumbents work under immediate supervision while learning job tasks, progressing to general supervision as procedures and processes of assigned area of responsibility are learned.

• Perform general and legal secretarial duties related to assigned functional area and department.
• Type, edit and format legal documents including pleadings, briefs, opinions, orders, contracts, correspondence and other legal matters.
• Handle routine departmental correspondence independently, and maintain files of correspondence, contracts, pleadings, discovery, legal opinions and other records and documents.
• Assist other staff by performing duties related to special assignments or projects including researching and compiling information.
• Provide information in person or over the telephone relative to departmental procedures, policies records, court rules and case files.
• Collect information from a variety of sources pertinent to area of assignment; compile data as necessary and prepare routine reports as required.
• Schedule a variety of appointments as necessary.
• Maintain and monitor records and files; follow-up on due dates; perform other monitoring functions to ensure timely completion of work.
• Operate standard office equipment including word processing applications as assigned; may perform duties on computer spreadsheet programs; operate stand-alone computer software program as related to assigned area.
• Enter, modify and retrieve data into local, state and national computer systems.  Conduct record searches in a centralized database.
• Provide information to law enforcement agencies, courts, attorneys and the public in accordance with legal requirements.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

It is the responsibility of applicants to identify in their application materials how they meet the minimum qualifications listed below.

Experience and Training
Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying.  A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience: Two years of responsible clerical and/or secretarial experience.

Training: Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade. 

License or Certificate:
May need to possess a valid driver’s license as required by the position.  Proof of adequate vehicle insurance and medical clearance may also be required.

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of technical report typing.
• English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation.
• Office practices, methods, procedures and equipment including filing and computer systems.
• Principles of customer service.
• Organization procedures and operating details of an office.
• Mathematical calculation,
• Basic record keeping principles and procedures.

• On a continuous basis, sit at desk and/or stand at counter for long periods of time.  Intermittently twist and reach office equipment; write and use keyboard to communicate through written means; perform simple grasping and fine manipulation; lift light weight.
• Intermittently review documents related to department operations; observe, identify and problem solve office operations and procedures; understand, interpret and explain department policies and procedures; explain operations and problem solve office issues for the public and with staff.
• Perform routine legal clerical work including maintenance of records, files, verifying files and data.
• Perform routine mathematical calculations.
• Learn to perform legal secretarial duties.
• Use computer word processing, spread sheet, database and customized applications.
• Analyze situations carefully and adopt effective course of action.
• Work with accuracy and thoroughness under stress.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Transcribe from dictating equipment.
• Type at a minimum of 50 words per minute.
• Prioritize and coordinate tasks to meet deadlines.

Online Examination (100%) 

The online examination has been tentatively scheduled for the week of 6/7/21 . After the posted filing deadline, qualified candidates will receive a notification via email when the examination is available. The virtual examination may include multiple choice, true/false, fill-in, matching, and/or essay type questions directly related to the required knowledge and abilities for this classification.  

Note: Candidates will have approximately three (3) calendar days from the date of notification to complete the online examination. Only one attempt will be permitted.

Prior to the date of hire, applicants must undergo a fingerprint test by the Department of Justice, pass a medical examination (which may include a drug screening and possibly a psychological evaluation), sign a constitutional oath, and submit proof of U.S. citizenship or legal right to remain and work in the U.S.  For some positions, applicants may also be required to submit proof of age, undergo a background investigation (which may include a voice stress analysis and/or a polygraph), and/or be bonded. Additionally, positions in law enforcement classifications and those supporting law enforcement functions will be required to complete a conviction history questionnaire prior to or during the interview process. Applicants for positions with access to Medi-Cal billing software or who are licensed providers must clear the Federal Exclusion List, credentialing, and social security verification. Failure to clear these requirements may result in an employment offer being withdrawn.

The eligible list resulting from this recruitment may be certified as a substitute list for a substantially similar classification.  For this purpose, a substantially similar classification is one at a lower level in the same classification (example: entry level vs. journey level) and/or a similar classification (similar work performed, similar training and experience qualifications required). If you are contacted for an interview by a County department, you will be informed of the classification and other relevant information. If you choose not to interview for a substantially similar classification, you will remain on the eligible list for which you originally applied.

Placer County offers an expedited process for qualifying certain applicants for interviews. Candidates currently employed, or employed within the last year, by a public agency operating under a personnel civil service or merit system may be eligible to be placed on a Public Agency Eligible List and certified as eligible for appointment to a similar job assignment without going through the examination process. For more information on the Public Agency Eligible List, to download forms, or to apply, please click here.

Thank you for your interest in employment with Placer County. Placer County is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an active nondiscrimination program. It is the stated policy of Placer County that harassment, discrimination, and retaliation are prohibited and that all employees, applicants, agents, contractors, and interns/volunteers shall receive equal consideration and treatment. All terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, transfer, and promotion will be based on the qualifications of the individual for the positions being filled regardless of gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, race, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, physical disability (including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, medical condition (cancer or genetic characteristics/information), age (40 or over), marital status, military and/or veteran status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions), or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law. Please contact the Human Resources Department at least 5 working days before a scheduled examination if you require accommodation in the examination process. Medical disability verification may be required prior to accommodation.

Tentative Recruitment Timeline:

Week of 5/24/21    Minimum Qualification Screening

Week of 5/31/21    Online Examination Invitations Sent

Week of 6/7/21      Online Examination

Week of 6/14/21    Eligible List Established