Legal Office Assistant I/II (Open and Promotional)

Legal Office Assistant I/II perform a variety of routine to moderately difficult legal office support duties and activities in County criminal justice departments such as the District Attorney's Office, Probation Department and Sheriff's Office; create and type legal and confidential correspondence, records, documents and forms; proofread typed legal material for accuracy, completeness and correct English usage, grammar, spelling and punctuation; enter, edit and retrieve legal data in computer systems; perform basic arithmetic calculations; collect and consolidate legal material from several sources; create, maintain and purge legal office files; perform routine office support activities such as taking messages from telephone callers and visitors, giving directions and instructions, responding to questions; providing general information, filing, photocopying, distributing mail and ordering supplies; and serve as a back-up for clerical co-workers who are absent from the office.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
Legal Office Assistant I is the entry level class of this legal office support series. Initially under close supervision, incumbents learn general and legal office and County procedures. As experience is gained, there is greater independence of action within established guidelines. This class is flexibly staffed with Legal Office Assistant II and incumbents may advance to the higher level after gaining experience and demonstrating proficiency which meet the qualifications of the higher level class.

Legal Office Assistant II is the journey level class of this series, fully competent to independently perform a variety of responsible legal office support duties. All positions are characterized by the presence of fairly clear guidelines from which to make decisions and the availability of supervision in non-routine circumstances. Specific duties, including the amount of typing, word processing, use of on-line or personal computers and contact with the public will vary with the organizational unit to which assigned. This class is distinguished from Lead Legal Office Assistant in that the latter assigns, directs and reviews the work of a small legal office support staff. This class is further distinguished from Legal Office Specialist in that the latter performs the most difficult, technical, complex and/or specialized legal office support duties which require a definable body of technical knowledge or skill.

The ideal candidates must be able to handle demanding job assignments and several clerical duties simultaneously in legal offices where activities occur at a fast pace; produce considerable amounts of legal correspondence and reports for long periods of time; be detailed, accurate and complete in their work; adapt to frequent interruptions, rapidly changing priorities and different assignments quickly and efficiently; use computers frequently and proficiently; use appropriate initiative, sound judgment and tact to handle sensitive and confidential discussions and interactions with individuals who are irate and hostile; and work well under stress.

The recruitment will result in the creation of a hire list that will be active for six months. The list may be extended depending on the needs of the hiring departments.

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Read and process various legal documents such as court calendars, court orders, booking slips, probation reports, arrest records and other legal information for maintaining records.
• Verify, code, edit, enter and retrieve legal data and prepare reports from an on-line or personal computer system following established formats; may access confidential state-wide data files.
• Review legal documents, arrest or incident records, files and cases to identify inaccurate, inconsistent and unclear codes, data and other information; notify appropriate staff and may participate in resolving problem situations; check court and legal documents for proper authorization and obtain missing signatures.
• Compile data from multiple sources to complete and process legal forms, documents and reports in accordance with established procedures.
• Type correspondence, reports, forms and specialized documents related to the functions of the organizational unit to which assigned from drafts, notes, dictated tapes, or brief instructions, using a typewriter or word processor; may compose standard correspondence from brief instructions.
• Proofread and check typed and other materials for accuracy, completeness, compliance with departmental policies, and correct English usage, including grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
• Establish and maintain office and case files; research and compile information from such files; close and purge files according to established procedures.
• Receive and screen visitors and telephone calls and take messages; provide information regarding County or unit activities and functions to clients, the public and other staff which may require the use of tact and discretion or the interpretation of policies, procedures or guidelines; maintain confidentiality of information.
• Operate standard office equipment, including word processors and personal or on-line computers, facsimile equipment and central telephones.
• May perform routine office support activities such as opening and distributing mail, processing outgoing mail and ordering office supplies.
• Provide off hours services as required.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Note: The level and scope of the knowledge and skills listed below are related to job duties as defined under Distinguishing Characteristics.

Knowledge of:

• Legal documents, forms and terminology.
• Policies and procedures related to the department to which assigned.
• Office practices and procedures, including filing and the operation of standard office equipment.
• Business data processing principles and the use of word processing or personal computing equipment.
• Business letter writing and the standard format for typed materials.
• Correct English usage, including spelling, grammar and punctuation.
• Business arithmetic, including percentages and decimals.
• Recordkeeping principles and practices.

• Read and understand legal and court documents and extract relevant information.
• Perform detailed legal office support work accurately.
• Compose routine correspondence from brief instructions.
• Operate standard office equipment, including a word processor and computer terminal.
• Use initiative and sound independent judgment within established guidelines.
• Prioritize work and coordinate several activities.
• Deal tactfully and effectively with a variety of individuals, some of whom may be hostile or irate.
• Organize and maintain accurate files and records.
• Make accurate arithmetic calculations.
• Understand and carry out oral and written directions.

Open & Promotional. Anyone may apply.  Current County of San Mateo and County of San Mateo Superior Court of California employees with at least six months (1040 hours)  of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, extra-help/limited term positions prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score on this examination. Responses to the supplemental questions must be submitted in addition to our regular employment application form.

The examination will consist of a standard, multiple-choice Civil Service Computer-Based Written Examination (weight:100%).

IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button. If you are not on the County's website, please go to https://jobs.smcgov.org to apply.

Qualified applicants will be notified via email, which will include the link to take the Computer-based Written Exam.  Please make sure to read your notices carefully.  

Applicant requests for alternate test dates will not be granted. Accommodations for special medical conditions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

~RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE~
Final Filing Date: Friday, September 26, 2025 @ 11:59 p.m. PST
Written Exam: 
Opens Wednesday, October 1, 2025, @ 9:00 a.m. PST
Closes on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, @ 11:59 p.m. PST

About the County
San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities.

The County of San Mateo, as an employer, is committed to advancing equity in order to ensure that all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment. The County seeks to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply. Eighty percent of employees surveyed stated that they would recommend the County as a great place to work.