Court Legal Assistant

Under general supervision, this position will assist self-represented litigants in assessing legal problems and the correct legal procedure for the litigant's situation; performs a variety of paraprofessional legal duties; prepares legal forms and instructional materials; performs legal research; promotes self-help services through community outreach, creation of promotional materials and management of social media accounts; and performs other clerical and/or administrative duties as required.  

• Assist pro per litigants from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds with various legal matters in person and through use of remote technology;
• Interview and triage pro per litigants, assess their legal problems and determine the appropriate next procedural steps, make appropriate referrals;
• Assist pro per litigants with correct preparation of legal forms prior to filing with the court; 
• Answer questions about court filing processes and explain legal procedure to pro per litigants one-on-one and in group/workshop settings; 
• Identify non-routine cases and ask for specific direction from supervising attorney, assist litigant in accordance with those directions;
• Review forms/documents submitted by pro per litigants for accuracy, completeness and compliance with relevant statutes and rules; 
• Design and manage social media accounts; 
• Create, maintain and update written materials provided to the public;
• Maintain accurate logs, records and statistical data for purposes of grant funding; 
• Assist attorneys, and other court legal assistants as directed.

To qualify for this position, an applicant must possess the following: 

Education/Experience 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, and a written declaration from this attorney stating that the person is qualified to perform paralegal tasks. 

OR 

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 units, 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; 

OR 

A certificate of completion from a paralegal program approved by the American Bar Association; 

OR 

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, and a written declaration from this attorney stating that the person is qualified to perform paralegal tasks. 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:  

• Familiarity with principles of California law, statutes, codes, court processes and rules of court, specifically those that govern practices involving pro per litigants;
• Ability to differentiate between legal information and legal advice and to establish and maintain boundaries with pro per litigants;
• Ability to understand and apply legal principles and practices;
• Ability to explain and clarify legal concepts in lay terms;
• Ability to identify and correct technical inaccuracies in documents; 
• Familiarity with principles, methods, techniques and materials of legal research, analysis and writing;
• Knowledge of basic judicial structure;
• Knowledge of legal office terminology, processes and procedures, and the proper format for legal documents; Familiarity with general office practices and procedures, including the operation of modern office equipment and use of software, such as Microsoft Office Suite, Essential Forms, Zoom, etc.;
• Familiarity with the structure and use of social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both orally and in writing, including proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation;
• Ability to work effectively with people experiencing personal crisis or when relations are strained, including use of trauma-informed interviewing techniques;
• Ability to work effectively as an individual and as part of a team of staff and volunteers in a fast-paced, emotionally charged, customer service environment;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work, such as court employees in other departments and employees of community agencies and organizations;
• Ability to use initiative and sound independent judgment within established guidelines;
• Skill to prioritize and manage multiple projects, meet deadlines and follow up on assignments.

HIGHLY DESIREABLE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Ability to speak, read and write in Spanish;
• Familiarity with the practices and procedures related to the following civil case types: civil harassment restraining orders, elder abuse restraining orders, workplace violence restraining orders, small claims, evictions, name and/or gender changes, CARE Act cases and debt collections;
• Familiarity with the services offered by community agencies and organizations that assist self-represented litigants and underrepresented populations in Sonoma County.

PROCESS TO APPLY:

Please apply online at:  http://sonoma.courts.ca.gov/info/jobs

 APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.The selection procedure will consist of an application with supplemental questionnaire screening and a panel interview process. 

Please list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of the application and be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.  You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position. Please include a cover letter and resume.

Each application and supplemental questionnaire will be thoroughly evaluated for satisfaction of minimum qualifications and relevance of educational coursework, training, experience, and knowledge and abilities; which relate to the position.  Candidates possessing the most appropriate job-related qualifications will be invited to an interview.

The Superior Court of California, County of Sonoma is committed to creating a diverse environment and an open, inclusive culture free from bias. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Accommodation: 

Applicants with a disability who may require special assistance in any step of the selection process should advise Human Resources by emailing humanresources@sonomacourt.org upon submittal of application.