Research Attorney - Probate (Primarily Remote Opportunity)
Superior Court of Orange County See More Job Openings by This Employer
- Position Information
- RESEARCH ATTORNEY - PROBATEDEADLINE TO APPLYThis recruitment will be open on a continuous basis; however, the deadline for first round consideration is Thursday, May 15, 2025. Please note that this recruitment will remain open until the needs of the Court have been met and may close at any time.This recruitment is open to external candidates, internal OCSC employees, internal OCSC promotions, and internal OCSC lateral transfers. The eligible list established from this recruitment will be used to fill current and future positions.ANNUAL SALARY$126,776.00 - $161,553.60(Note: Research Attorneys may be able to promote to Senior Research Attorney upon meeting established criteria.The salary for Senior Research Attorney is up to $183,830.40 annually.)BENEFIT HIGHLIGHTSChoice of five medical plansVacation and sick leave packages$3,500 Optional Benefit Plan (OBP)Defined Benefit Retirement Plan (2.50% at 67 formula)Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
14 paid holidays per yearTuition reimbursementDental and vision plansOptional deferred compensation program (457 plan)TELEWORK/ON-SITE OPPORTUNITY
This position is eligible for a combination of telework and on-site work assignments. Telework must be completed from a pre-designated home-based location within the State of California and employees may be required to report on-site to address business needs.
Telework is at the sole discretion of the Court and may be rescinded with 48 hours' notice, based on needs of the Orange County Superior Court. - Opportunity Details
ABOUT ORANGE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT
The Orange County Superior Court is the third largest court of general jurisdiction in California. We have courthouses throughout the county, including locations in Orange, Westminster, Fullerton, Newport Beach, and Santa Ana. We have a staff of about 1,500 and an operating budget of nearly $250 million. The Court's Judges, Commissioners and employees are recognized for their high standards of achievement, integrity, and diversity. The Court is committed to ensuring equal access to court services and enhancing public confidence in the court system.
To learn more about the Superior Court of California, County of Orange, visit our homepage at www.occourts.org.
ABOUT THE POSITION
Research Attorneys work under the direction of the Judges and the General Counsel. They are required to research legal issues in specialized areas of probate law, including decedents' estates, wills, trusts, conservatorships and guardianships; analyze legal issues; review case files, including motions and other pleadings; prepare memoranda and make recommendations for disposition of matters before the Court. Additional duties include conferring 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. These positions are responsible for a high-volume of work with short deadlines for the completion of assignments.
Most positions are assigned to our Civil Department. However, on some occasions, Attorneys may be assigned to Criminal, Family Law, Juvenile, Probate or Appellate Departments, depending on the needs of the Court. Our current vacancy is in Probate.
To learn more about the duties of this position, click HERE to view the job description.- Minimum Qualifications
Bar Membership: Active membership in good standing with the California State Bar.
Experience: At least three (3) years post California Bar probate law experience and a solid grasp of California civil procedure and law and motion are required.
Writing Sample: A self-edited writing sample must be submitted with the application.
Desirable Skills, Abilities and Experience:
At least five (5) years experience practicing in one or more of the following areas:- Probate practice with an emphasis in conservatorships, guardianships, decedents' estates, trust litigation, and/or probate accountings
- Legal research in one or more of the above-listed areas
- Excellent writing skills
Be proficient in online, web and windows based legal research applications and proficient in using MS Word and Adobe. Excellent research and writing skills are essential, along with the ability to work independently on a wide variety of legal issues of varied complexity, effectively manage one's time in order to meet stringent time constraints and interact, daily and professionally, with Judicial Officers, colleagues and Court staff. The Research Attorney position in Probate also requires a significant ability to work well with others in a team environment and to adapt flexibly to scheduling changes on short notice.- Additional Information
Application Process
All applicants are required to submit a completed online application and supplemental questionnaire. To learn more about how to create an account/application, click HERE.
Résumés will not be accepted in lieu of the required application and supplemental questionnaire.
Human Resources will review applications to identify candidates who meet the minimum qualifications; therefore, it is to your benefit to include all current and previous related work experience.
Selection Process- Step 1: Applications will be reviewed to identify candidates who meet the minimum qualifications and/or desirables; those candidates will be referred to step 2 in the selection process.
- Step 2: Candidates' supplemental question responses may be evaluated and ranked. Depending on the number of applications, assessments and/or screening interviews may be conducted. If any part of the assessment process consists of proctored, in-person tests, candidates will be required to appear in person regardless of where they reside. Note: Though candidates may live outside of the State of California while participating in a recruitment process, individuals must reside within the State to be eligible for Court employment.
- Step 3: Those candidates who are successful in the review/assessment may be placed on the eligible list. Placement on the eligible list is not a guarantee of interview or employment.
Background Check
A thorough background check will be conducted, including but not limited to work experience, education, certifications, driving record, criminal record, litigation judgment or verdict, and financial/credit information. Fingerprints of candidates are also taken as part of our background check process.
Reasonable Accommodations
Orange County Superior Court provides reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities, upon request. Please contact the Human Resources Department at HRStaffing@occourts.org if you feel that you will need a reasonable accommodation for any aspect of the selection process.
Eligible List
This recruitment will be used to establish an eligible list for current and future vacancies. The eligible list will remain active until the list is exhausted or a new recruitment opens.
Status Notifications
You will be notified by email during the process of this recruitment through governmentjobs.com. Please check your email spam/junk folders and accept emails ending with governmentjobs.com and occourts.org. If your information changes, please update your profile at www.governmentjobs.com.
eVerify
Superior Court of California, County of Orange participates in the eVerify program.
Questions?
For questions on this recruitment, please contact Monica Budd at mbudd@occourts.org. For general employment information, please click HERE.
Orange County Superior Court is an Equal Opportunity Employer
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- $10,564.67 - $13,462.80/month
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