Legal Secretary - Journey

Job Description

Introduction

Placer County is comprised of over 1,400 square miles of beautiful and diverse geography, ranging from the residential and commercial areas of South Placer, through the historic foothill areas of Auburn, Foresthill, and Colfax, and to the County's crown jewel of the North Lake Tahoe basin. Placer is a great place to live, work, play, and learn! For more information about Placer County, please visit www.placer.ca.gov.

POSITION INFORMATION

The Placer County District Attorney's Office is accepting applications for Legal Secretary-Entry and Legal Secretary-Journey to fill one vacancy in Tahoe City, CA. To participate in the recruitment at the Entry level, Journey level or both levels, you must complete and submit separate applications and supplemental questionnaires for each recruitment.

Legal Secretary Entry: #2026-12305-01

Legal Secretary Journey: #2026-12306-01

For consideration in the first round of screening submit your application no later than Friday, October 16 at 5:00 p.m.

The eligible list established as a result of this recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies as they arise, subject to position-specific requirements.

Tahoe Branch Assignment Premium

Tahoe Branch Assignment Premium: This position is eligible for salary plus up to an additional $1,100 per month Tahoe Branch Assignment Premium for employees who are permanently assigned to a position located in the North Lake Tahoe Area.

Truckee Tahoe Workforce Housing Agency



Placer County partners with the Truckee Tahoe Workforce Housing Agency (TTWHA) to support employee relocation and housing needs. TTWHA serves as the region’s one-stop housing concierge, helping new hires navigate the local rental market, explore housing options, and connect with landlord and property management partners. To learn more about TTWHA housing services, click here.

BENEFITS

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 Placer Public Employees Organization (PPEO) benefits.

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

DEFINITION

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.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This is the full journey-level class in the Legal Secretary series and is distinguished from the entry-level by the ability to perform the full range of duties assigned with only occasional instruction or assistance as unusual or unique situations arise. Positions in this class are flexibly staffed and are normally filled by advancement from the entry-level.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Receives general supervision from management or supervisory staff, and may receive technical and functional supervision from professional staff.

EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES

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

• Perform general and legal secretarial duties related to assigned unit.
  
• Type, edit and format legal documents including pleadings, briefs, opinions, correspondence, and other legal matters.
  
• Process routine departmental correspondence independently, and maintain files of correspondence, pleadings, discovery, legal opinions and other records and documents.
  
• Assist staff by performing duties related to unit 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 assigned unit; compile data as necessary.
  
• Schedule a variety of court events.
  
• 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; operate computer software program(s) as related to assigned area.
  
• Enter and retrieve data into and from local, state and national computer systems; conduct record searches in a centralized database.
  
• Provide information to law enforcement agencies, courts, attorneys, parties related to cases, and the public in accordance with legal requirements.
  
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with co-workers, other County employees, and the public using principles of good customer service.
  
• Perform related duties as assigned.
  

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work is typically performed in an indoor office environment with controlled temperature conditions. Positions may require travel to and from locations in a variety of outdoor weather conditions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

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 (2) years of experience performing legal secretarial duties equivalent to the Legal Secretary - Entry in Placer County.

Training: Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade.

Required 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, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of court legal processes and timelines.
  
• 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.
  
• Basic record keeping principles and procedures.
  
• Legal terminology, forms, documents.
  
• Court procedures and requirements.
  
• Operating procedures of a legal environment.
  

Ability to:

• Intermittently review documents related to department operations; understand, identify, interpret, explain, and problem solve department policies, procedures, and operations; recall and utilize a variety of information; work under time pressure and complete a high volume of tasks with frequent interruptions; focus on a single task for long periods of time.
  
• On a continuous basis, sit at a desk for long periods of time; intermittently walk, stand, bend, climb, squat, kneel, twist, and reach while retrieving or returning files and while accessing office equipment; speak, use telephone, and write or use keyboard to communicate; perform simple and power grasping and fine manipulation; see and hear with sufficient visual acuity to perform essential job functions; lift light weight.
  
• Perform routine legal clerical work including maintenance of records, files, verifying files and data.
  
• Learn to perform legal secretarial duties.
  
• Use computer word processing, spread sheet, database and customized applications.
  
• Analyze situations carefully and adopt an 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.
  
• Work with various cultural and ethnic groups in a tactful and effective manner.
  
• Prioritize and coordinate tasks to meet deadlines.
  
• Independently perform legal secretarial duties.
  
• Research and analyze background information.
  
• Organize tasks and determine priorities in order to meet assigned deadlines.
  
• Draft simple legal documents
  

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

Length of Probation:

All permanent appointments to this classification shall serve a probationary period of twelve (12) calendar months or two thousand (2,080) hours, whichever is more.

Bargaining Unit:

General

FSLA Status:

Non-Exempt

Salary Grade:
GNRL-49 - Range A
GNRL-49 - Range B

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT

Pre-Hire Requirements
Candidates must complete the following requirements before their start date if an offer is extended:

• DOJ Criminal Background Clearance: Successfully complete a fingerprint-based background check through the California Department of Justice.
• Medical Evaluation: Pass a pre-employment physical, which may include drug screening and/or a psychological evaluation.
• Oath of Office: Subscribe to the constitutional oath or affirmation as required for all public employees by the California Constitution.
• Employment Eligibility Verification: Provide original documents that establish both identify and the legal right to work in the United States, as required by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Position-Specific Requirements

In addition to the above, some positions may require one or more of the following:

• Age Verification: Provide documentation verifying that you meet the minimum legal age requirements for this position.
• Background Check: Some positions require a background investigation. This may include a credit check, voice stress analysis, polygraph, and/or proof of bonding.
• Law Enforcement: Applicants for law enforcement functions must complete a conviction history questionnaire prior to or during the interview process.
• Medi-Cal Access/Licensing: Applicants 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 all requirements may result in an employment offer being withdrawn.

SUBSTITUTE LISTS

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.

EMPLOYEES OF OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES

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.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Placer County is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an active nondiscrimination program. It is the stated policy of Placer County that unlawful 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 the following characteristics: gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, race (including traits associated with race, which include, but are not limited to, hair texture and protected hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists), color, ancestry, religion (including creed and belief), national origin, citizenship, primary language, immigration status, physical disability (Including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics/information), age (40 or over), marital status, military and/or veteran status, sex (including parental status, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), reproductive health decision making, the person’s use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace, political orientation, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law or any combination of two or more characteristics stated herein. 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.

Selection Plan

Online Written Examination (100%)

Once the filing deadline passes, qualified candidates will receive an email with instructions to begin the online exam.

• Content: Questions may include multiple-choice, true/false, fill-in, or essay types based on the required knowledge for this role.
• Time Limit: You will have 3 calendar days from the date of the email notification to complete the exam.
• Single Attempt: Only one attempt is allowed.

Monitor your inbox and spam folder closely after the first screening deadline to ensure you don't miss your testing window.

The online examination has been tentatively scheduled for the following dates:

• Week of October 26, 2026
• Week of November 30, 2026

Conclusion

For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Kristen Cannon, Administrative Technician, at kcannon@placer.ca.gov or (530) 886-4661.

Closing Date/Time: 11/20/2026 5:00:00 PM