Legal Processing Assistant I/II

Description

Under immediate (I) or general (II) supervision, Legal Processing Assistants performs specialized clerical and/or secretarial duties in support of legal defense, prosecution activities and/or specialized law enforcement and performs other duties as assigned. Support activities may include public contact, customer service, records maintenance, document production, and/or processing data.

The ideal candidate will possess excellent verbal communication skills, the ability to work as a member of a team, and a desire to work in the criminal justice field. They must have excellent customer service skills, the ability to exercise sound judgment, and the ability to perform and remain calm in a fast-paced environment with frequent interruptions.

Legal Processing Assistant I - hourly/non-exempt, is the entry level in the series. Incumbents prepare, examine and process legal documents in support of specialized law enforcement or legal prosecution/defense activities, utilizing journey level clerical skills and limited application of specialized legal procedures and processes.

Legal Processing Assistant II - hourly/non-exempt, is the journey level in the series. Incumbents prepare and process a variety of legal documents and performs a variety of legal case management activities.

VETERAN’S POINTS: The Legal Processing Assistant I is an entry level classification, and Veteran’s Points may apply to eligible applicants. Documentation of military service must be submitted with your application prior to close of recruitment in order to receive points.

EDUCATIONAL/BILINGUAL INCENTIVE: Incumbents may be eligible for an educational incentive of 2.5%, 3.5%, or 5% based on completion of an Associate, Bachelor, or postgraduate degree that is not required for the classification. Incumbents may also be eligible for bilingual incentive depending upon operational necessity and certification of skill.
AGENCY/DEPARTMENT: District Attorney’s Office

APPROXIMATE SALARIES:
Legal Processing Assistant I: $21.00 - $27.15 per hour
Legal Processing Assistant II: $21.39 - $29.91 per hour

The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future Regular, Temporary, Fixed-Term, Intermittent, and Extra-Help vacancies. This is currently one (1) Regular vacancy.
NOTE: If appointed at the lower level, incumbent may be promoted to the higher level without further examination upon meeting the minimum requirements, demonstrating satisfactory performance, and in accordance with the business needs of the department.

Legal Processing Assistant I/IIs are represented by the Service Employees' International Union (SEIU) and are eligible for overtime compensation.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
OPENING DATE: May 7, 2025
CLOSING DATE: May 14, 2025
APPLICATION REVIEW: Week of May 19, 2025

Examples Of Duties

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

• Processes legal documents and records through the office to which assigned as well as through the Courts and/or other offices based on established legal procedure or special instructions in case files; examines documents for conformance with established rules, standards and/or legal requirements;
• Gives the public, clients, law enforcement officials and/or other employees procedural and/or case information which requires distinguishing between, and consideration of, sensitive/protected and public information and may require understanding or interpretation/explanation of legal documents (e.g., subpoenas), legal/court procedure or specific file notations regarding case/processing and status;
• Coordinates the preparation of files scheduled for court ensuring that all needed documents are included and presented in proper form and order; maintains current status of court calendars;
• Prepares correspondence and/or legal forms and documents using standard word processing applications from prepared drafts, special file notations or from standard procedural guidelines;
• Accompanies attorneys and/or other professional staff to court as required; makes notations to case files and draws the attention of the attorney to case or procedural detail;
• Coordinates court appearances for witnesses or defendants by updating appearance times, scheduling/postponing/ canceling appearances; maintains case status information and contact with interested parties; notifies witnesses and/or other involved parties of case disposition;
• Maintains reference materials, records systems, status logs and/or workload statistics; sorts and stores information based on alpha, numeric, content or other classification method; searches for and retrieves information stored in manual and/or automated systems; purges files in accordance with established procedure;
• May compute fees or credit for time served or other circumstances affecting length of custody; may collect fees, issue receipts and prepare bank deposits or statement of cash received; may prepare work unit reports and/or workload statistics; and
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Typical Qualifications

These are entrance requirements to the examination process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.

EDUCATION, TRAINING, and EXPERIENCE:

Legal Processing Assistant I:

• Any combination of education, training or experience equivalent to one (1) year of office clerical experience and some knowledge of legal terminology.
  

Legal Processing Assistant II:

• Any combination of education, training and experience equivalent to two (2) years of legal clerical experience which has included legal document preparation and processing and the application of specialized law enforcement/legal court procedure in support of a legal specialty area (e.g., criminal defense, criminal prosecution, or witness liaison); OR
  
• One (1) year as a Legal Processing Assistant I with the County of Ventura.
  

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Candidates for positions in this series will be required to pass a thorough background investigation.
  

DESIRED:

• Bilingual skills (English/Spanish) are highly desirable.
• Experience working in the criminal justice field is highly desirable.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Legal Processing Assistant I
Some knowledge of:

• legal/court procedure, process and systems;
• legal terminology.

Working knowledge of:

• general office practices and procedures.

Working ability to:

• perform specialized clerical work in support of legal processes;
• learn and apply legal procedure specific to area of assignment;
• evaluate unusual circumstances and resolve through the application of standard procedures;
• store, maintain and retrieve information, records and documents;
• search manual, microfilm or electronic information storage systems to locate information;
• maintain logs, cross-reference files and indices;
• update and purge storage systems in accordance with established procedure;
• receive and record fees in accordance with established procedures;
• word processing and data entry;
• work under pressure and meet short deadlines;
• communicate effectively with people of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and temperaments;
• demonstrate tact and diplomacy;
• maintain accurate records and document actions taken;
• compare names and numbers accurately;
• maintain confidentiality of information;
• maintain records and compile routine reports (e.g., routine, statistical);
• make routine arithmetical calculations;
• recognize and respect limit of authority and responsibility.

Legal Processing Assistant II (in addition to the above, this level may require):
Considerable knowledge of:

• forms, records, document processing procedures and legal terminology as applicable to area of assignment;
• general clerical and technical resource materials and information sources applicable to area of assignment;
• public information and contact techniques;
• the structure and functions of law enforcement and judicial systems;
• department services and operations;
• office procedures;
• automated systems used in information storage and document preparation;
• methods of recording, researching and compiling information;
• document preparation, duplication and distribution procedures;
• general understanding of the criminal justice system.

Working ability to:

• examine documents for completeness, sufficiency and conformity;
• process documents according to established procedures;
• understand legal terminology, court minutes or case file notations;
• remain current with changes in laws, regulations and procedures affecting work;
• refer the public to services provided by other units, departments and/or agencies;
• research regulations, procedures and/or technical reference materials;
• organize and prioritize work assignments;
• perform legal clerical work independently.

Recruitment Process

FINAL FILING DATE: Applications must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources no later than 5:00 p.m. on May 14, 2025. To apply online, please refer to our web site at www.ventura.org/jobs . A paper application can be obtained by calling (805) 654-5129. Our address is: County of Ventura, Human Resources Division, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009.

NOTE TO APPLICANTS: It is essential that you complete all sections of your application and supplemental questionnaire thoroughly and accurately to demonstrate your qualifications. A resume and/or other related documents may be attached to supplement the information in your application and supplemental questionnaire; however, it/they may not be submitted in lieu of the application.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE - qualifying:
All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this examination AT THE TIME OF FILING. This questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications and acceptability for the position.

APPLICATION EVALUATION - qualifying:
Candidates' applications, resumes, or other required documentation will be evaluated on a comparative basis against pre-established criterion. Those individuals whose materials best indicate possession of the stated requirements, may be invited to continue to the next step in the screening and selection process.

WRITTEN EXAMINATION - 100%:
An un-proctored, internet-based job-related written examination will be conducted to test candidates' knowledge of Reading Comprehension, Recording/Verifying Data, Vocabulary, Filing, Legal Terminology & Processing, Mathematics, Office Practices & Procedures. Candidates must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.

Applicants must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list. The eligible list is valid for a period of one (1) year.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: Prior to actual appointment from the eligible list, the successful candidate will be required to pass a thorough background investigation conducted by the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation. Background investigation findings may be a basis for removal from the eligible list. To speak to a Bureau of Investigation representative concerning the background investigation process, call (805) 477-1654.

For further information about this recruitment, please contact Jayna Landeros by e-mail atJayna.Landeros@ventura.orgor telephone at (805) 477-1609.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY:
The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Service Employees International Union (LOCAL 721)
(SEIU)

To learn more about Benefits, Retirement, and the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), see links below.

• Benefits website or you may call (805) 654-2570.
• Retirement FAQ's
• Memorandum of Agreement

Union Code: UPP

Closing Date/Time: 5/14/2025 5:00 PM Pacific

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• County of Ventura

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