Extra Help Legal Assistant

Superior Court of California, County of Butte; Oroville, Chico, Red Bluff, Willows (CA, CA, CA, CA); On-site; USD 28,000 - 41,000; Part time

Job summary

The Superior Court of California, County of Butte, is seeking a Legal Assistant (Extra-Help) to support litigants in self-help programs, in person and by phone, under the guidance of the Lead Legal Assistant. This position involves scheduling, referrals, and handling inquiries about court rules, procedures, and timelines.

Responsibilities include interviewing individuals, preparing documents, maintaining confidentiality, traveling to multiple office locations, and contributing to process

Qualifications

• Two years of customer service experience, preferably in a legal or criminal justice setting.
• Some practical knowledge of legal forms, processes, research, and writing; Paralegal certificate is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Assist litigants in a workshop environment with family or civil law issues.
• Schedule appointments and refer to appropriate agencies; interview individuals and respond to inquiries about court rules and procedures.
• Travel to and operate office locations within the grant service area; maintain confidentiality.
• Prepare correspondence, drafts, and a variety of documents; input data and prepare reports.
• Collect statistical data and prepare spreadsheets; file, photocopy, and assemble documents.

Skills

Customer service

Legal terminology

Legal forms

Office software

Education

Paralegal certificate (desirable)

Job description

The Superior Court of California, County of Butte

Legal Assistant (Extra-Help)

Application Deadline: September 13, 2026 - 11:59 PM

About the Community

Butte County Superior Court is located in beautiful Northern California, where the valley floor meets the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains, approximately 1.5 hours north of Sacramento. At over 1,600 square miles and with a population of approximately 225,000, Butte County is full of natural beauty and provides endless recreational opportunities. It is home to one of the largest municipal parks in the country, Bidwell Park, which boasts over 3,600 acres of hiking and mountain bike trails, swimming holes, picnic areas, golf and disc golf courses, and more! Outdoor adventures also await in places like Lake Oroville, Feather Falls, Table Mountain, and Lassen and Plumas National Forests which border the county to the east. In the county’s urban center of Chico, you’ll find a vibrant downtown, art, culture, unique restaurants, music, and weekly farmers’ markets. Right in the center of it all is the CSU, Chico campus, which provides a stunning backdrop and a variety of events and activities throughout the year.

About the Court

Butte County Superior Court is a unified superior court operating two facilities, one courthouse in Chico, and another courthouse in the county seat of Oroville. All legal, operational, and administrative functions of the court are governed by the Presiding Judge and the Court Executive Officer. The court has thirteen judicial officers, or eleven judges and two commissioners, and approximately 135 support staff. Despite its size, Butte is recognized throughout the state as a leader in many court collaborations, including self-help services, case management system consortiums, our highly acclaimed and model civic outreach program, and numerous multi-court employee education events. Butte County is home to a community with diverse needs, and the court continually adapts to provide effective and reliable access to justice.

The Position

This is an extra-help position (limited to a maximum of 1,000 hours per fiscal year) that assists litigants in self-help legal programs and reports to and receives lead direction from the Lead Legal Assistant and SHARP Managing Attorney. Incumbents assist litigants in a workshop environment, on the telephone and in person; schedule appointments; and make referrals to appropriate agencies. Incumbents also interview individuals regarding various legal matters and respond to inquiries regarding court rules, procedures, timelines and statutory requirements.

The following duties are typical of those performed by the incumbent in this classification; however, other duties may also be required.

• Assists litigants, in a workshop environment, with their family or civil law issues.
• Assists litigants, in person or by telephone, with scheduling of appointments and by offering referrals to appropriate agencies.
• Gives oral presentations and prepares written reports.
• Interviews individuals, in person or by telephone, regarding various legal matters. Acts as office receptionist, directs callers, takes messages and screens clients.
• Travels to and operates office locations within the grant service area.
• Maintains strict confidentiality.
• Demonstrates continuous efforts to improve operations, streamline work processes, and reduce turnaround times. Works jointly and cooperatively to provide quality seamless client services.
• Prepares correspondence in response to inquiries regarding court rules, procedures, timelines and statutory requirements.
• Prepares, types and proofreads drafts and a wide variety of finished documents from notes, brief instructions and/or printed materials.
• Uses a personal computer to input and retrieve data and prepare reports.
• Collects statistical data and prepares spreadsheet compilations.
• Files, makes photocopies, and assembles documents.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge of:

• Family and civil law
• Legal terminology
• The preparation of legal forms
• English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation
• Business letter writing and report preparation
• Modern office practices and technology
• Telephone etiquette

Ability to:

• Learn the organization, procedures and operating details of the Superior Court.
• Learn and apply the applicable statutory codes, California Rules of Court and Local Rules relating to court procedures.
• Prepare accurate documents
• Understand legal terminology, forms and procedures.
• Accurately gather and report pertinent information.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted during the course of work.
• Exercise tact, diplomacy and flexibility.
• Work in a stressful environment and exhibit a professional demeanor in difficult situations.
• Multi-task a variety of duties.
• Effectively communicate verbally and in writing.
• Maintain confidentiality.

Experience & Education:

• Two years of customer service experience, preferably in a legal or criminal justice setting
• Some practical knowledge of legal forms, processes, research, and writing, whether through education or work experience Paralegal certificate is desirable.

Special Requirements:

Bilingual candidates are strongly preferred.

Criminal History Requirement: Candidatesare required topass a criminal history background check.

Transportation Requirement:

Must have reliable transportation or the ability to travel to and between work locations as required by the position.

Physical Requirements:

Personal mobility to work in various office settings, locations and in confined work spaces; manual dexterity to use computers and standard office equipment; ability to lift and carry items occasionally weighing up to seventy (70) pounds; pushing objects weighing up to 200 pounds and pulling objects weighing up to 100 pounds; physical ability to sit for extended periods of time; stoop, reach overhead, bend, crawl, climb stairs and occasionally climb ladders to access equipment; constant finger and manual dexterity to operate a computer keyboard and work with small wiring and cables; vision which can be corrected to a level sufficient to read hand-written, typed and computer generated information and data, as well as computer terminal displays; hearing and speech ability sufficient to enable communication by telephone and in person.

Work Environment:

While performing the responsibilities of this classification, the following work environment characteristics are representative of the environment an employee will encounter.

Incumbents will perform work inside of buildings, in an office environment and in a controlled environmental facility, with little exposure to outdoor temperatures, dirt, or dust. The working conditions are typically quiet but may be loud at times at some locations and will require working alone or closely with others. The noise level and traffic level in the work environment are similar to a busy office. This role requires heavy use of a computer or laptop, including keyboard and mouse, and routine use of other standard office equipment.

Travel to visit other branches within the county, or neighboring counties, and travel to attend professional meetings and trainings in and outside of the county may be required on a frequent basis.

Normal court business hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Projects, maintenance work, and other position duties which impact court operations may necessitate this position working beyond normal business hours or on the weekend. Alternate work shifts may occur.

Disclaimer:

This document is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by an incumbent assigned to this job classification. It is not intended to provide an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities of incumbents so classified.

Reasonable accommodations may be available to a qualified individual with a disability which will enable them to perform the essential functions of the classification.