Litigation Paralegal III

City of Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

CalPERS retirement

Medical insurance

Paid vacation & holidays

Deferred compensation (457 plan)

Flexible spending account

Life and disability insurance

Continuing legal education

Job summary

The City Attorney's Office of the City of Santa Barbara seeks a Litigation Paralegal III to support attorneys in all stages of civil and criminal cases. You will conduct legal research, draft documents, and coordinate discovery tasks while guiding junior staff.

Responsibilities include case planning, information gathering, and preparing for depositions, arbitrations, and trials, with significant independent judgement and strong writing skills.

Qualifications

• Five years of paralegal or law office experience.
• Strong writing and research skills.
• Ability to manage cases and databases with minimal supervision.

Responsibilities

• Draft and prepare a variety of legal documents with extensive writing.
• Perform complex legal research from multiple references.
• Establish internal procedures for organizing work and departmental efficiency.
• Assist attorneys in extensive preparation of highly sensitive cases at all phases.
• Provide lead direction and coordinate work to staff to meet case priorities.
• File pleadings with court clerks and prepare affidavits and files.
• Investigate case status and locate witnesses; arrange appearances for trials/hearings.
• Assist attorneys at court with documents and information; communicate with clients and court staff.

Skills

Legal terminology

Civil litigation knowledge

Legal writing

Communication

Organization

Research

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

ABOUT THE CITY

At the City of Santa Barbara, the best part of our organization is our people. As a City of Santa Barbara employee, you will work in an environment with other motivated individuals who are passionate about their work. We strive to provide employees with the support they need to thrive. Discover more about us, our values and our organizational culture here.

CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE

The City Attorney's Office is responsible for all legal representation and advice for the City Council, Boards, Commissions and all City officers and staff in all matters of law pertaining to the City as well as all City code enforcement and litigation services. Learn more about the City Attorney’s Office here. The office is staffed by seven full-time attorneys (the City Attorney, Chief Assistant City Attorney, Assistant Prosecutor, and four Assistant City Attorneys), one investigator, one business manager, and five professional support staff who work as a close and collaborative team.

THE POSITION

Under general supervision, assists attorneys in the preparation and coordination of all stages of litigation and transactional work. Coordinate and implement case and discovery tasks; work with staff and clients to obtain information and assistance on legal projects; evaluate and summarize legal data; and prepare for depositions, arbitrations, and trials; other related duties as assigned. The Litigation Paralegal assists with case planning, development, and management, legal research, interviews clients, gathers facts and retrieves information, drafts and analyzes legal documents and collects, complies and utilizes technical information, to make recommendations to an attorney. Under general supervision, assists attorneys in the preparation and coordination of all stages of litigation and transactional work and performs other related duties as assigned.

Payroll Title: Litigation Paralegal III

Litigation Paralegal III: The Paralegal III position is the advanced journey level classification in the Paralegal series. Incumbents are responsible for exercising a high degree of independent judgement and performing the most complex and difficult paralegal duties requiring extensive legal knowledge, proficiency and skill in support of complex administrative, civil or criminal cases. Incumbents may act as a project lead and provide task supervision of subordinate staff. The Paralegal III is distinguished from the Paralegal I and Paralegal II by the former's level of technical specialization, lead function and complexity of assignments performed. Complexity is defined in terms of the depth and scope of involvement in a case and by the level of responsibility of procedural and functional guidance to lower-level Paralegal staff, while independently performing the full range of paralegal duties in support of the most complex cases. Five years of Paralegal or law office experience within a public or private sector law firm performing law related paralegal duties.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Draft and prepare a variety of legal documents, correspondence, and reports that are complex and require extensive original writing
• Perform complex legal research in which issues are not readily defined, and a substantial amount of research is required from a variety of references
• Establish internal procedures for organizing and processing work for departmental efficiencies
• Assist attorneys in extensive preparation of highly sensitive and complex cases at all phases of case preparation
• Provide lead direction, guidance, and coordination of work to subordinate staff to ensure case priorities are achieved through administrative efficiencies
• Files pleadings and other documents with court clerks
• Prepares affidavits of documents and maintains document files
• Investigates status of cases and locates witnesses or interested parties
• Assists in scheduling witnesses for trials and/or hearings
• Obtains and verifies information from defendants
• Arranges appearances of and prepares witnesses for legal procedures; prepares files for court
• Assists attorney at court with documents and information
• Communicates extensively with clients, opposing attorneys, and court staff
• Performs related duties as assigned

SALARY & BENEFITS

• CalPERS retirement
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Deferred compensation (457 plan)
• Flexible spending account
• Life and disability insurance
• Continuing legal educations and professional development opportunities

Knowledge of

• Procedures and practices of civil litigation
• Principles and practices legal terminology
• Principles of business letter writing and basic report preparation
• Methods of research, case analysis and report preparation
• Principles and procedures of record keeping
• English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation
• Modern office procedures, methods and computer equipment
• Pertinent Federal, State and local laws pertaining to area of assignment

Ability to

• Coordinate and implement case and discovery tasks
• Research and compile data on a variety of legal cases
• Draft and prepare a variety of legal documents
• Respond to requests and inquiries from the general public
• Work independently in the absence of supervision
• Understand and follow oral and written instructions
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work

Experience and Training Guidelines

The minimum qualifications for this classification must be met as set forth in the California Business and Professions Code section 6450 et seq. and continuing education requirements must be maintained throughout employment.

Applications and supplemental questionnaires will be reviewed, and the most qualified candidates will be invited for an interview. Applications should fully describe relevant education, training, and experience. Final candidates will undergo a background investigation and meet all pre-employment requirements.

There is currently one (1) vacancy within the City Attorney's Office.

COMMUNICATION

Applicants will receive updates via the email address listed on their application. Please check email and spam folders regularly. Status updates may also be viewed by logging into your governmentjobs.com account.

OPEN & CONTINUOUS RECRUITMENT

This recruitment is open until filled. Applicants are encouraged to apply early, as the filing period may close at any time.