Public Defender Receptionist - Fixed Term - Bilingual Preferred

County of Ventura Government; Ventura (CA); On-site; USD 32,000 - 49,000; Full time

Job summary

The County of Ventura Government is seeking Legal Processing Assistants at the Public Defender's Office to support legal defense activities. Responsibilities include handling client inquiries, assisting with document preparation, and coordinating with attorneys and court personnel in a fast-paced environment.

Positions include LPA I (entry level) and LPA II with potential for advancement, and applicants may be eligible for bilingual and educational incentives.

Qualifications

• Any combination of education, training, or experience equivalent to one year of office clerical experience.
• Two years of legal clerical experience for LPA II or one year as LPA I with the County of Ventura.

Responsibilities

• Answer multi-line telephone and handle inquiries from clients, in and out of custody.
• Greet the public and clients including persons accused of crimes from diverse backgrounds.
• Assist with preparing legal documents including redacting confidential files, copying, transcribing.
• Provide procedural and/or case information while distinguishing sensitive and public information.
• Assess clients’ needs and determine appropriate course of action.
• Interact with attorneys and court personnel.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Skills

Verbal communication

Team player

Customer service

Calm under pressure

Job description

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

The mission of the County of Ventura Public Defender is to ensure equal justice for our clients by providing exceptional legal representation. Our office recognizes the value of having a diverse and inclusive workforce. We are committed to the professional development of every employee on every team so they, in turn, can help each of our clients achieve the best outcome in their case. Our clients are a diverse community, as well, and many suffer from negative social impacts of systemic racism. We honor the inherent dignity in every client by fighting for their rights. We are holistic and take the time to find out how we can help - both inside and outside the courtroom. Our staff includes experts in litigation and trial advocacy, as well as professionals who can help people address mental health and substance use disorder issues. We represent each client at all stages of their case, and our practice areas include Misdemeanor and Felony trial teams, Immigration, Writs and Appeals, Juvenile, and Mental Health, plus a number of specialty courts, including Conservatorship and Homeless Courts. Our office partners with community-based organizations in post-conviction litigation to clear records so our clients can avoid the stigma of a criminal conviction and find jobs. By helping people gain employment and reenter their communities, we enhance public safety and demonstrate our dedication to this community.

ABOUT THE POSITION

Under immediate (Legal Processing Assistant I) or general (Legal Processing Assistant II) supervision, the Public Defender Legal Processing Assistant performs specialized clerical and/or secretarial duties in support of legal defense activities.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

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 defense field assisting persons accused of crimes. The incumbent must have excellent customer service skills, the ability to exercise sound judgment, be a team player, and the ability to perform and remain calm in a fast-paced environment with frequent interruptions.

PAYROLL TITLES AND APPROXIMATE SALARIES

• Legal Processing Assistant I: $23.00 - $32.14 Hourly
• Legal Processing Assistant II: $25.32 - $35.41 Hourly

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

Legal Processing Assistant I is the entry level in the series. Incumbents prepare, examine and process legal documents in support of specialized legal defense activities, utilizing journey level clerical skills and limited application of specialized legal procedures and processes.

At the journey level, Legal Processing Assistant II prepares and processes a variety of legal documents and performs a variety of legal case management activities.

Incumbents apply clerical skills and specialized legal knowledge to specific assignments in support of legal defense functions. Generally, incumbents of this level are considered sufficiently trained in legal procedure to satisfactorily rotate through specialty assignment areas with minimal work disruption and/or training.

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.

VETERAN’S POINTS

This is a trainee/entry level classification, and Veteran’s Points may apply to eligible candidates for the Legal Processing Assistant I classification.

EDUCATIONAL/BILINGUAL INCENTIVE

Incumbents may be eligible for an educational incentive of 2.5%, 3.5%, or 5% based on completion of an Associate's, Bachelor's, or Master's degree that is not required for the classification. Incumbents may also be eligible for bilingual incentive depending upon operational need and certification of skill.

The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill existing and future Regular (including Temporary and Fixed-Term), Intermittent, and Extra Help positions for this and similar vacancies within the Public Defender's Office. There is currently one (1) Fixed-Term vacancy with an anticipated end date of December 10, 2027.

A Fixed-Term position is a position designated by the Director-Human Resources or Board of Supervisors to which persons may be appointed for fixed terms not to exceed three (3) years. Fixed-Term employees are eligible for the same benefits and compensation as Regular employees.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

Opening Date: Friday, November 06, 2026

Closing Date: Monday, November 16, 2025, at 5:00 pm

Application Review: Week of November 23, 2026

DUTIES

• Answer multi-line telephone and handle telephone inquiries from clients, both in and out of custody;
• Greet the public and clients including persons accused of crimes and persons from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and temperaments;
• Assist with preparing legal documents including redacting confidential files, copying, transcribing, etc;
• Give 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 and legal/court procedure;
• Assess clients’ needs and determine appropriate course of action;
• Interact with attorneys and court personnel, and;
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

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 (LPA) 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 (LPA) 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.

HIGHLY DESIRED

• Experience interacting with and assisting indigent population.
• Experience in the criminal defense field.
• Bilingual Skills (English/Spanish)

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Some (LPA I) to considerable (LPA II) knowledge of:

• Legal/court procedure, process and systems, and the criminal justice system.
• Legal terminology.
• Working knowledge of general office practices and procedures.

Working ability to:

• Evaluate unusual circumstances and resolve through the application of standard procedures.
• Search electronic information storage systems to locate information.
• Work under pressure.
• Communicate effectively with people of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and temperaments.
• Demonstrate tact and diplomacy.
• Maintain confidentiality of information.
• Recognize and respect scope of authority and responsibility.
• Perform in a fast-paced work environment with frequent interruptions.

FINAL FILING DATE

Applications must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources in Ventura, California no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 16, 2026.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE - qualifying

All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this examination at the time of filing. The supplemental questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications and acceptability for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire may result in the application being removed from further consideration.

APPLICATION EVALUATION – qualifying

All applications will be reviewed to determine whether or not the stated requirements are met. Those individuals meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the examination process.

WRITTEN EXAMINATION – 100%

An un-proctored, internet-based job-related written examination will be conducted to evaluate participating candidates’ knowledge of reading comprehension, recording/verifying data, vocabulary, filing, legal terminology and processing, mathematics, and office practices and procedures. Applicants must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.

Candidates successfully completing the examination process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one (1) year.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION:

A thorough pre-employment, post offer background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information, and driving record may be required for this position.

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.

CONTACT

For further information about this recruitment, please contact Rigo Caballero by email at [e-mail] or by telephone at [phone].