Legal Support Assistant

Legal Support Assistant I - Civil

Join the Sheriff's Office! Selected candidates will be hired at Step 1 $50,668.80 annually of the salary range. County employees are subject to the County Promotion Rule for Step Placement in Accordance with Compensation Ordinance 1.3.5.

Future Salary Increases: June 2027 – 3.7% increase to base pay (3% Across-the-Board + 0.7% Market Adjustment)

About the Position:

The Legal Support Assistant I performs legal clerical work preparing, reviewing, and processing a wide variety of legal documents according to prescribed laws and regulations on civil matters. This position will allow you to gain experience dealing with court officials, officers of the court, complainants or other representatives, and the public regarding questions that deal with claims, civil judgments, and other legal matters.

Legal Support Assistants - Civil Unit Option are only assigned to the Sheriff's Office Civil Unit. This unit ensures civil legal processes are handled accurately and in accordance with the law. They serve legal documents and enforce civil judgments.

As a Legal Support Assistant I, you will prepare and process various legal documents such as restraining orders, evictions, writs, bank levies, and wage garnishments. You will also perform clerical accounting and cashiering tasks.

This role supports both the public and our field Deputies. Incumbents provide customer service in person, by phone, and through mail and email assisting with civil-related questions and document intake. Occasional runner assignments require driving a county vehicle, and you must have reliable transportation to report to other offices when needed.

Ideal Candidate:

The County of San Diego desires candidates who communicate effectively, hold themselves and others accountable, maintain a high degree of accuracy, are detail-oriented, have basic cash handling and accounting skills, have a high degree of discretion, demonstrate tact and diplomacy, have the ability to prioritize, and able to stay current with technology and trends in their profession.

Hiring Timeline:

1. Job Offer and Background Process begins: Shortly after the interviews. Note: Current County employees may be excluded from additional background screening.
2. Pre-employment Medical Screening: Approximately 3 days following successful background investigation results.
3. Anticipated Start Date: Start date will be based upon successful completion of medical screening or other mutually agreed upon date.

Minimum Qualifications:

1. One (1) year of full-time general clerical or secretarial work experience; OR 2. Completion of a legal administrative assistant, legal secretarial, or paralegal program from a recognized community or business college.

Blind Applicant Screening: The Department of Human Resources removes personally identifiable information from all new recruitments. This practice, called Blind Applicant Screening, will hide a candidate's personal information that could influence or bias a hiring decision. Personal information includes name, phone number, address, gender, age and race. This process will help contribute to a fair and equitable selection process leading to a more diverse and inclusive workforce. The most highly qualified candidates, based on the evaluation results, will be referred for an interview. Be sure to include your experience in meeting the minimum requirements in both the Work Experience section and the Supplemental Questionnaire section of the Application.

Background: Must have a reputation for honesty and trustworthiness. Felony convictions will be disqualifying. Depending on type, number, severity, and recency, misdemeanor convictions may be disqualifying. Before appointment, candidates will be subject to a thorough background investigation which may include a psychological, truth verification (polygraph), or other examination or test.

Condition of Employment: As part of the County of San Diego's pre-employment process, prospective candidates will undergo a background check (including fingerprinting) and a pre-employment medical screening before beginning County employment. Additional types of background investigations may be conducted based on the job-related activities of the position. Current County employees may be excluded from this process.

Evaluation: The names of qualified applicants will be placed on a six (6) month employment list based upon scores received during the evaluation of information contained in their employment application and supplemental questionnaire.

Accommodation: Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable a qualified individual with a disability to perform the essential functions of a job, on a case-by-case basis.

The County of San Diego is committed to veteran hiring, retention, and professional development. We recognize the contributions and sacrifices made by our veterans and value the unique expertise and leadership qualities they bring to our workforce. We strive to provide veterans with the resources and tools necessary to maximize their employment opportunities, and to assist veterans with their transition into civilian life by applying the valuable skills, knowledge and training acquired in service to positions and career paths at all levels within our large organization.

Under California Government Code Sections 3100 - 3109, public employees are designated as disaster service workers. The term "public employees" includes all persons employed by the state or any county, city, state agency, or public district. Disaster service workers are required to participate in such disaster service activities as may be assigned to them by their employer or by law.

The County of San Diego is committed to valuing diversity and practicing inclusion because our diverse workforce is our greatest asset, and our customers are our number one priority.