Legal Secretary

Job Description and Duties

Under the direction of a Legal Support Supervisor I or Supervisor I, the Legal Secretary provides secretarial support in a fast-paced legal office of the Legal Division. The Bay Area Legal Office is staffed with attorneys handling litigation and house counsel matters, investigators, paralegals, and administrative staff in the following major specialties of law: Tort, Construction Arbitration, Environmental, Contracts, Employment, Eminent Domain, Inverse Condemnation, other Real Property, legal opinions, and administrative matters. Traditionally each Legal Secretary is assigned to three to five attorneys or in a typing pool and may provide clerical support and assistance to other professional staff. Legal Secretaries may receive assignments for back-up purposes and provide assistance with overflow work. The Legal Secretary must be able to work in a team environment, have strong communication skills, work well under pressure and meet short deadlines.

Personal Leave Program: Effective July 1, 2025, state employees are subject to temporary salary reductions ranging from 2% to 4.62% in exchange for Personal Leave Program (PLP) hours. Please note that the salary ranges listed in this Job Control may not reflect these reductions associated with the 2025 Personal Leave Program. Please follow the link for more information regarding the 2025 Personal Leave program: .

Eligibility for hire may be determined by your score on the Legal Secretary exam. For those who do not have current eligibility (e.g., transfer, permissive reinstatement, or voluntary demotions) and/or who will be new to state civil services employment, you must be on the state examination list to be eligible for these positions. To apply for the exam, please click and search by typing in the classification title.

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PARF# 42-27-0085 / JC-536522

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

Position located at 111 Grand Ave, Oakland, Alameda County.

Multiple positions may be filled from this recruitment.

This position may be eligible for telework. The amount of telework is at the discretion of the Department and based on Caltrans’s evolving telework policy. Caltrans supports telework, recognizing that in-person attendance may be required based on operational needs. Employees are expected to be able to report to their worksites with minimum notification if an urgent need arises. The selected candidate will be required to commute to the headquartered location as needed to meet operational needs. Business travel may be required, and reimbursement considers an employee’s designated headquartered location, primary residence, and may be subject to CalHR regulations or applicable bargaining unit contract provisions. All commute expenses to the headquartered location will be the responsibility of the selected candidate.

Special Requirements

Possession of Minimum Qualifications will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment. If you are basing your eligibility on education, you must include your unofficial transcript(s)/diploma for verification.  Unofficial, original, or official sealed transcripts will be accepted and may be required upon appointment. Applicants with foreign transcripts/degrees must provide a transcript/degree U.S. equivalency report evaluation that indicates the number of units and degree to which the foreign coursework is equivalent. Please visit either of the following two websites for a list of evaluation agencies: or . Please redact birthdates and social security numbers.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Legal knowledge: Familiarity with legal terminology, court procedures, legal documents, & commonly used practice areas.

• Document preparation: Ability to draft, format, proofread, revise, organize correspondence, pleadings, motions, contracts, & other legal documents.

• Communication skills: Strong written & verbal communication skills, with the ability to interact professionally with attorneys, clients, court personnel, & outside professionals.

• Organization: Excellent ability to manage files, calendars, deadlines, case information, competing priorities accurately & efficiently.

• Attention to detail: Careful & consistent review of documents, citations, formatting, filing requirements, & confidential information.

• Time management: Ability to prioritize tasks, meet strict deadlines, & remain effective in a fast-paced legal environment.

• Professional judgment: Ability to recognize urgent matters, follow established procedures, seek clarification when needed, & appropriately refer legal questions to an attorney.

• Teamwork: Ability to collaborate effectively with attorneys, paralegals, legal assistants, clerks, & administrative staff.

• Adaptability: Willingness to learn new software, procedures, legal requirements, & office practices.

• Professional conduct: Reliability, punctuality, integrity, tact, accountability, & a polished professional manner.

• Experience supporting multiple attorneys or managing several matters simultaneously.

• Knowledge of court filing deadlines & electronic filing procedures.

• Ability to work independently while also accepting direction & feedback.

• Calm, courteous, & solutions-oriented approach under pressure.

• Commitment to continuing professional development & maintaining current legal office skills

Possess a valid typing certification of 45 WPM.

Benefits

to view the Benefits Summary for Civil Service Employees in the State of California.

Important Application Instructions:

The State application (STD. 678) is required and each section must be filled out completely and thoroughly. For mailed or hand delivered applications to be considered for this position, the Job Control number (JC-536522), PARF# 42-27-0085 and title of the position (Legal Secretary) must be included on the STD. 678 form.

Electronic applications through your CalCareers account are highly recommended and encouraged.

Candidates that meet the minimum qualifications based on possession of EDUCATION, LICENSE, OR CERTIFICATE must include a copy of your DEGREE/TRANSCRIPTS, LICENSE, or CERTIFICATE, along with your State application (STD. 678), to be considered for this position.

NOTE: Do not submit the “Equal Employment Opportunity” questionnaire (page 5) with your completed State application (STD. 678). This page is for examination use only. Do not include any confidential information on any documents you submit for this job vacancy, such as your state application, resume, or educational transcripts. Confidential information that should be excluded or removed from these documents includes, but is not limited to, your Social Security Number, birth date, driver’s license number, examination results, LEAP status, marital status, and age. The job application packet checklist is not required to apply for this position. Failure to follow these instructions may result in your application not being considered for this position.

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.