NOTICE OF CHANGE: This recruitment will close on September 12, 2025 at 4:59PM PST

We are accepting applications to fill Legal Office Professional Senior vacancies throughout the County of Santa Barbara. The current vacancy is in the District Attorney’s Office in Santa Barbara.

The current vacancy in the District Attorney’s Office will serve as the Coordinator for the District Attorney’s Neighborhood Restorative Justice Program (NRJP) in the Santa Barbara branch office. NRJP is a restorative justice-based diversion program designed for certain misdemeanor offenses. The benefits of the NRJP include diverting low-level offenses through a restorative justice process that emphasizes accountability, enhancing community involvement in promoting public safety, and reducing the amount of time and resources spent on low-level offenses in court. The NRJP Coordinator will be responsible for overseeing the logistics of the NRJP sessions, communicating with volunteers and community-based organizations, and monitoring and reporting on the participants’ compliance. This is a bilingual English/Spanish required position.

We are also establishing one employment list to fill future vacancies in multiple departments and locations within the County of Santa Barbara. This job classification is utilized by the following departments: Child Support Services, District Attorney’s Office, Office of County Counsel, Public Defender’s Office, SBC Employees’ Retirement System, and the Sheriff’s Office. Please make sure you select the locations and departments you are willing to accept current and future employment. If you are interested in working with the Sheriff’s Office, you will need to select “All Locations” on the agency-wide and supplemental questionnaire.

Legal Office Professional Senior: $78,813.28 - $95,833.92 Annually, plus uniform and bilingual allowance when applicable. Benefits Info: For additional information, click HERE.

Legal Office Professional Senior Restricted: $79,468.48 - $96,572.32 Annually, plus uniform and bilingual allowance when applicable. The Legal Office Professional Senior Restricted is regularly privy to the decisions or recommendations of County management affecting employer-employee relations. These employees are in the confidential-unrepresented bargaining unit. Benefits Info: For additional information, click HERE.

Note: Applicants from other public sector employers may qualify for retirement reciprocity and time and service credit towards an advanced vacation accrual rate.

ABOUT THE POSITION: Under general direction, the incumbent in this classification is expected to possess considerable expertise in legal procedures and must exercise considerable tact, discretion, and sound independent judgment in the performance of duties with a relatively high consequence of error. Candidates will serve as a central information point within a division to facilitate administrative communication.

LEVEL OF WORK: The incumbent will apply an in-depth or broad understanding of an extensive body of legal rules and procedures concerning legal office protocol and management, processes and rules governing administrative, criminal, and civil proceedings; and technical or specialized program information, regulations, procedures, and policies related to an assigned legal support function. The incumbent will learn to perform expert-level legal support and clerical work found in the work area. The Legal Office Professional Senior is distinguished from classification in the LOP series by its focus on performing specialized, confidential, and highly responsible legal support services. Employees are assigned specific ongoing work assignments and may be assigned to one or more attorneys.

INDEPENDENCE OF ACTION AND DECISION MAKING: The incumbent will use independent judgment in carrying out assigned work, and experienced judgment rather than guides to fill in gaps, identify sources of information, interpret guidelines, decide approaches, adapt procedures, make working assumptions, and resolve problems. Under general supervision, performs difficult legal support, general clerical, and other related tasks in civil and administrative cases; applies understanding of an extensive body of legal rules and procedures concerning legal office protocol and management, processes and rules governing administrative and civil proceedings. There is substantial opportunity to use independent judgment in carrying out assigned work. The incumbent will have the ability to understand and apply laws, rules, and written directions; establish and maintain effective working relationships; and communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

Each Legal Office Professional Senior's duties vary from one department to another depending on the needs of the department and the nature of the work that you will be performing.

The Ideal Candidate will possess:

Associate’s degree in paralegal studies, legal administration, criminal justice or a related field
Three or more years of professional legal office experience working in a law firm or government agency.
Five or more years working in a County defender or prosecuting attorney’s office
Five or more years working with a case management system
Knowledge of and experience working in child support law, family law, criminal litigation, criminal or civil court processes and procedures, including calendaring and scheduling
Excellent computer skills and ability to utilize various software programs
Excellent written and communication skills
Ability to work independently, organize and prioritize work, and meet critical deadlines
Ability to multi-task, handle high stress situations, thrive under pressure and adapt to change
Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to handle difficult situations with tact and diplomacy
Excellent communication skills which includes the ability to exchange information in a clear, concise and organized manner to diverse groups of people to help them understand process objectives and priorities
Ability to work successfully in a team environment, make positive contributions and assist others as necessary
Strong legal research and analytical skills
Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain sound working relationships with people of diverse experiences
Adaptability, a positive attitude, and an impeccable character
Ability to maintain confidentiality
Active notary public commission (or ability and willingness to obtain)

Examples of Duties

Prepares legal documents that require procedural research on questions relating to the assignment
Applies knowledge of California’s legal practice and procedures for specialized law to support an attorney on complex legal processes
Provides an advanced level of support to assigned attorneys on complex legal processes
Provides integration of different software to prepare documents for specific office needs
Retrieves and converts data into graphic form and incorporate that data into the text of a report
Communicates complex and technical information to a wide range of individuals in a manner that fosters understanding
Corrects and coaches others in oral and written communications
Prepares complex business communications, writes clear and concise documentation, edits and proofreads legal and other documents
Facilitates effective collaboration with attorneys, co-workers, partners, and customers
Works with problem-solving teams, and develops and implements solutions to current and anticipated processing problems
Interprets policy and legal codes and procedures when making decisions
Works with challenging people in various situations, applies tact, sensitivity and diplomacy in stressful situations
Applies business math concepts including quantitative formulas, ratios, proportions and equations

Supervision and Leadership (For supervisory assignments only)

Some assignments may include supervisory responsibilities
Incumbents may coach and/or lead co-workers
Incumbents may serve as the full first-level supervisor of assigned staff

For the required competencies requirements and the full classification specification, click HERE.

Employment Standards

Three years of legal office professional or legal clerical experience, two years of which were at the journey level, or the equivalent, AND mastery of the following job-related LOP I, II, and Senior competencies are required upon entry to this class for successful performance of essential functions and for demonstration of the County’s ACE values.

Legal Office Professional Senior Competency Requirements:

Knowledge of civil litigation, including subject matter, jurisdiction, personal venue, pleadings, parties to litigation, pre-trial, trial, and post-trial
Knowledge of criminal litigation, including Constitutional restraints on investigation stage, Bill of Rights, and overview of a criminal proceeding
Knowledge of criminal and civil court processes and procedures, including differences in calendaring and scheduling
Knowledge of advanced legal terminology and concepts, jargon and abbreviations
Knowledge of California’s legal practice and procedures for specialized law (e.g., criminal law, probate, adoptions, civil litigation, conservatorships and guardianships, workers’ compensation)
Skill to prepare complex and/or uncommon legal forms
Skill to support an attorney through process, investigation, discovery, and trial preparation
Skill to locate and verify citations from legal publications, databases, and court decisions
Skill to recognize changes in codes and procedural requirements that will affect rules and procedures related to legal office practices
Skill to use Microsoft Word to create tables and insert objects into Word documents; format paragraphs, organize pages and create styles; create document references, insert table of contents and index; perform mail merges; create charts, work with worksheets and insert bitmapped graphics into word documents
Skill to use PowerPoint to create a presentation from a template, wizard, or existing slides; make layout changes; work with text boxes and text; import text; work with graphics; create tables; and use bullets, auto numbering, slide transitions, animation, and speaker notes

To review all Legal Office Professional competencies and view the full Legal Office Professional Senior classification specification, click HERE.

Additional Requirements for Supervisory Assignments:
Incumbents must complete the pre-assignment component of the Santa Barbara County Operational Leadership Development Program before beginning a supervisory assignment and must complete the post-assignment component within six months of assignment.

Some positions MAY require the following Additional Qualifications:

Possession of a valid California Class C Driver’s License may be required for some positions.
The ability to read, write and/or converse fluently in English and Spanish may be required. If you indicated on your application that you are bilingual, Human Resources will place you on the employment list for a job requiring bilingual skills. Hiring departments may test you on your fluency. If you do not demonstrate sufficient fluency, your name may be withheld from future certifications, in accordance with Civil Service Rule 7.

Some positions may require to pass a background investigation. Current or excessive use of drugs, sale of drugs, serious criminal history, or deception relating to employment history may bar employment.

Supplemental Information

APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS:

Review applications and supplemental questionnaires to determine those applicants who meet the employment standards.
Supplemental Questionnaire Ranking: Responses to the required supplemental questionnaire will be evaluated and scored. Candidates’ final score and rank on the eligibility list will be determined by their responses to the supplemental questionnaire.

Candidates must receive a percentage score of at least 70 on the supplemental questionnaire ranking to be placed on an employment list. An adjustment may be made to raw scores based on factors listed in Civil Service Rule VI. Those candidates who are successful in the selection process will have their names placed on the employment list for a minimum of three months. At the time the employment list is established, all candidates will receive an email notice of their score on the exam(s), rank on the employment list, and exact duration of the employment list.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS: The County of Santa Barbara is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants. Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter listed on the job posting. We require verification of needed accommodation from a professional source, such as a Medical Provider or a learning institution.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: District Attorney, Public Defender, and Sheriff’s Office conduct a background investigation. Current or excessive use of drugs, sale of drugs, serious criminal history, or deception relating to employment history may bar employment. Other departments may require an extended background check including credit history; this is at the discretion of each department.

The following is used for positions in the Child Support Services Department:
Background Check: This position has access to federal tax information (FTI) and is thus subject to the provisions of IRS Publication 1075 Tax Information Security Guidelines for Federal, State and Local Agencies, which include criminal history background investigations every 5 years, subsequent arrest notification and citizenship verification through e-Verify.

The following process is only used for the Sheriff’s Office:

Personal History Questionnaire (PHQ). Once candidates are placed on the employment list, the Human Resources Department will email candidates a notice regarding completion of a Personal History Questionnaire (PHQ).

Candidates who pass a PHQ and are in the top certified group, their applications will be sent to the hiring department for consideration. Candidates who advance in the selection process will advance to the next step in the selection process and may attend a selection interview with the hiring manager(s). Candidate(s) selected for a position will advance to the background process which includes the following:

Polygraph Examination: Measures the accuracy of information disclosed on the PHQ and during the background investigation.
Background Investigation: Includes an interview and in-depth background investigation of arrest records, personal, military, credit, and employment history; inquiry of persons who know you and evaluate whether you respect the law and rights of others; are dependable and responsible; have demonstrated mature judgment in areas such as the use of drugs and intoxicants; are honest; and a safe driver.
Live Scan: Electronic fingerprint scanning that is certified by the State Department of Justice.

Conditional Job Offer: Once a conditional offer of employment has been made, candidates will be required to successfully complete a background check, which includes a conviction history check, and satisfactory reference checks. Appointee may be subject to a post-offer medical evaluation or examination. The appointee must satisfactorily complete a one-year probationary period.

Disaster Service Worker: Pursuant to Governmental Code section 3100, all employees with the County of Santa Barbara are declared to be disaster service workers subject to such disaster service. Activities as may be assigned to them by their superiors or by law.

Recruiters will correspond with applicants by e-mail during each step in the recruitment process. Applicants are reminded to check spam filters continuously during the Recruitment & Selection Process steps listed above to ensure they do not miss required deadlines.

The County of Santa Barbara provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation of any type with regard to any characteristic or status protected by any federal law, state law, or Santa Barbara County ordinance. The County continues to be committed to a merit-based selection process and to eliminating barriers to attracting and retaining top qualified candidates. The County has a long-standing practice of providing a work environment that respects the dignity of individual employees and values their contributions to our organization.

APPLICATION AND SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE DEADLINE: September 12, 2025 at 4:59PM PST; postmarks not accepted. Applications and job bulletins can be obtained 24 hours a day at www.sbcountyjobs.com.

Erin Kuhn, Talent Acquisition Analyst II – erkuhn@countyofsb.org

BENEFITS: Retirement Plans Generous County Defined Benefit Plan Eligible to participate in 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan Retirement Reciprocity with CalPERS, CalSTRS, and 1937 Act plans For more information on our retirement plans, please visit: https://www.sbcers.org/ and http://www.santabarbara457.comHealth Benefits Choice of dental, vision and medical plans. In addition to the Benefit Allowance noted above, the County contributes toward medical premiums and dental premiums On-Site Employee Health Clinics in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria which provide ongoing and episodic services to eligible employees and their eligible dependents Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers free, confidential assistance with personal and workplace problems to employees and their immediate family members Healthcare Advocacy Program to help employees navigate the complexities of health plan benefits Available Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Account (HSA), Supplemental Term or Whole Life Insurance, Personal Accident Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, Accident Insurance and more! For more information on our health benefits, please visit: https://www.countyofsb.org/4012/Health-BenefitsPaid Time Off Vacation Leave 12 to 25 days per year depending on length of public employment Sick Leave 12 days annually with unlimited accumulation, one year of which can be converted to service credit upon retirement Paid Holidays based on bargaining unit (view the compensation summary for this bargaining unit, link below) Alternative Transportation Benefit (TDM) up to 2 days of additional vacation for using alternative methods of commuting For more information on Paid Time Off please view the Compensation Summary for this bargaining unit (available below)Miscellaneous Benefits County Paid Term Life Insurance County Paid Long Term Disability Insurance Childcare and Employee Discounts Relocation Assistance may apply Flexible work schedule may apply For more information on all of these benefits, please visit: https://www.countyofsb.org/4013/24636/WorkLife-BenefitsCompensation Summary To view the Compensation Summary specific to the bargaining unit for this position (link to full Memorandum of Understanding also available at bottom of the summary), please visit: https://www.countyofsb.org/3085/SEIU-Local-620 *This benefits list is for convenience only; please refer to the Memorandum of Understanding for complete details of terms and conditions. Amounts are generally prorated for part-time employment.

County of Santa Barbara

ABOUT_COMPANY

Legal Office Professional Senior