Legal Clerk I/II/III

About the Position

The County of San Luis Obispo is offering opportunities to join our APWA accredited Department of Public Works. The department is a professional team of 300 dedicated staff who serve the residents and visitors of the Central Coast. The Legal Clerk position plays a key role in supporting a wide range of responsibilities and is an important part of our department’s overall success.

The Legal Clerk covers a broad range of service (see below).

• Research, tracking and processing claims
• Filing, composing and processing legal documents, complaints, briefs and restitution claims
• Proofreading, editing, and checking for grammatical errors on large documents, legal documents, contacts and agreements
• Acting as a coordinator and liaison between counsel, staff and department representatives
• Processing a variety of document requests such as correspondence, agendas, revising policies and procedures, and updating annual documents by proofreading/correcting/ formatting/editing
• Processing legal notices and providing postings to meet Brown Act requirements for Advisory Groups and Committees

• Redacting documents for Public Record Requests and coordinating claims

• Reviewing documents to ensure compliance with the County policies, including the Identity Standards Policy
• Processing news releases posting on the web and social media
• Entering and editing Board items in County software (Agenda.Net)

Key Qualifications

Research – strong research and investigative skills, with the ability to locate, compile, organize, and summarize large quantities of legal and administrative documents

Word – high level of knowledge with adding footnotes, creating large mail merges, review and adding track changes, creating Table of contents, adding headers and footers, adding section breaks vs page breaks, and using styles

Editing and proofing document – highly experienced with reviewing and analyzing documents for accuracy, extremely detail oriented and well versed with spelling, grammar and legal language

Excel – working knowledge and understanding with tracking and entering data records into a spreadsheet, adding worksheets, naming worksheets

PowerPoint- working knowledge and understanding of editing, converting to Adobe and adding header and footers

Acrobat Pro- demonstrated working knowledge and understanding of editing, adding comments, redacting, adding headers/footers and creating fillable forms

Microsoft - experience with Microsoft 365 collaboration tools, including Microsoft Teams, Planner, Microsoft Lists, SharePoint, Data Sets and Outlook

Agenda.net/ SAP/ NEGOV – demonstrate experience with software or ability to learning new software

Social Media – coordination, research and posting experience is a plus

The Ideal Candidate

Two years of clerical experience in a legal office, court or criminal justice system or one year of experience equivalent to an Administrative Assistant III is required.

• Demonstrated legal knowledge related to the processing of legal claims, legal actions and documents
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism at all times.
• Advanced knowledge and experience with Microsoft Office Suite
• Experience editing, proofreading and checking large documents, legal documents, and agreements for grammatical accuracy
• Ability to collaborate professionally with internal/external counsel, the County Risk Management team and other County departments
• Ability to work cooperatively within a multi-discipline team to meet goals and deadlines while producing a quality work product
• Clear and effective communication skills, both verbal and written
• Self-motivated and proactive approach to completing assigned work, problem solving and taking on new assignments
• High level of computer literacy and ability to learn new software quickly
• Strong organizational skills and ability to work in a fast-paced environment while maintaining attention to detail

How to Apply

Applications, including answers to supplemental questions, must be submitted online by the final filing date. To apply for this position, click "apply" at the top of this page. Most County recruitments require you to respond to supplemental questions as part of the application process. We recommend that you review these questions prior to beginning your application.

An initial application review will be conducted. Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications and are best qualified will be invited to participate in selection activities which may include online assessments, performance exams, written exams, and interviews.

Final candidates will be required to have an in-depth background review performed before proceeding in the process. Please note that references will not be contacted until the end of the process.

If you have questions or would like to discuss the opportunity further, please contact Human Resources at hr@co.slo.ca.us. Confidential inquiries are welcomed.

For further information regarding the County of San Luis Obispo, visit our website at www.slocounty.ca.gov.

Reasonable Accommodation Notice
Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job or to perform your job. Examples of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the application process or work procedures, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment. Please call 805-781-5959 for assistance or e-mail hr@co.slo.ca.us for more information.

Veteran's Preference Points
If you are applying for employment with the County of San Luis Obispo and you served in the United States Armed Forces, you may be eligible for veteran's preference points as part of the recruitment process. Some dependents and survivors of eligible veterans may also be eligible for preference points. Click here for more information and to learn how to apply for this benefit. Please note that Veteran’s credits must be on file with the County of San Luis Obispo Veterans Services Office prior to the recruitment closing date indicated on the job announcement.

Equal Employment Opportunity
The County is an equal opportunity employer. Objectives are directed toward assuring equal opportunity in selection / promotion, pay, and job assignments. Recruitment and selection procedures have been established to ensure non-discrimination on the basis of political or religious opinions or affiliations, age, sex, race, color, national origin, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or other non-merit factors. In addition, the County complies with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act in hiring and retaining employees. For more information contact the Human Resources Department at (805)781-5959.

Make a Difference
Employees of the County of San Luis Obispo are public servants who impact the lives of our community every day. From supporting efforts to reduce homelessness, keeping our drinking water clean, or serving the families in need in the community, County employees make a difference.

Compensation and Benefits
Your annual salary is supplemented by a generous benefit package.

In general, temporary employees are not eligible for County-sponsored benefits and may have limited benefit options available to them. For more information on benefit eligibility, please e-mail hr@co.slo.ca.us.

For additional information regarding the benefits listed that may be available to you, visit the associated Benefits-At-A-Glance webpage (click here for link).

Some benefits include:

• Medical (PPO, EPO, HDHP), Dental (HMO, PPO) and Vision Insurance
• Health enhancing programs such as Hinge Health, GIThrive and Carrum Health for medical enrollees.
• Cafeteria (County contribution to pay for insurance premiums)
• Free visits to the employee health clinic
• Mental Health resources/benefits including Headspace
• Voluntary insurance plans (life insurance, disability, critical illness and many more)
• A lifelong retirement benefit through the San Luis Obispo County Pension Trust
• Optional deferred compensation plan
• Tax savings accounts (medical and dependent care)
• Paid personal, sick and vacation days
• 12 paid holidays
• Employee Assistance Program
• Education and Wellness Allowance
• Post Employment Health Plan
• Family Friendly workplace policies
• Flexible work schedule options
• Rideshare commuter benefits
• Pet Insurance

The County of San Luis Obispo has been recognized as a Diamond Level Family Friendly Workplace by San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce. We support our employees through: childcare assistance, flexible scheduling practices, paid and unpaid leave, comprehensive health benefits, flexible spending accounts, and employee assistance programs.

Pension Benefit and Employee Contribution Rates:
The County's pension is a defined benefit plan that provides a guaranteed monthly pension payment for life based on your time in service, wages, and other factors. The County is the primary contributor to the pension fund, but the health of the pension fund also depends on mandatory employee contributions. Employees are required to pay a percentage of their base pay towards the pension fund, ranging from 5% to 19%. This amount is deducted from your paycheck pre-tax every pay period. To find out how much will be deducted from your paycheck should you be hired for this position, please contact Pension Trust at (805) 781-5465.

Healthcare Benefits and Cafeteria Contributions:
The County offers comprehensive medical coverage to you and your family, along with two dental plan options and vision coverage. All permanent employees receive a monthly employer contribution (or ‘cafeteria’ contribution) to help them pay for their portion of the medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums. The amount of the cafeteria contribution varies by Bargaining Unit (BU) and the extent to which employees enroll their dependents. If the cafeteria amount is greater than your selected premiums, the remainder of the cafeteria is paid out to you in your paycheck as taxable income. If the cafeteria amount is less than your monthly premiums, you pay the remainder of the premiums with pre-tax wages.

To estimate your out-of-pocket costs (or cashback from extra cafeteria), visit the Cafeteria Rates webpage (click here for link).

Learning and Development
The County prioritizes your learning, personal and professional development, and career growth. Employees have access to over 1500 on-demand courses, instructor led courses, and job-specific trainings.

Employees can take courses to upskill to make themselves more competitive for promotional opportunities and further their career growth. Examples of courses include:

• Emotional Intelligence
• Supervisor/Manager academies
• Microsoft Suite courses
• Defensive Driving
• Financial management
• Retirement preparedness
• Teambuilding
• Written Communication
• Conflict Management
• Clifton StrengthsFinder and DISC
• Job specific conferences/trainings

Student Loan Forgiveness
Did you know that if you are employed by a government agency you may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program
County employees also have access to GotZoom, a program that offers tools and support to navigate your federal student loans.

Homebuyer assistance program
Employees have access to the “Assist-to-Own” program sponsored by Golden State Finance Authority (click here for link to more information) to get a loan for the down payment.