Legal Assistant

About the Community:
Butte County Superior Court is located in beautiful Northern California, where the valley floor meets the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains, approximately 1.5 hours north of Sacramento. At over 1,600 square miles and with a population of approximately 225,000, Butte County is full of natural beauty and provides endless recreational opportunities. It is home to one of the largest municipal parks in the country, Bidwell Park, which boasts over 3,600 acres of hiking and mountain bike trails, swimming holes, picnic areas, golf and disc golf courses, and more! Outdoor adventures also await in places like Lake Oroville, Feather Falls, Table Mountain, and Lassen and Plumas National Forests which border the county to the east. In the county's urban center of Chico, you'll find a vibrant downtown, art, culture, unique restaurants, music, and weekly farmers' markets. Right in the center of it all is the CSU, Chico campus, which provides a stunning backdrop and a variety of events and activities throughout the year.
About the Court:
Butte County Superior Court is a unified superior court operating two facilities, one courthouse in Chico, and another courthouse in the county seat of Oroville. All legal, operational, and administrative functions of the court are governed by the Presiding Judge and the Court Executive Officer. The court has thirteen judicial officers, or eleven judges and two commissioners, and approximately 135 support staff. Despite its size, Butte is recognized throughout the state as a leader in many court collaborations, including self-help services, case management system consortiums, our highly acclaimed and model civic outreach program, and numerous multi-court employee education events. Butte County is home to a community with diverse needs, and the court continually adapts to provide effective and reliable access to justice.

The Position:
This position is a limited-term, grant-funded (Self-Help Assistance and Referral Program) position that assists litigants in self-help legal programs and reports to and receives lead direction from the Lead Legal Assistant and SHARP Managing Attorney. Incumbents assist litigants in a workshop environment, on the telephone and in person; schedule appointments; and make referrals to appropriate agencies. Incumbents also interview individuals regarding various legal matters and respond to inquiries regarding court rules, procedures, timelines and statutory requirements. Legal Assistants may provide direction to legal interns or volunteers.
The following duties are typical of those performed by the incumbent in this classification; however, other duties may also be required.

• Assists litigants, in a workshop environment, with their family or civil law issues.
• Assists litigants, in person or by telephone, with scheduling of appointments and by offering referrals to appropriate agencies.
• Gives oral presentations and prepares written reports.
• Interviews individuals, in person or by telephone, regarding various legal matters. Acts as office receptionist, directs callers, takes messages and screens clients.
• Travels to and operates office locations within the grant service area.
• Maintains strict confidentiality.
• Demonstrates continuous efforts to improve operations, streamline work processes, and reduce turnaround times. Works jointly and cooperatively to provide quality seamless client services.
• Prepares correspondence in response to inquiries regarding court rules, procedures, timelines and statutory requirements.
• Prepares, types and proofreads drafts and a wide variety of finished documents from notes, brief instructions and/or printed materials.
• Uses a personal computer to input and retrieve data and prepare reports.Collects statistical data and prepares spreadsheet compilations.
• Files, makes photocopies, and assembles documents.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Experience & Education:

• Two years of customer service experience, preferably in a legal or criminal justice setting
• Some practical knowledge of legal forms, processes, research, and writing, whether through education or work experience Paralegal certificate is desirable.

Knowledge of:

• Family and civil law
• Legal terminology
• The preparation of legal forms
• English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation
• Business letter writing and report preparation
• Modern office practices and technology
• Telephone etiquette

Ability to:

• Learn the organization, procedures and operating details of the Superior Court.
• Learn and apply the applicable statutory codes, California Rules of Court and Local Rules relating to court procedures.
• Prepare accurate documents
• Understand legal terminology, forms and procedures.
• Accurately gather and report pertinent information.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted during the course of work.
• Exercise tact, diplomacy and flexibility.
• Work in a stressful environment and exhibit a professional demeanor in difficult situations.
• Multi-task a variety of duties.
• Effectively communicate verbally and in writing.
• Maintain confidentiality.

Special Requirements:
May be required to possess or obtain by appointment date a valid California operator's license issued by the State Department of Motor Vehicles.
All SHARP positions are limited-term and subject to annual renewal.
Environmental and Functional Factors:
The physical demands and work environment described below are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this position. However, reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Incumbents will perform work inside of buildings in multiple locations, in a busy and fast-paced work environment; travel frequently to and from office locations; work in a controlled environmental facility and work alone or frequently closely with co-workers and members of the public. Working conditions may be stressful at times. Incumbents will perform work while standing or sitting; must be able to communicate verbally with coworkers and other individuals; use fingers and both hands; be able to hear well; must be able to see clearly and up close; position may require the incumbent to stand or walk part of the time with minimal bending, stooping, squatting, twisting, reaching, or working on irregular surfaces; may require light physical effort which includes infrequent lifting of up to ten (10) pounds and occasional lifting of up to twenty-five (25) pounds or more.
Employment Type: Extra-Help