Paralegal

Job Description:

Paralegal

Description

CAREER DESCRIPTION

PARALEGAL

SALARY INFORMATION

Salary may be negotiable within the range listed above, based on position requirements and successful candidate's qualifications, subject to appropriate authorization.

THIS RECRUITMENT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC


The eligible list established through this recruitment will be used to fill a current vacancy in the Orange County District Attorney's Office and may also be used to fill positions in similar and/or lower classifications throughout the County of Orange .

DEADLINE TO APPLY

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately, as the recruitment will close on Wednes day, October 8, 2025 .

DISTRICT ATTORNEY-PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR:

The Orange County District Attorney (OCDA) represents the People of the State of California in criminal and civil proceedings, serves the court and criminal justice system, and the Orange County Grand Jury. The mission of the Office of the Orange County District Attorney is to enhance public safety and welfare and to protect and respect crime victims, and to create security in the community through the vigorous enforcement of criminal and civil laws in a just, honest, efficient and ethical manner. The Office consists of three major divisions: Legal, Investigative Bureau, and Administration.

THE OPPORTUNITY:

The Office of the District Attorney has an excellent opportunity for experienced litigation support paralegals who will assist prosecutors with a variety of tasks in criminal prosecution, including organizing, monitoring, and preparing digital discovery; preparing cases for trial, including summarizing interviews and police reports; organizing documents and creating trial notebooks; and preparing trial charts and exhibits and reviewing various legal records. Paralegals also research defense experts, draft memos on legal issues, assist in post-conviction discovery review and record correction analysis, ensure discovery compliance, and perform other duties unique to the individual units of the Office.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
In addition to the minimum experience and education requirements, the ideal candidate will also possess:

• Experience as a paralegal in a California prosecutorial agency, governmental agency, civil law firm, or criminal defense practice supporting attorneys in litigation and trial
• Significant experience in handling voluminous cases through the trial process, including digital discovery and trial support
• Excellent research skills and strong computer background, including managing Microsoft Access and Excel databases, public records, and legal research databases
• Ability to draft simple briefs under supervision; organize data and information, and summarize depositions or other transcripts
• Ability to be a self-starter in order to manage competing deadlines and priorities

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS & SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
Incumbents must meet the qualifications of California Business and Professions Code subdivision (c) of Section 6450. A paralegal shall possess at least one of the following:

Option 1

A certificate of completion of a paralegal program approved by the American Bar Association.

Option 2

A certificate of completion of a paralegal program at, or a degree from, a postsecondary institution that requires the successful completion of a minimum of 24 semester, or equivalent, units in law-related courses and that has been accredited by a national or regional accrediting organization or approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education.

Option 3

A baccalaureate degree or an advanced degree in any subject, a minimum of one year of law-related experience under the supervision of an attorney who has been an active member of the State Bar of California for at least the preceding three years or who has practiced in the federal courts of this state for at least the preceding three years, and a written declaration from this attorney stating that the person is qualified to perform paralegal tasks.

Option 4

A high school diploma or general equivalency diploma, a minimum of three years of law-related experience under the supervision of an attorney who has been an active member of the State Bar of California for at least the preceding three years or who has practiced in the federal courts of this state for at least the preceding three years, and a written declaration from this attorney stating that the person is qualified to perform paralegal tasks. This experience and training must have been completed no later than December 31, 2003 .

Continuing Education Requirement:
Every two years, all paralegals shall be required to certify completion of four hours of mandatory continuing legal education in legal ethics and four hours of mandatory continuing legal education in either general law or in an area of specialized law. All continuing legal education courses shall meet the requirements of Section 6070. Certification of these continuing education requirements shall be made with the paralegal’s supervising attorney. The paralegal shall be responsible for keeping a record of the paralegal’s certifications.

License/Certification: Possession of or ability to obtain a valid California Driver License, Class C or higher by date of appointment may be required for some assignments.

Click here to view the complete classification description for t he Paralegal job classification as well as the physical and mental requirements and the environmental and working conditions.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (MUST SUBMIT WITH APPLICATION)
Please note that qualification as a paralegal, as described in California Business and Professions Code 6450, is required. Applicants must submit the following documents at the time of application. Failure to provide the requested documentation will cause your application to be incomplete.

• Proof of certificate of completion of a Paralegal Program, if utilized to meet the minimum requirements as listed in option 1.
• Proof of degree/transcripts, if utilized to meet the minimum requirements as listed in options 2, 3, and 4.
• Proof of Attorney Attestation of Completion of Law-Related Experience form, if utilized to meet the minimum requirements as listed in options 3 and 4.
• Proof of transcripts showing completion of the required coursework, if utilized to meet the minimum requirements as listed in options 2, 3, and 4.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS
District Attorney Human Resources will screen all application materials for minimum and/or desirable qualifications as noted above on the job announcement. After screening, applicants who meet the minimum and/or desirable qualifications as noted above on the job announcement will be referred to the next step in the recruitment process. All applicants will be notified via email of their status in the process.

Application Appraisal Panel | Application Rating (Weighted 100%):
Application materials will be rated by a panel of job knowledge experts for those qualifications most needed to perform the duties of the job. This is a competitive process; therefore, applicants should be thorough in their responses. Only the highest-scoring candidates from the application rating will be referred to the next step.

Eligible List
Once the assessment has been completed, District Attorney Human Resources will establish an eligible list of candidates. Candidates placed on the eligible list may be referred to a selection interview to be considered for present and future vacancies.

Based on the County's needs, the recruitment process listed above may be modified. All candidates will be notified of any changes in the recruitment process.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

VETERANS EMPLOYMENT PREFERENCE
The County is committed to providing a mechanism to give preferential consideration in the employment process to veterans and their eligible spouses and will provide eligible participants the opportunity to receive interviews in the selection process for employment and paid internship openings. Please click here (Download PDF reader) (Download PDF reader) to review the policy.
BACKGROUND SCREENING
Candidates under consideration for hire by the District Attorney will be required to pass an extensive investigation to the satisfaction of the department.

EMAIL NOTIFICATION
Email is the primary form of notification during the recruitment process. Please ensure your correct email address is included in our application and use only one email account.

NOTE: User accounts are established for one person only and should not be shared with another person. Multiple applications with multiple users may jeopardize your status in the recruitment process for any positions for which you apply.

Candidates will be notified regarding their status as the recruitment proceeds via email through the GovernmentJobs.com site. Please check your email folders, including spam/junk folders, and/or accept emails ending with "governmentjobs.com" and "ocgov.com." If your email address should change, please update your profile at www.governmentjobs.com .

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Click here for additional Frequently Asked Questions.

For specific information pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Aerie de la Cruzat (714) 645-7051or patricia.delacruz@prob.ocgov.com

EEO INFORMATION

Orange County, as an equal employment opportunity employer, encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

Non-Management Benefits
In addition to the County's standard suite of benefits, such as a variety of health plan options, annual leave and paid holidays--we also offer an excellent array of benefits such as a Health Care Reimbursement Account, 457 Defined Contribution Plan and Annual Education and Professional Reimbursement. Employees are provided a Retirement Plan through the Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS).

Please go to the following link to find out more about Defined Benefit Pensions and OCERS Plan Types/Benefits.
http://www.ocers.org/active-member-information

Click here for information about benefits offered to County of Orange employees.

Closing Date/Time: 10/8/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$74,131.20 - $97,281.60 Annually