Legal Secretary

Job Description:

Legal Secretary

Description

Introduction

NOTE: All correspondences relating to this recruitment will be delivered via e-mail. The e-mail account used will be the one provided on your employment application during time of submittal. Please be sure to check your e-mail often for updates. If you do not have an e-mail account on file, Human Resources will send you correspondences via US Mail.



KNOWLEDGE

Complex legal terminology and procedures; complex legal forms and documents; general office practices and procedures; language mechanics, including grammar, spelling and vocabulary; filing systems; basic mathematics; public relations procedures.

ABILITY

Work independently transcribe complex legal material from dictation machines; read and interpret complex legal documents, rules and procedures; follow oral and written instructions; communicate effectively orally and in writing; establish and maintain effective working relationships; operate word processors and do basic computer terminal entry.

PHYSICAL/MENTAL REQUIREMENTS

Mobility -Frequent operation of a data entry device, repetitive motion, sitting for long periods, walking; occasional standing, pushing, pulling, bending, squatting, climbing; Lifting -Frequently 5 pounds or less; occasionally 5 to 30 pounds; Visual -Constant good overall vision and reading/close-up work; frequent color perception and use of eye/hand coordination; occasional use of depth perception and peripheral vision; Hearing/Talking -Frequent hearing of normal speech, hearing/talking on the telephone, talking in person; Emotional/Psychological -Frequent decision making, concentration, and public contact; Special Requirements -Some assignments may require working weekends, nights, and/or occasional overtime; Environmental -Occasional exposure to varied weather conditions.

Selection Procedures

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will go through the following examination process:

• Written Exam : The civil service written exam is a multiple choice format. If the written exam is administered alone, it will be 100% of the overall score. Candidates must achieve a minimum rating of 70% in order to be placed on the eligible list.
  
• Oral Exam : The oral exam is a structured interview process that will assess the candidate’s education, training, and experience and may include a practical exercise. The oral exam selection process is not a hiring interview. A panel of up to four people will determine the candidate’s score and rank for placement on the eligible list. Top candidates from the eligible list are referred for hiring interviews. If the oral exam is administered alone, it will be 100% of the overall score. Candidates must achieve a minimum rating of 70% in order to be placed on the eligible list.
  
• Written & Oral Exam: If both a written exam and an oral exam is administered, the written exam is weighted at 60% and the oral exam is weighted at 40% unless otherwise indicated on the announcement. Candidates must achieve a minimum rating of 70% on each examination in order to be placed on the eligible list.
  
• Rate-out: A rate-out is an examination that involves a paper rating of the candidate’s application using the following criteria: education, training, and experience. Candidates will not be scheduled for the rate-out process.

Note: The rating of 70 referred to may be the same or other than an arithmetic 70% of the total possible points.

Testing Accommodation: Candidates who require testing accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) must call Human Resources Division at (209) 468-3370 prior to the examination date.

Veteran’s Points : Eligible veterans, unmarried widows and widowers of veterans of the United States Armed Forces who have been honorably discharged and who have served during wartime shall be given veteran’s points in initial appointment to County service. Eligible veterans receive 5 points and eligible disabled veterans receive 10 points. Disabled veterans must submit a recent award letter stating a 10% service connected disability issued by the United States Veterans Administration. Note: A copy of your DD214 showing the discharge type must be received in the Human Resources by the date of the examination.

Acceptable wartime service dates:

• September 16, 1940 to December 31, 1946
  
• June 27, 1950 to January 31, 1955
  
• August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975
  
• Persian Gulf War, August 2, 1990, through a date to be set by law or Presidential Proclamation.
  

Eligible Lists: Candidates who pass the examination will be placed on an eligible list for that classification. Eligible lists are effective for nine months, but may be extended by the Human Resources Director for a period which shall not exceed a total of three years from the date established.

Certification/Referral: Names from the eligible list will be referred to the hiring department by the following methods.

• Rule of the Rank: The top rank or ranks of eligibles will be referred for hiring interviews. The minimum number of names to be referred will be equal to the number of positions plus nine, or 10% of the eligible list, whichever is higher. When filling nine or more positions in a department at the same time, the top rank or ranks will be referred and the minimum number of names shall be two times the number of positions to be filled or 10% of the eligible list, whichever is higher. This applies only to open competitive recruitments.
• Rule of Five: The top five names will be referred for hiring interviews. This applies only to department or countywide promotional examination.

Physical Exam: Some classifications require physical examinations. Final appointment cannot be made until the eligible has passed the physical examination. The County pays for physical examinations administered in its medical facilities.

Pre-Employment Drug Screening Exam: Some classifications require a new employee successfully pass a pre-employment drug screen as a condition of employment. Final appointment cannot be made until the eligible has passed the drug screen. The County pays for the initial drug screen.

Employment of Relatives: Applicants who are relatives of employees in a department within the 3rd degree of relationship, (parent, child, grand parent, grand child or sibling) either by blood or marriage, may not be appointed, promoted, transferred into or within the department when;

• They are related to the Appointing Authority or
  
• The employment would result in one of them supervising the work of the other.
  

Department Head may establish additional limitations on the hiring of relatives by departmental rule.

Proof of Eligibility: If you are offered a job you will be required to provide proof of U.S. citizenship or other documents that establish your eligibility to be employed in the U.S.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply Online:

www.sjgov.org/department/hr

Equal Opportunity Employer : San Joaquin County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer and is committed to providing equal employment to all without regard to age, ancestry, color, creed, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation or belief, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. For more information go to www.sjgov.org/department/hr/eeo .


Click on a link below to apply for this position:
Fill out the Supplemental Questionnaire and Application NOW using the Internet. Apply Online View and print the Supplemental Questionnaire. This recruitment requires completion of a supplemental questionnaire. You may view and print the supplemental questionnaire here. View and print the official application form as an Acrobat pdf file. A San Joaquin County application form is required for this recruitment. You may print this Acrobat PDF document and then fill it in. Contact us via conventional means. You may contact us by phone at (209) 468-3370, or by email, or apply for a job in person at the San Joaquin County Human Resources Division.

Closing Date/Time: 9/19/2025 11:59:00 PM

Salary:

$4,211.10 - $5,118.61/month