Paralegal

Introduction

The City Attorney's office is looking for a Paralegal to provide paralegal support and assistance to attorneys and to perform complex legal, confidential, and administrative duties. The current position is anticipated to focus on litigation support. Job duties include assisting with discovery, service and processing of subpoenas, and litigation case management, inclusive of filing legal documents in state and federal courts, drafting, reviewing and serving motions and legal documents, drafting and reviewing contracts for compliance, and calendaring case related-due dates.

The ideal candidate for this position:

• Has experience working in a high-volume law office, preferably focusing on litigation paralegal support

• Is adept at multitasking and managing multiple priorities in order to meet targeted deadlines

• Pays close attention to detail and is highly organized

• Is reliable and flexible in a fast-paced work environment

• Is able to work independently within prescribed guidelines and protocol to plan, organize, and complete assignments

• Demonstrates independent judgment and personal initiative to perform responsible and complex administrative support work

• Is capable of working with and maintaining confidentiality regarding sensitive legal matters

Annual salaryfor this classification is as high as $109,740with an additional approved Cost of Living Adjustment of 4% on 1/1/2025.Additionally, City-paid benefits includemedical, dental, vision, paid vacation, holidays, administrative leave days, sick time, CalPERS retirement contribution, life insurance, disability insurance, tuition reimbursement, annual professional development reimbursement, one week of paid parental leave, and more!All benefit information can be found in our

Benefits Summary.

Position Description and Duties

The Paralegal is a paraprofessional class that is responsible for performing legal research and other legal services requiring a paraprofessional understanding of the law and legal procedures necessary to effectively support attorneys. The Paralegal independently performs a variety of sophisticated tasks, relieving licensed attorneys from legal responsibilities which can be appropriately delegated to especially skilled, non-licensed personnel.

Desired Characteristics:Excellent research and writing skills, strong critical thinking skills, works well under pressure, able to work independently, strong organization and time management skills

The City of Richmond is the City of Pride and Purpose, and we value these traits in our employees!

The following list is intended to be illustrative in nature, and does not necessarily represent the entire range of work duties expected of employees within the classification.

• Files exhibits, briefs, appeals, pleadings, and other legal documents with the court, opposing counsel, or other agencies as appropriate.

• Coordinates service of subpoenas; schedules witnesses to testify at hearings.

• Prepares, compiles, and types correspondence and related reports.

• Develops recordkeeping procedures and provides associated information to relevant parties.

• Establishes and maintains a wide variety of filing and reporting systems as necessary.

• Receives, processes, and monitors the progress of correspondence, memoranda, and other documents through the City Attorney's Office.

• Provides paralegal research assistance to members of the City Attorney's Office.

• Researches and drafts memoranda in response to requests for legal services or inquiries from other City departments, including research of case and statutory law.

• Participates in budget preparation and administration/monitoring.

• Processes bills and payments as assigned.

• Drafts responses to Public Records Act requests, reviews records and determines applicable exemptions and coordinates production.

• Prepares and drafts ordinances, resolutions, and contracts.

• Reviews draft contracts, ordinance revisions, and resolutions prepared by City departments.

• Reviews all City staff communications, and reports to the City Council before submittal to the City Clerk for agenda preparation.

• Builds and maintains positive working relationships with co-workers, other City employees, and the public, using principles of good customer service.

• Performs related duties as required.

Please click here to view the complete job description.

Minimum Qualifications

Required Education and Experience

• Three (3) to five (5) years of increasingly responsible experience performing support functions in a law office environment

• A certificate of completion of a paralegal or legal assistant program approved by the American Bar Association, or an Associate's degree from an accredited college or university that requires successful completion of a minimum of 24 semester, or equivalent, units in law-related courses

• Work experience may not be substituted for the certificate or degree

Required Licenses or Certifications

• Must be able to travel to various locations within and outside of Richmond to meet program needs and to fulfill the job responsibilities. When driving on City business, maintenance of a valid California driver's license and satisfactory driving record is required.

Desired Experience or Qualifications

• Knowledge of Microsoft Suite Programs (Outlook, Word, Excel), iManage (or similar document management tool), Adobe Pro, DocuSign, virtual collaboration tools (Zoom and Microsoft Teams), WestLaw (or similar legal research tool), and any modern municipal business systems (Tyler-Munis, Escribe, and NextRequest)

• Proficiency with drafting and reviewing written discovery, subpoenas, and deposition transcripts, including reviewing, preparing, and Bates-stamping document productions

• Experience coordinating with outside litigation vendors, including court reporting agencies, record retrieval companies, and court filing services

• Familiarity with communicating and retaining expert witnesses

• Prior trial experience including preparing trial notebooks, organizing evidence, preparing exhibits, and assisting at trial

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement

• It is the City'spolicythat all persons hired on or after October 18, 2021 must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, including the booster. New employees will be required to provide proof of full vaccination or have an approved medical or religious accommodation before employment may commence. If you have any questions regarding this policy, please contact Human Resources.

REQUIRED KSA FOR SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE OF JOB DUTIES

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of paralegal support functions related to municipal government operations, including zoning, planning, real property, and civil and criminal procedures.

• Legal terminology, forms, documents, and procedures used in composing, processing, and filing a variety of legal documents and reports.

• Methods of legal research and analysis and legal writing and document preparation. Pertinent local, state, and federal laws, ordinances, and rules; applicable court rules, deadlines, and related requirements.

• Principles and practices of budget monitoring.

• Principles of supervision, training, and performance evaluation.

• Modern office equipment and systems, including word processing, spreadsheet, database applications, and automated records management systems.

• Correct English usage, including spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

Skill in:

• Analytical thinking

• Problem solving

• Organization and time management

Ability to:

• Provide paralegal support and assistance to attorneys in the City Attorney's Office.

• Intermittently review documents related to department operations.

• Observe, identify, and problem solve office operations and procedures.

• Understand, interpret, and explain departmental policies and procedures.

• Explain operations, and problem solve office issues for the public and with staff.

• Research, analyze, and prepare recommendations related to assigned cases.

• Organize, plan, prioritize, and assign the work to assigned staff.

• Supervise, train, and evaluate assigned staff.

• Interpret and explain rules, regulations, laws, and pertinent City policies and procedures.

• Assist in the development and monitoring of the City Attorney's Office's budget.

• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.

• Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

• Ability to function well in a high-paced and sometimes stressful environment.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality and to exercise discretion and good judgment.

• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.

Additional Information

Application and Selection Process

To Apply:Interested individuals must apply online by fully completing the City of Richmond Employment Application, including answers to supplemental questions, by 11:59 p.m. PST on the final filing date. Incomplete applications or those lacking in sufficiently detailed information will be rejected. Resumes or prior applications will not be accepted in lieu of a thoroughly completed application. All communication regarding this recruitment will be via email. Each applicant must apply with a monitored email address.

Qualifying Phase:All completed applications will be evaluated based on job-related qualifications criteria, which could include desirable qualifications and the specific needs of the hiring department(s). Candidates may be screened for better qualified.

Examination Phase:The most suitably qualified candidates will be asked to respond to an additional set of supplemental questions. An employment list will be established and your placement on the list will be determined solely by the responses to these questions (weighted 100%). Having all of the minimum qualifications does not guarantee advancement nor placement on the employment list.

Employment Eligibility List: A ranking of "A" (Best Qualified), "B" (Well Qualified), or "C" (Qualified) is required to achieve a position on the Employment Eligibility List. This List will be in effect for a maximum of two (2) years; however, the list may be canceled, without notice, after six (6) months.

About the City of Richmond

The City of Richmond lies on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay, five miles north of Berkeley and seven miles northeast across the Bay from downtown San Francisco. A hub of multimodal transportation, many of our residents and businesses are located in Richmond because of its central location and easy access to the Amtrak/Capitol Corridor, BART, AC Transit, the ferry, and two freeways (I-80 & I-580). Residents, visitors, and employees enjoy Richmond's numerous recreational opportunities, which include 32 miles of shoreline and over 3,000 acres of shoreline parks, more segments of the Bay Trail completed than any other city, several recreational boat harbors and yacht clubs, and thousands of acres of contiguous inland regional parks and open space. The City has substantial economic resources but is still affordable compared to other Bay Area cities. Our community is welcoming, diverse, and actively engaged.

Richmond is truly the City of Pride and Purpose!

Immigration Reform Control Act

In compliance with the Immigration Reform Control Act of 1986, individuals offered employment by the City of Richmond will be required to show documentation of eligibility to work in the United State as a condition of employment.

Non-Discrimination Policy

The City's policy prohibits discrimination against any applicant on the basis of race, color, age, physical or mental disability, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, or national origin.

Disaster Service Workers

California Government Code Title I, Sections 3100 - 3109, declare all public employees to be Disaster Service Workers subject to such disaster service activities as may be assigned to them by their superiors or by law. More information can be found here.

EEO/ADA/DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE

WEBSITE: www.ci.richmond.ca.us

Analyst: C. Selkirk

02/2024