Paralegal chez City of San Diego, CA

About the Department

Under the general supervision of an attorney, Paralegal positions review case files to determine documents and witnesses required; draft and analyze legal documents that include: pleadings (e.g., complaints and answers, motions to compel, motions-in-limine, motions for summary judgment, motions to strike, motions to continue, etc.); discovery requests and responses (e.g., interrogatories, requests for production, requests for admission); draft expert witness designations and declarations in support; prepare deposition summaries and legal memoranda; prepare jury instructions; prepare or arrange for subpoenas duces tecum; assist at trials, hearings, and council meetings; use litigation and document management software and e-Discovery tools to review documents for responsiveness and privileges; collect, compile, and utilize technical information to make an independent decision and recommendation to the supervising attorney; communicate with court personnel, law enforcement, and other government agencies; conduct legal and procedural research; cite-check legal memoranda and motions; and perform other duties as assigned.

The current vacancy in the Office of the City Attorney is for the Civil Division. This recruitment may be utilized to fill vacancies in the Civil Division or Criminal Division.

      NOTES:

• Eligible benefitted employees originally hired on or after July 10, 2021, will be automatically enrolled in the San Diego City Employees Retirement System (SDCERS).
• Per Business and Professions Code Section 6450 et. seq. (“Code”) it is mandatory that Paralegals in the State of California complete the following continuing education: Every two years any person that is working as a Paralegal shall be required to certify completion of four hours of mandatory continuing legal education (“MCLE”) 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.
• All Paralegal applicants/incumbents shall be responsible for keeping a personal record of their completed mandatory MCLE credits (per Code) and will need to provide proof of MCLE hours completed.

Position Duties

You must meet the following requirements on the date you apply, unless otherwise indicated.

EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION: You must meet ONE of the following options:

1. Certificate of completion of a Paralegal Program approved by the American Bar Association (ABA).
2. Certificate of completion of a Paralegal Program at, or a degree from, a post-secondary institution that has been accredited by a national or regional accrediting organization or approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, which MUST include successful completion of a minimum of 24 semester/36 quarter college-level units in law-related course work.
3. Bachelor's Degree or higher AND one year of full-time law-related experience under the supervision of an attorney.
4. High school diploma, General Education Development (GED), or California High School Proficiency Examination (CHSPE) certificate AND three years of full-time law-related experience under the supervision of an attorney that must have been completed no later than December 31, 2003.

      NOTES:

• Legal secretarial or clerical experience is NOT qualifying substantial legal work.
• City of San Diego employees using Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA) experience to qualify must submit written documentation signed by their appointing authority or payroll specialist, detailing the work performed, dates, and total number of qualifying OCA hours. OCA experience without the required documentation will NOT be considered.

HIGHLY DESIRABLE: 

For the Civil Division:

• Three to five years of substantial paralegal experience in civil litigation personal injury, premises liability, insurance defense, employment law, or land use civil litigation practice.
• Three to five years of substantial paralegal experience with all aspects of civil litigation discovery in Federal and State jurisdictions.
• Three to five years of substantial paralegal experience in real estate law, property rights, and the regulations governing property transactions and development projects.
• Three years of substantial paralegal experience in trial preparation, trial assistance, and providing trial support.
• Three years of substantial paralegal experience drafting civil litigation pleadings, motions, and briefs.
• Three years of substantial paralegal experience in civil legal research and cite-checking.
• Three years of experience utilizing civil litigation case and document management software (e.g., ProLaw, Relativity, FTK Central, Adobe Pro or Adobe DC, and Trial Director).
• Experience in assisting with voluminous document review and exemptions related to California Public Records Act requests.
• Experience in land use regulations, zoning laws, and public finance mechanisms. 
• Experience drafting and reviewing basic real estate contracts, including deeds, easements, leases, and purchase agreements.
• Experience reviewing title reports and surveys, coordinating with title companies, preparing closing documents, and assisting with transaction checklists and summaries.
• Legal research experience on the topics of real estate, zoning, tax, and environmental protection.
• Familiarity with government code compliance, particularly at the municipal level.

For the Criminal Division:

• Three to five years of substantial paralegal experience in criminal law, including criminal prosecution practice.
• Three years of substantial paralegal experience in criminal legal research and cite-checking.
• Three years of substantial paralegal experience with extensive document review and productions, utilizing e-Discovery tools.
• Three years of experience utilizing criminal litigation case and document management software (e.g., CMS, JURIS, SDLAW, IMSPROD, ProLaw, Summation, Relativity, FTK Central, Adobe Pro or Adobe DC, and TrialDirector).

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (MUST SUBMIT WITH APPLICATION):

• Proof of certificate of completion of a Paralegal Program, if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.
• Proof of degree/transcripts, if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.
• Proof of Attorney Attestation of Completion of Law-Related Experience form, if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.
• Proof of transcripts showing completion of the required course work, if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.
• For City of San Diego employees, proof of Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA), if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.

Required documents should be attached electronically to your application. If you are unable to attach at the time of application submittal, you must submit them as soon as possible via fax: (619) 533-3337; or to the Employee Information Center: City of San Diego Personnel Department, 1200 Third Avenue – Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92101. Include your name and the title of the position for which you are applying.

Minimum Qualifications

Please ensure all information is complete and accurate as the responses you provide on the supplemental questions will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in this initial screening process, your application will be reviewed for applicable education, experience, and/or training to ensure all minimum requirements have been met. Successful candidates will be placed on a list which will be used to fill position vacancies during the next six months (180 days). For each vacancy, only those candidates with the most appropriate qualifications will be contacted by the hiring department for an interview.

Other Qualifications

PRE-EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS: Employment offers are conditional pending the results of all screening processes applicable to this position, which may include the following: confirmation of citizenship or legal right to work in the United States; completion of a pre-employment medical review and exam (which may include drug and alcohol testing); reference checks; and fingerprinting. Fingerprints will be submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice for a conviction record report. Certain positions may require additional screening processes, including a polygraph examination and/or background investigation. All screening processes must be successfully completed before employment begins. A positive test result for alcohol, cannabis/marijuana, illegal drugs, or inadequately explained prescription drugs, or misrepresentation, falsification, or omission of pertinent facts in any step of the screening or selection process, may be cause for disqualification or termination of employment. Nothing in this job posting constitutes an express or implied contract for employment with the City of San Diego. Candidates must notify the Personnel Department of any change to their name, mailing address, email address, or phone number, otherwise they may miss employment opportunities.