Legal Office Professional I/II

Legal Office Professional I/II

Salary

See Position Description

Location

Multiple Locations- See Job Description, CA

Job Type

Full-time

Job Number

26-7004-02 (O)

Department

Multiple Departments

Opening Date

08/04/2026

Closing Date

8/18/2026 5:00 PM Pacific

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Description

Are you interested in a meaningful career supporting public service and the legal profession? The County of Santa Barbara is accepting applications to establish an employment list for Legal Office Professional I/II positions. These positions provide important administrative and legal support services within multiple County departments and offer opportunities to grow your career in a professional legal office environment.

The current vacancies are with the Public Defenders Office in Santa Maria, the District Attorneys Office in Santa Barbara, and the Santa Barbara County Employees Retirement System (SBCERS) in Goleta. The Public Defenders Office position requires travel throughout the County.

This list will also be used to fill current and future full-time and part-time vacancies in multiple departments and locations throughout the County of Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Santa Ynez, Carpinteria, Lompoc, etc.). Please make sure you select on your application which location(s) and department(s) you are willing to accept current and future employment. If you are interested in working with the Sheriff's Office, you will need to select "All Locations" on the agency-wide and supplemental question.

Legal Office Professional I: $23.68 - $28.47 Hourly, plus bilingual and uniform allowance when applicable. Benefits Info: HERE.

Legal Office Professional I - Restricted: $23.93 - $28.74 Hourly, plus bilingual allowance when applicable. Benefits Info HERE. Restricted positions are regularly privy to the decisions or recommendations of County management affecting employer-employee relations. These employees are in the confidential-unrepresented bargaining unit.

Legal Office Professional II: $29.84 - $36.10 Hourly, plus bilingual and uniform allowance when applicable. Benefits Info: HERE.

Legal Office Professional II - Restricted: $30.12 - $36.41 Hourly, plus bilingual allowance when applicable. Benefits Info HERE. Restricted positions are regularly privy to the decisions or recommendations of County management affecting employer-employee relations. These employees are in the confidential-unrepresented bargaining unit.

Note: Applicants from other public sector employers may qualify for retirement reciprocity and time and service credit towards an advanced vacation accrual rate.

The Position: The Legal Office Professional class is a position that is utilized by six departments: District Attorneys Office, Child Support Services Department, County Counsels Office, Sheriffs Office, Public Defenders Office and Santa Barbara County Employees' Retirement System (SBCERS). For additional information about our County Departments, please visit this link: http://www.countyofsb.org/deptlist.sbc

The Ideal Candidate will have:

• Excellent customer service;
• Good oral and written communication skills;
• Ability to learn new tasks quickly;
• Ability to prioritize and complete time-sensitive work tasks;
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite;
• Ability to work well independently and as a team player;
• Self-motivation and a good attitude;
• Ability to recognize and maintain confidential information;
• Accuracy and attention to detail skills.

The Legal Office Professional class is a great way to begin your career at an entry level and grow in the legal profession. Through experience and training you will have opportunities to advance within the County of Santa Barbara.

Examples of Duties

About Legal Office Professionals: The incumbent must be detailed oriented, able to handle multiple tasks; organized, able to work within strict legal mandates and deadlines; able to work effectively both independently or as a team member; resourceful in utilizing location tools and location of individuals; have good communication skills; take direction and understand and follow oral and written direction; establish and maintain effective working relationships with departmental staff, law enforcement and court personnel.

The incumbent should have knowledge of standard office methods and equipment such as personal computer and copier/fax/scanner; standard word usage and grammar for business and legal documents; legal terminology and legal document formatting; database and word processing software and must be willing to be reassigned to other job duties on an as needed basis and to develop skills.

Job duties may also include preparation of legal documents using legal format; file documents with the courts; record trial information and maintain files, review and process misdemeanor, felony and juvenile complaints, information, search warrants etc.; preparation and maintenance of discovery; location of victims and witnesses and subpoena service; preparation of court calendars.

Legal Office Professional I incumbents will acquire and demonstrate the following:

• Basic knowledge of the Federal and California legal systems.
• Basic knowledge of the California process for a civil or criminal litigation and rules of the local courts.
• Knowledge of the different types of law practiced by the County.
• Basic knowledge of the legal consequences associated with civil, criminal, and administrative legal systems.
• Knowledge of the roles of and relationships between County agencies, other governmental agencies, the court system, and private-sector organizations.
• Skill to use basic legal terminology, including terminology related to legal ethics.
• Skill to explain the ethical obligations of the legal professions, confidentiality laws, attorney/client privilege, and work product privilege.
• Knowledge of general legal office protocol and management, including organizing and maintaining law libraries, documents, and case files; and coordinating witnesses and schedules.
• Knowledge and understanding of the rules and procedures related to legal pleadings and documents.
• Skill to prepare legal documents using a personal computer and/or dictating/transcribing equipment and following formatting, designations, and procedural requirements.
• Skill to proofread legal documents.
• Skill to use specialized computer-assisted resources effectively and efficiently.

Employment Standards

The following job-related competencies are required upon entry to this class for successful performance of essential functions and for demonstration of the Countys ACE values:

• Skill to use computer operating systems, word processing, and email software at a level necessary to create documents and send and respond to email messages.
• Use alphabetic computer keyboard with skill and accuracy.
• Use complete English sentences and paragraphs to correctly organize and convey information.
• Correct use of English parts of speech, sentence structure, vocabulary, and word usage.
• Skill to add, subtract, multiply, and divide whole numbers and decimals.
• Skill to meet and interact with the public and co-workers courteously and professionally.
• Skill to file information alphabetically, numerically, and chronologically.
• Skill to write and print legibly, clearly, and uniformly to record information.

For the County's ACE values, and more information on the position, click HERE.

Some positions MAY require the following Additional Qualifications:

• The ability to read, write and/or converse fluently in English and Spanish may be required. If you indicated on your application that you are bilingual, Human Resources will place you on the employment list for a job requiring bilingual skills. Hiring departments may test you on your fluency. If you do not demonstrate sufficient fluency, your name may be withheld from future certifications, in accordance with Civil Service Rule VI.
• Possession of a valid California Class C Drivers License may be required for some positions.
• Some departments require employees to wear uniforms.
• Some positions require a Live Scan and the applicant to pass a background investigation. Current or excessive use of drugs, sale of drugs, serious criminal history, or deception relating to employment history may bar employment.

Supplemental Information

SELECTION PROCESS:

• Review applications and supplemental questionnaire to determine those applicants who meet the Employment Standards. All applicants who meet the Employment Standards will advance to the online Legal Office Professional Exam.
• Online Legal Office Professional Exam: Candidates will be notified by email with instructions on obtaining and taking the online Legal Office Professional Exam. Candidates final score and rank on the eligibility list will be determined by their score on the online Legal Office Professional Exam.

Candidates must receive a percentage score of at least 70 on the online Legal Office Professional Exam to be placed on an employment list. An adjustment may be made to raw scores based on factors listed in Civil Service Rule VI. Those candidates who are successful in the selection process will have their names placed on the employment list for a minimum of three months. At the time the employment list is established, all candidates will receive an email notice of their score on the exam(s), rank on the employment list, and exact duration of the employment list.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS: The County of Santa Barbara is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants. Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter listed on the job posting. We require verification of needed accommodation from a professional source, such as a Medical Provider or a learning institution.

Disaster Service Worker: Pursuant to Governmental Code section 3100, all employees with the County of Santa Barbara are declared to be disaster service workers subject to such disaster service. Activities as may be assigned to them by their superiors or by law.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: Child Support Services, District Attorney, Public Defender, and Sheriffs Office conduct a background investigation. Current or excessive use of drugs, sale of drugs, serious criminal history, or deception relating to employment history may bar employment. Other departments may require an extended background check including credit history; this is at the discretion of each department.

The following process is only used for the Sheriffs Office:

• Personal History Questionnaire (PHQ). Once candidates are placed on the employment list, the Human Resources Department will email candidates a notice regarding completion of a Personal History Questionnaire (PHQ).

Candidates who pass the PHQ and are in the top certified group will have their applications sent to the hiring department for consideration. Candidates who advance in the selection process will advance to the next step in the selection process and attend a selection interview with the hiring manager(s). Candidate(s) selected for a position will advance to the background process which includes the following:

• Polygraph Examination: measures the accuracy of information disclosed on the PHQ and during the background investigation.
• Background Investigation: includes an interview and in-depth background investigation of arrest records, personal, military, credit, and employment history; inquiry of persons who know you and evaluate whether you respect the law and rights of others; are dependable and responsible; have demonstrated mature judgment in areas such as the use of drugs and intoxicants; are honest; and a safe driver.
• Live Scan: Electronic fingerprint scanning that is certified by the State Department of Justice.

Conditional Job Offer: Once a conditional offer of employment has been made, candidates may be required to successfully complete a background check, which includes a conviction history check, and satisfactory reference checks. Appointee will be subject to a post-offer medical evaluation or examination. The appointee must satisfactorily complete a one-year probationary period.

Recruiters will correspond with applicants by e-mail during each step in the recruitment process. Applicants are reminded to check spam filters continuously during the Recruitment & Selection Process steps listed above to ensure they do not miss required deadlines.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement

The County of Santa Barbara provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation of any type with regard to any characteristic or status protected by any federal law, state law, or Santa Barbara County ordinance. The County continues to be committed to a merit-based selection process and to eliminating barriers to attracting and retaining top qualified candidates. The County has a long-standing practice of providing a work environment that respects the dignity of individual employees and values their contributions to our organization.

APPLICATION AND SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE DEADLINE: 08/18/2026; at 4:59p.m. PST; postmarks not accepted. Applications and job bulletins can be obtained 24 hours a day at www.sbcountyjobs.com.

Erin Kuhn, Talent Acquisition Analyst, erkuhn@countyofsb.org

Retirement Plans

• Generous County Defined Benefit Plan
• Eligible to participate in 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan
• Retirement Reciprocity with CalPERS, CalSTRS, and 1937 Act plans
• For more information on our retirement plans, please visit: https://www.sbcers.org/ and http://www.santabarbara457.com

Health Benefits

• Choice of dental, vision and medical plans. In addition to the Benefit Allowance noted above, the County contributes toward medical premiums and dental premiums
• On-Site Employee Health Clinics in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria which provide ongoing and episodic services to eligible employees and their eligible dependents
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers free, confidential assistance with personal and workplace problems to employees and their immediate family members
• Healthcare Advocacy Program to help employees navigate the complexities of health plan benefits
• Available Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Account (HSA), Supplemental Term or Whole Life Insurance, Personal Accident Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, Accident Insurance and more!
• For more information on our health benefits, please visit: https://www.countyofsb.org/4012/Health-Benefits

Paid Time Off

• Vacation Leave 12 to 25 days per year depending on length of public employment
• Sick Leave 12 days annually with unlimited accumulation, one year of which can be converted to service credit upon retirement
• Paid Holidays based on bargaining unit (view the compensation summary for this bargaining unit, link below)
• Alternative Transportation Benefit (TDM) up to 2 days of additional vacation for using alternative methods of commuting
• For more information on Paid Time Off please view the Compensation Summary for this bargaining unit (available below)

Miscellaneous Benefits

• County Paid Term Life Insurance
• County Paid Long Term Disability Insurance
• Childcare and Employee Discounts
• Relocation Assistance may apply
• Flexible work schedule may apply
• For more information on all of these benefits, please visit: https://www.countyofsb.org/4013/24636/WorkLife-Benefits

Compensation Summary

• To view the Compensation Summary specific to the bargaining unit for this position (link to full Memorandum of Understanding also available at bottom of the summary), please visit: https://www.countyofsb.org/3085/SEIU-Local-620
• This benefits list is for convenience only; please refer to the Memorandum of Understanding for complete details of terms and conditions. Amounts are generally prorated for part-time employment.

01

IMPORTANT INFORMATION, PLEASE READ CAREFULLY When completing your application and supplemental questionnaire, it is important that you carefully consider all the selections you make and the information you provide in the following areas:

• Departments you want to be considered for
• Types of work you will accept
• Types of shifts you will accept
• Where you will initially accept employment
• Languages other than English
• Additional questions for specific departments

Why? After you have taken and passed the written exam, you are placed on the large employment list. Your ranking is based on the number of candidates on the list. When a department has a vacancy, we will use the large employment list, to filter based on the needs of the hiring department and the above choices youve made. For example, if the Public Defenders Office has a vacancy in Santa Barbara for a full-time position, then candidates that have selected the Public Defenders Office, Santa Barbara location, and full-time work will be pulled from the large employment list by rank order and the department will receive the top 10 candidates for consideration. When completing your application and supplemental questionnaire, be certain to select all the departments, locations, and work shifts that you are willing to be considered. Also, be certain to list any specific skills you possess, such as bilingual skills. Before submitting your application, please take time to check your selections. This is your only opportunity to make these selections.

• I have read and understand my options.

02

Supplemental questions 3-8 will ask if you want to be considered for a current or future vacancy in the department(s) that hold this position. There may be a description of the department or the type of work and environment as a Legal Office Professional I/II. Please keep in mind that during the life of the employment list, some of these departments may not have vacancies that arise. The current vacancies are with the Public Defenders Office, District Attorneys Office and (SBCERS) Santa Barbara County Employees Retirement System. This is your only opportunity to make your selection for each department.

• I understand the following questions will be my only opportunity to select the departments I am interested in being considered for a current or potential future vacancy.

03

Are you interested in working for the Child Support Services Department? To learn more visit: https://www.countyofsb.org/css

• Yes
• No

04

Are you interested in working for the County Counsels Office? COUNTY COUNSELS OFFICE: To learn more visit: https://www.countyofsb.org/2062/County-Counsel. You will set up and maintain files for attorneys handling civil litigation, advisory, and transactional matters; prepare trial binders; calendar deadlines; electronically file documents with the court; scan documents into electronic files; prepare correspondence; schedule meetings and appointments; greet clients and the public at the reception desk; sort and distribute mail; and perform other civil law support functions.

• Yes
• No

05

Are you interested in working for the District Attorneys Office? DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE: You may be assigned to our front reception desk, providing customer service by handling walk-ins and a multi-line phone. Data entry of new criminal cases including opening, updating and filing of criminal cases, preparing correspondence, updating calendars events, as well as entering accurate sentencing and dispositions. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of one year working in a prosecuting attorneys office, private law firm or public defender and 2 or more years working with a case management system. You will need to be proficient in Microsoft Office and Adobe (or other PDF software) and possess a fundamental understanding of the California Justice System, legal procedures, various legal forms and documents and their processing and the ability to interact competently with other departments.

• Yes
• No

06

Are you interested in working for the Public Defenders Office? PUBLIC DEFENDERS OFFICE: The current position is grant funded and considered a Limited Term appointment. The duration of this appointment is limited to a period not to exceed two (2) years; but is subject to annual review by the Commission to ensure the temporary or limited term nature of such appointment remains appropriate based on business operational needs and/or resources. The current position is for a full-time Spanish Interpreter/Translator. The Interpreter will support client meetings through interpretation; assist with client discovery review, translation and transcription; and develop Spanish-language client resource materials. These duties will include translation during attorney client meetings, court proceedings and community outreach. This position may also include assisting clients to complete Public Defender forms and documents, and answer and/or interpret phone calls. The ideal candidate will have more than one (1) year experience working in a County defender or prosecuting attorney's office, or private law firm and one (1) or more years working with a case management system. You will need to be proficient in Microsoft Office, PDF software and possess a general understanding of database and filing systems. You must also possess a fundamental understanding of the California Justice System, legal procedures, various legal forms and documents and their processing, and ability to interact competently with other departments. The position requires the ability to speak, read and write in both Spanish and English. The job location for this position will be assigned to the Santa Maria, CA office but will have responsibilities Countywide, including visits to the County jail and juvenile hall to meet with clients. The Department will use the County bilingual assessment to determine a candidate's bilingual abilities.

• Yes
• No

07

Are you interested in working for Santa Barbara County Employees Retirement System (SBCERS)? SBCERS: Under supervision, the Legal Office Professional I/II (Member Services Program Assistant) receives, reviews, and processes records of legal significance within the Member Services and Disability divisions. The incumbent follows established procedures for handling legally operative documents - including retirement election documents, beneficiary designation forms, court orders, and disability filings - and applies working knowledge of the legal framework governing member benefits under the County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 (CERL) and applicable MOUs. Essential functions include: • Receives, reviews, and processes member records and legally operative documents • Responds to member inquiries, explaining established procedures and referring complex or legally sensitive matters to senior staff • Maintains accurate, confidential member records in compliance with legal recordkeeping requirements • Prepares correspondence and notices to members regarding benefit account actions • Performs related duties as assigned This position is required to be in-person, full-time at the SBCERS Goleta office.

• Yes
• No

08

Are you interested in working for the Sheriffs Office? SHERIFFS OFFICE: Positions with the Sheriff's Office include providing customer service with receiving and reviewing civil documents at a public counter and by mail, receive and answer public requests by phone, review legal documents and instructions for correctness and completeness in accordance with the Civil Code of Procedure and other applicable laws and regulations, ensure that proper fees have been deposited to cover Sheriffs costs, notify attorneys if additional fees must be deposited. To learn more about the Sheriff's Office, visit the website at www.SBSheriff.org.

• Yes
• No

09

BACKGROUND CHECK AND MEDICAL EVALUATION: The following departments require the candidate to pass a background investigation: Child Support Services, District Attorneys Office, Public Defenders Office, and the Sheriffs Office. Recent or excessive use of drugs, sale of drugs, serious criminal history, or deception relating to employment history may bar employment. Other departments may require an extended background check including credit history; this is at the discretion of each department.

• I understand that if I have checked any of the following: Child Support Services, District Attorneys Office, Public Defenders Office, and/or the Sheriffs Office that I am subject to undergo the above process.

10

If you selected an interest working in the Sheriffs Office, please understand as part of the hiring process you will undergo a thorough background investigation, which includes a polygraph examination. Falsification of information will result in you being disqualified.

• I understand.

11

If you selected an interest in working for the Sheriffs Office, please read the following information. All positions in the Sheriff's Office requires you are willing to work at All Locations and are agreeing to these terms, regardless of your selection on your application. All candidates hired can be placed at any location and transferred to another location during your employment with Santa Barbara County.

• I understand and agree to these terms.

12

If you selected an interest in working for the Public Defenders Office, please answer the following questions.

1. Describe in detail your work experience in any private law offices, County public defender or prosecuting attorneys offices. 2. List any software programs with which you are familiar, and specify your level proficiency (e.g., Word, eDefender or other case management system, Odyssey, Westlaw, Adobe, Kofax, Dragon, Zoom, Teams). 3. Please describe your experience performing Spanish interpretation or translation, including the settings, types of assignments, your responsibilities in these scenarios, and include the environments (e.g., medical, legal, community) in which you have interpreted. 4. Why are you interested in working for the Public Defenders Office providing interpreting services? If you did not select an interest in working for the Public Defenders Office, type N/A.

13

If you selected an interest in working for the District Attorneys Office, please answer the following questions.

• Describe in detail your work experience in any private law offices, Public Defender, or prosecuting attorney's offices.
• Describe in detail your work experience, school, and/or training preparing and processing legal documents.
• List any software programs with which you are familiar and specify your level of proficiency in each program (i.e., Microsoft Word, a case management system, Odyssey, Adobe, Outlook, Zoom, Teams). If you do not have this experience, type N/A.
• Describe in detail your interest in working for the District Attorney's Office.

If you did not select an interest in working for the District Attorneys Office, type N/A.

14

If you selected an interest in working for the County Counsels Office, please answer the following questions.

• Describe in detail your work experience in civil law offices. If you do not have this experience, type N/A.
• Describe in detail your work experience preparing and processing legal documents (e.g. discovery, pleadings, proofs of service, courts you have worked with).
• List any legal software programs with which you are familiar, and specify your level of proficiency (e.g., Adobe, Milana, TextMap, CaseMap, TimeMap, Odyssey, TrueFiling, Forms/Workflow, or similar).
• Why are you interested in working for the County Counsels Office?

If you did not select an interest in working for the County Counsels Office, type N/A.

15

In the last year, have you had experience working on civil legal tasks such as proofs of service, case closure, and file management?

• Yes
• No

16

If you selected an interest in working for the Santa Barbara County Employees Retirement System, do you have experience working in a public retirement system?

• Yes
• No
• I did not select SBCERS as a department I'm interested in working for.

17

If you selected yes to the preceding question, please list the job title(s) and years of experience working in a public retirement system and answer the following questions:

1. Have you performed processes or tasks pursuant to the County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 (CERL) or a similar public employee retirement statute? If so, describe how it applied to your daily work. If you do not have this experience, type N/A. 2. Describe your experience handling legally operative documents such as court orders, domestic relations orders, beneficiary designations, or similar. What procedures did you follow to ensure accuracy and proper handling? If you do not have this experience, type N/A. If you did not select an interest in working for SBCERS, type N/A.

18

I understand my responses to the following supplemental questions will be used as a selection device that will determine whether I meet the minimum qualifications for this job classification. For information on protest procedures for the supplemental questionnaire, please see Civil Service Rules: https://www.countyofsb.org/1444/Civil-Service-Rules

• I understand.

19

Do you have experience working in a professional office environment?

• Yes
• No

20

Do you have experience utilizing Microsoft Word?

• Yes
• No

21

Do you have experience utilizing Microsoft Excel?

• Yes
• No

22

Do you have experience utilizing Microsoft Outlook?

• Yes
• No

23

Do you have experience providing customer service?

• Yes
• No

Required Question

Employer County of Santa Barbara

Address 1226 Anacapa Street

Santa Barbara, California, 93101

Website https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/sbcounty