Court Staff Attorney I/II - Complex Litigation (Departmental Promotional Only)

The Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo, is seeking qualified and experienced candidates for the position of Court Staff Attorney I/II - Complex Litigation - Superior Court of California. The incumbent will perform a wide variety of legal research duties, primarily for the Civil Law and Motion Calendars.  

Court Staff Attorney I ($101,192.00 - $126,152.00 Annually) is the entry-level attorney position for the court.

Court Staff Attorney II ($122,220.80 - $152,318.40 Annually) is the experienced level attorney position for the court.

The ideal candidate will be a member of the California State Bar (required) and will possess extensive working knowledge of California civil law and procedure, as well the functions of a California Superior Court.  In addition, the ideal candidate will possess:

• Proven experience performing legal research in civil matters, particularly for cases designated as Complex Civil. 
• Superior analytical skills and writing ability;
• The ability to work independently and with minimal supervision;
• The ability to coordinate multiple projects and consistently meet deadlines;
• A strong understanding of the importance of and the ability to maintain confidentiality; 
• Excellent problem-solving skills; and
• Exemplary verbal and written communication skills.
  
  

Please visit https://www.sanmateocourt.org/ for more information on our organization.

NOTE: The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, term, unclassified, and regular classified vacancies.Essential duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Provide independent legal research to the judges and commissioners of the County of San Mateo Superior Court bench.
• Research matters and provide written memoranda for those motions set on the Complex Civil Law and Motion calendars.
• Research, prepare memoranda, draft orders, and meet with the designated judge on specially set matters.
• Perform legal research; analyze and apply legal principles, facts, and precedents to legal problems.
• Prepare statements of fact, law, and argument.
• Prepare clear, concise, and accurate reports, documents, correspondence, procedures, and other written materials.

Education and Experience: 
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying for
Court Staff Attorney I.

Court Staff Attorney II: A typical way to qualify is three years as a Court Staff Attorney I.

Other Requirements: Membership in the California State Bar Association, County of San Mateo Bar Association, and specialty section memberships as determined by the Court Executive Officer.

Required Knowledge of:

• General legal principles and application to civil law.
• General knowledge of the Civil Code, the Code of Civil Procedure, Evidence Code, California Rules of Court, and local rules.
• Evidentiary principles, pre-trial, hearing and trial procedures.
• Legal research techniques, including the use of case law, statutory law, secondary sources, and legal indices and digests.
• Office practices and procedures, including filing and operation of standard office equipment.
• Business data processing principles and the use of automation tools for retrieval and analysis.
• Business letter and legal document formatting, and related office applications such as Word.
• Correct use of English, including grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Computerized legal research and related applications such as LexisNexis and Westlaw.

Required Skill/Ability to:

• Interpret, evaluate, make decisions in accordance with, and explain complex laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Make sound, independent decisions within established legal, policy, and procedural guidelines.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work. 

Departmental Promotional Only. Only current County of San Mateo employees in the County of San Mateo Superior Court of California with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, or extra-help/limited term position prior to the final filing date may apply.

Responses to the supplemental questions must be submitted in addition to our regular employment application form. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required employment application and supplemental questionnaire.

The examination process will consist of an application screening based on the candidates' application and responses to the supplemental questions (weight: pass/fail). Candidates who pass the application screening may be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%). Depending on the number of applicants, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations or further evaluation of work experience may be conducted to group applicants by level of qualification. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. All examinations will be given in San Mateo County, California and applicants must participate at their own expense.

IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button. If you are not on the County's website, please go to http://jobs.smcgov.org to apply.

Online application packets will consist of: 

• A completed standard Court/County of San Mateo online application form.
• A resume attached to the online application form.

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE
Final Filing Date: Thursday, April 10, 2025, by 11:59 PM PST
Application Screening: April 14 - 18, 2025
Civil Service Panel Interviews: TBD

About the County
San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities. 

The County of San Mateo, as an employer, is committed to advancing equity in order to ensure that all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment. The County seeks to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply. Eighty percent of employees surveyed stated that they would recommend the County as a great place to work.

Salary : $101,192 - $152,318