What are the responsibilities and job description for the Legal Process Clerk I/II position at Shasta County?
THE CURRENT VACANCY IS IN THE SHASTA COUNTY PUBLIC DEFENDER’S OFFICE
ORAL EXAM IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 2025
RESPONSES TO SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS REQUIRED
FINAL FILING DATE: MARCH 17, 2025, AT 12:00 PM
SALARY INFORMATION
Legal Process Clerk I: $3,015-$3,849 APPROXIMATE MONTHLY* / $17.40-$22.20 APPROXIMATE HOURLY*
Legal Process Clerk II: $3,276-$4,181 APPROXIMATE MONTHLY*/ $18.90-$24.12 APPROXIMATE HOURLY*
*Please refer to the appropriate Bargaining Unit Memorandum of Understanding for potential future salary increases* Please visit https://www.shastacounty.gov/personnel/page/labor-agreements-mous.
ABOUT SHASTA COUNTY
Shasta County offers all the amenities of the big city while retaining a comfortable small-town atmosphere. With its natural beauty, affordable housing, excellent educational system, abundance of recreational opportunities, and excellent quality of life, Shasta County is a great place to live, work, and raise a family.
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT
For over 20 years the Shasta County Public Defender’s Office has provided representation to those who are unable to afford an attorney. Our mission is to provide compassionate, holistic defense to those in need, ensuring that every client receives comprehensive legal representation tailored to their unique experiences, goals, and needs. We are dedicated to providing zealous, ethical, effective advocacy while protecting the dignity, rights, and humanity of each person we represent.
We serve diverse communities, including those most marginalized in our society, with unwavering commitment to justice. Each year, our office represents hundreds of indigent defendants charged with misdemeanor, felony, and juvenile offenses. We also handle an array of civil matters including guardianships, termination of parental rights, and conservatorship matters. Our role is to protect the constitutional rights of justice-involved individuals and to hold the government accountable, ensuring that fairness and due process are upheld in every case.
We foster a supportive and empowering environment where our attorneys and staff are encouraged to grow both professionally and personally. By investing in our team’s well-being and development, we create a culture of excellence, advocacy, and integrity. We are committed to building a sustainable criminal defense practice that serves our clients and our community for generations to come.
ABOUT THE POSITION
Legal Process Clerk I: Under supervision, to learn to accept, process and type legal documents; and to perform related work as required.
Legal Process Clerk II: Under general supervision, to accept, process, and type legal documents; and to perform related work as required.
The Legal Process Clerk I/II (LPC) will be assigned to the reception desk for the Public Defender’s Office. This position serves as the first point of contact for clients and visitors while maintaining a professional and welcoming environment. The LPC is responsible for answering and directing multiple phone calls efficiently while providing accurate information to callers. The LPC is also responsible for assisting attorneys and office staff with administrative and clerical duties; handling sensitive information with confidentiality and discretion; providing support in a fast-paced legal environment where compassion and patience are essential; interacting with individuals facing mental health and addiction challenges with compassion; and de-escalate difficult situations when needed.
This role requires a high level of professionalism, emotional intelligence, and the ability to remain composed in stressful situations. If you are passionate about public service and have the skills to excel in this role, we encourage you to apply and become part of our dedicated team.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
Legal Process Clerk I is distinguished from the general clerical series by the specialized knowledge required to perform duties in a legal setting involving a wide variety of legal terminology, forms, and procedures. Legal Process Clerk I is distinguished from the next higher class of Legal Process Clerk II in that the former is the trainee class in the series. Duties may vary somewhat depending on which office the incumbent is assigned.
Legal Process Clerk II is distinguished from the general clerical series by the specialized knowledge required to perform duties in a legal setting involving a wide variety of legal terminology, forms, and procedures. Legal Process Clerk II is distinguished from the next lower class of Legal Process Clerk I in that this class is considered to be the journey-level class in this series and incumbents are expected to be able to perform the full range of duties. Duties may vary somewhat depending on which office the incumbent is assigned.
IDEAL CANDIDATE
The Public Defender’s Office is seeking a dedicated and professional Legal Process Clerk I/II (LPC) to join our team. The ideal candidate is highly reliable, detail-oriented, and thrives in a fast-paced environment while maintaining a professional and courteous demeanor.
Key Qualifications:
- Strong communication skills – both oral and written – with the ability to interact effectively with clients, the public, attorneys, and staff.
- Ability to manage multiple phone calls and face-to-face interactions daily with professionalism and respect.
- Exceptional customer service skills to provide courteous and respectful assistance to individuals from diverse backgrounds.
- Strong ability to analyze situations and exercise good judgment when making decisions.
- Ability to accept constructive feedback, remain calm under pressure, and handle high-stress situations effectively.
- Strong teamwork skills, working cooperatively with colleagues, clients, and other agencies.
- Ability to listen attentively, understand oral instructions, and prioritize, plan, and organize work efficiently.
- Experience performing specialized and responsible office support work, requiring knowledge of legal terminology and clerical procedures.
EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES
Assignments for Legal Process Clerks are in the District Attorney, Public Defender, Probation, Child Support Services, and Sheriff’s Offices. Depending on the assignment, any of the following duties will be required to be performed. Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
Legal Process Clerk I: Learns to receive and process legal documents for filing in criminal, civil, juvenile, family law, child support, and probate actions; examines documents for jurisdiction, accuracy and completeness and enters into register of action; initially calendars cases; checks and issues subpoenas, summonses, writs of execution, possession, attachments, seizures of property, and similar documents; indexes and cross indexes proceedings; searches records and files for prior actions; answers questions for attorneys and the public; collects fees, makes change, writes receipts and keeps records; types dictation and documents involving considerable legal terminology, such as complaints, warrants, motions, petitions, stipulations and judgments; acts as an information source regarding department policies, procedures, and activities; performs data entry and filing of booking reports and miscellaneous paperwork; contacts various agencies throughout the county to verify information (ex: obtaining police reports, court dates, etc.); prepares the Court calendar; maintains confidentiality of information in accordance with departmental policy, as well as all applicable laws and regulations; receives calls and directs callers to appropriate personnel; files reports and miscellaneous
paperwork; obtains and assembles information from files; provides general assistance to the public; interacts with clients; assists in-house personnel, as well as outside agencies in obtaining information, and performs related duties as assigned.
Legal Process Clerk II: Receives and processes legal documents for filing in criminal, civil, juvenile, family law, child support, and probate actions; examines documents for jurisdiction, accuracy and completeness, and enters into register of action; initially calendars cases; checks and issues subpoenas, summonses, writs of execution, possession, attachments, seizures of property, and similar documents; indexes and cross indexes proceedings; searches records and files for prior actions; answers questions for attorneys and the public; collects fees, makes change, writes receipts and keeps records; types dictation and documents involving considerable legal terminology, such as complaints, warrants, motions, petitions, stipulations and judgments; maintains trust account general ledgers; acts as an information source regarding department policies, procedures, and activities; performs data entry and filing of booking reports and miscellaneous paperwork; contacts various agencies throughout the county to verify information (ex: obtaining police reports, court dates, etc.); prepares the Court calendar; maintains confidentiality of information in accordance with departmental policy, as well as all applicable laws and regulations; receives calls and directs callers to appropriate personnel; files reports and miscellaneous paperwork; obtains and assembles information from files; provides general assistance to the public; interacts with clients; assists in-house personnel, as well as outside agencies in obtaining information, and performs related duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS
It is the responsibility of applicants to identify in their application materials how they meet the minimum qualifications listed below.
Any combination of education and experience sufficient to directly demonstrate possession and application of the following:
Legal Process Clerk I:
Knowledge of: Legal terminology; office procedures and practices; Business English, including vocabulary, correct grammatical usage and punctuation.
Ability to: Depending on assignment, type at a speed of not less than 45 words per minute from clear copy; depending on assignment, may require an alphanumeric data entry test score of 6,000 kph with a 95% accuracy rate; operate standard office equipment; maintain accurate records; receive and account for fees; learn civil, criminal, juvenile, domestic, probate, family, child support, and other statutes governing the District Attorney, Probation, Public Defender, Child Support Services, or Sheriff’s Office; learn the operations and procedures of the District Attorney, Probation, Public Defender, Child Support Services, or Sheriff’s Office; learn the legal terminology and forms used in the District Attorney, Probation, Public Defender, Child Support Services, or Sheriff’s Office;
Legal Process Clerk II:
Knowledge of: Civil, criminal, juvenile, domestic, probate, family, child support, and other statutes governing the District Attorney, Probation, Public Defender, Child Support Services, or Sheriff’s Office operations and procedures of the District Attorney, Probation, Public Defender, Child Support Services, or Sheriff’s Office; legal terminology and forms used in the District Attorney, Probation, Public Defender, Child Support Services, or Sheriff’s Office; office procedures and practices; business English, including vocabulary, correct grammatical usage and punctuation.
Ability to: Determine acceptability and process criminal and/or civil documents; deal courteously and tactfully with attorneys, other employees and the public; depending on assignment, type at a speed of not less than 45 words per minute from clear copy; depending on assignment, may require an alphanumeric data entry test score of 6,000 kph with a 95% accuracy rate; perform legal clerical work; receive and account for fees; operate standard office equipment; maintain accurate fiscal records.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Legal Process Clerk I: One (1) year of responsible clerical experience in work that would have provided some familiarity with legal terminology.
Legal Process Clerk II: One (1) year of experience comparable to that of a Legal Process Clerk I with Shasta County
SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS
Responses to the following must be submitted with a completed application.
- Do you have one (1) year responsible clerical experience? Yes / No
- Do you have one (1) year of experience comparable to that of a Legal Process Clerk I with Shasta County? If “Yes,” please provide details including, but not limited to, employers, dates of employment, and job duties. If “No,” type N/A.
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How much work experience do you have using computers?
- Less than 6 months
- 6 months to 1 year
- 1 – 2 years
- 2 – 3 years
- 3 or more years
- I acknowledge that if I answered "Yes" to any of the above questions, but did not give the requested additional information, my application may be considered incomplete and may be screened out. Yes / No
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
- All new employees are required to have their paycheck directly deposited to a bank account.
- Some positions may require a valid California driver's license and acceptable driving record according to County policy.
- Reasonable accommodations may be made for those persons who are disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act to perform the essential functions of the position.
- As part of the selection process, all individuals provided with a preliminary offer of employment with Shasta County will be subject to a background investigation, including a criminal history check (primarily completed through the taking of fingerprints). An image of your fingerprints will be captured and sent to the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The resulting report of your conviction history, (if any), will be evaluated along with the other information received in connection with your application. Except as otherwise required by law, a criminal conviction will not necessarily disqualify you from the position. The nature of the offense, the date of the offense, the surrounding circumstances, and the relevance of the offense to the position applied for may, however, be considered.
- Based on the results of the background investigation and criminal history check, applicants may then be provided with an offer of employment conditioned on the results of a medical examination, which includes drug/alcohol testing.
- Shasta County participates in E-Verify. For more information visit https://www.e-verify.gov/sites/default/files/everify/posters/IER_RighttoWorkPoster.pdf (Download PDF reader). If you do not have internet access, contact Personnel at (530) 225-5515 to request a flyer.
- In accordance with Government Code Section 3100, County employees, in the event of a disaster are considered disaster workers and may be asked to respond accordingly.
- Positions in this classification are covered by a collective bargaining agreement between the County and the United Public Employees of California – General
- Employees in this classification are covered under the CalPERS retirement program. Depending on the provisions of the California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) and other applicable laws, an employee in this classification will be covered under one of the following CalPERS retirement formulas: (1) 2% at 55, (2) 2% at 60, or (3) 2% at 62. An employee in this classification will also contribute up to 9.5% of his/her pay to this plan or will contribute such other amount to the plan as authorized by PEPRA and other applicable laws. Please visit our employees benefit page at https://www.shastacounty.gov/personnel/page/employee-benefitsfor additional information regarding benefits and CalPERS coverage information. The provisions in this flyer and on the County website are for information purposes only. To the extent the provisions of the flyer or the County website are inconsistent with PEPRA and other applicable laws, PEPRA and other applicable laws shall govern.
APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCEDURES
Shasta County Personnel will accept applications and responses to the supplemental questions until 12:00 p.m., on March 17, 2025. A Resume and/or Cover Letter will be accepted in addition to the application form but will not serve as a substitute for a completed application. It is not acceptable to complete the application with statements such as, “Refer to Resume and/or Cover Letter,” or “See Attached Resume and/or Cover Letter” the employment application must be completed in its entirety prior to submission. Incomplete applications will not be processed. Closing date postmarks or faxes will NOT be accepted. This recruitment will establish a list that may or may not be used by other departments. Prior applicants must reapply to be considered.
Applicants will be screened and those considered best qualified will be invited to appear for an oral and/or written examination. Meeting the announced requirements does not guarantee inclusion into the selection process. Depending upon the number of applications received, the selection process may consist of additional application screening, written and/or practical exam(s), oral interview, or any combination thereof.
Veterans' Credit:Veterans (as defined by California Government Code section 18973) who have been discharged from military service under conditions other than dishonorable and who receive a passing score on all components of the employment examinations (up to and including oral examinations) shall receive credit for an additional five points to be added to their final examination score. To be considered for this credit, a veteran MUST provide a copy of his or her discharge document (DD-214 or equivalent) and information as to the type of discharge (honorable, dishonorable, etc.) WITH THE EMPLOYMENT APPLICATION ON OR BEFORE THE FINAL FILING DATE.
Applicants are encouraged to apply on-line at www.ShastaCountyCareers.com or submit an application to the Shasta County Personnel Office.
Arrangements may be made to accommodate applicants with disabilities. Requests for accommodations may be made to the Shasta County Personnel Office by the filing deadline posted on this bulletin. Shasta County does not discriminate on the basis of disability. If you feel you are being denied service based on a disability, our ADA Coordinator may be reached at (530) 225-5515; relay service (800) 735-2922; fax (530) 225-5345.
Shasta County will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Shasta County is concerned about a conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting calcivilrights.ca.gov/fair-chance-act.
SHASTA COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Shasta County Personnel
1450 Court Street, Suite 348; Redding, CA 96001; (530) 225-5515
Salary : $17 - $22
