THE CURRENT VACANCY IS IN THE 

SHASTA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE

ORAL EXAM IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR MAY 2024

SKILLS OR EXPERIENCES LISTED UNDER THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

STATEMENT MAY ALSO BE USED TO SCREEN APPLICATIONS

RESPONSES TO SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS REQUIRED

FINAL FILING DATE: MAY 14, 2024 AT 5:00 PM

SALARY INFORMATION

$3,390.00 - $4,327.00 APPROXIMATE MONTHLY* / $19.56 – $24.96 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

The District Attorney evaluates all reported crimes to determine if sufficient evidence exists to prosecute individuals for felony and misdemeanor offenses. In those cases where the District Attorney finds sufficient evidence, a criminal prosecution is undertaken. The Department also supervises the Victim/Witness Program.

ABOUT THE POSITION

Under general direction, to perform responsible legal secretarial, clerical, and routine administrative duties in support of an attorney with program management responsibilities, which involve active and extensive public interests and contact with other public agencies; and to perform related work as required.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

The class of Legal Secretary is distinguished from the Administrative Secretary class series in that while the general nature of secretarial support activities are similar, an incumbent in this class works in a legal setting and is required to be fully proficient in all aspects of the mission of the office to which assigned. It differs from a Legal Services Supervisor in that the latter has significant supervisory responsibilities in addition to secretarial duties.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

An ideal candidate for a legal secretary position within the District Attorney’s office should have current legal experience, the ability to type a minimum of 45 wpm, a positive work ethic, and be able to work harmoniously in groups while in a fast-paced legal environment. The candidate needs to be able to remain calm and focused while working with multiple attorneys to meet high stress deadlines. 

Any combination of education and experience sufficient to directly demonstrate possession and application of the following:

Knowledge of: Legal terminology, forms, documents and procedures; basic organization, services, programs and functions of the legal system; forms and formatting for legal documents; style/format of business correspondence, punctuation, spelling, and general English usage; modern office practices, procedures and equipment; filing and recordkeeping methods; modern office equipment; basic elements of supervision, including instructing workers on specific tasks.

Ability to: Perform difficult and responsible legal secretarial and clerical duties; organize work effectively to meet critical administrative deadlines; determine office priorities; deal with deadlines and office emergencies; interpret and apply specific policies and procedures; type at a speed of not less than 55 words per minute from clear copy on a typewriter or computer terminal; take dictation at a speed of 90 words per minute and transcribe it accurately may be required for certain positions; compose correspondence independently; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the course of work; supervise the work of a small staff.

These standards are typically attained with two years of clerical experience preparing a wide variety of legal documents.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS

Responses to the following must be submitted with a completed application.

1. How many years of clerical experience in an office setting do you have?
   • Less than one year
   • Between one and two years
   • Two years or more

1. Do you have experience processing legal documents? Yes ___ No___. If yes, please describe your experience.

1. Do you have legal terminology experience? Yes ___ No___. If yes, please describe your experience.

1. Are you able to type a minimum of 45 wpm? If yes, please attach a copy of your most recent typing certificate. Yes___ No___

1. This position is in an office that works closely with victims of crime. Do you understand that some tasks required in this role may involve reading police reports, hearing stories about victimization, exposure to graphic materials and speaking with victims on the phone or in person? 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; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 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.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. 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. 

• 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 Unit.

Shasta County Personnel will accept applications and responses to the supplemental questions until 5:00 p.m., on May 14, 2024. 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