What are the responsibilities and job description for the LEGAL ASSISTANT I - WORKERS' COMPENSATION DIVISION position at City of Los Angeles?
About Us
The Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney is one of the nation's largest municipal law offices. With over 1,000 legal professionals, including 500 attorneys, the Office provides the City of Los Angeles ("City") with the highest caliber of legal services, ranging from prosecuting criminal misdemeanors and playing a leading role in criminal justice reform to advising on homelessness initiatives, defending civil lawsuits and claims, and bringing civil enforcement actions in the name of the People of the State of California.
Guided by an overarching commitment to integrity, service and accountability, we find great meaning in the work we do and the services we provide. We seek collaborative team players who understand that fulfilling our mission is key to making a positive impact.
Description
The Workers' Compensation Division is responsible for defending the City against claims litigated before the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Programs. The Workers' Compensation Appeals Board is a state agency, which has exclusive jurisdiction over disputed employee claims for benefits for injuries arising out of employment. Within the Workers' Compensation Division, the Subrogation Unit investigates and processes all cases in which Workers' Compensation benefits and/or property damage have been paid on behalf of the City and/or City employees as a result of the negligence of a third party.
Duties and Responsibilities
Legal Assistants provide comprehensive support to Division Attorneys and coordinate with the City's Personnel Department claims examiners. The position will oversee and direct support staff in preparing and managing cases from inception through final resolution. Key responsibilities include reviewing new and existing claims to determine eligibility and identify potential fraud; preparing cases for trial and/or appeal; coordinating and directing the scheduling of depositions; arranging applicants' medical examinations; and reviewing awards issued by the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) and ADR Programs to assist in determining whether to pursue an appeal or process the award for payment. This position involves telephone contact with members of the public, insurance companies, and various City departments. The Legal Assistant will also perform other related duties as assigned.
Requirements
• The Legal Assistant position requires at least six months of legal administrative experience which requires a thorough knowledge of legal procedures and terminology and independent judgment in analyzing, interpreting and reviewing legal documents;
-or-
• Successful completion of one Legal Assistant (Paralegal) class (equivalent to 3 units), which includes emphasis on legal procedures, terminology and the ability to use independent judgment in analyzing, interpreting and reviewing legal documents. The course may have been taken through a college or university.
• This position also requires a person who is self-motivated, learns quickly, can exercise independent judgment and work with a minimum of supervision. The applicant must also be able to work well with other employees of this office and personnel from other agencies, as well as members of the public. Applicants should be proficient in the use of personal computer equipment.
• This position also requires a person to lift boxes (up to 25 lbs.) with or without accommodations.
• Reliable attendance and punctuality are essential. The hours for this position are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Desired Qualifications
Experience administering workers' compensation cases for an insurance company, a law firm, a self-insured private or public employer is desirable. Demonstrated writing skills and proficiency on Microsoft Word and Westlaw. Experience in civil law, including workers' compensation litigation. Experience in criminal/civil claims investigation, evaluation of property damage, personal injury claims, account recovery processing and recovery, and other related legal work is desired.
How to apply
Requirements for Application
• Cover Letter
• Resume
Application and Deadline
Interested candidates should go to: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacityattorney/ to apply online by Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
Contact
Questions? Please email atty.recruit@lacity.org.
exempt employment
If employment is said to be exempt, it is meant that the employment is exempted from the civil service provisions of the City Charter. In order to receive a regular civil service appointment, employees must have successfully participated in a civil service examination, received a high enough score on the examination to be placed on and receive an appointment from an eligible list, and they must serve a probationary period. Exempt employees do not compete in a civil service examination, they are not placed on an eligible list and receive an appointment from that list, nor do they serve a probationary period. As a result, exempt employees do not have what is referred to as a "property interest" in their job. Exempt employees serve at the will of the appointing authority and can be terminated at any time without cause. Employees with a property interest in their job, i.e. civil service employees, cannot be deprived of their employment(discharged or suspended) without due process.
General Information About Exempt Employment
Exempt employees serve at the will of the appointing authority, and as such, they may be discharged, suspended or otherwise disciplined without cause. Exempt employees have no property interest in their employment, and any procedural benefit or other prerogative extended to them by their appointing authority is not intended to create and does not create any such property interest. No officer or employee of the City may make to any other officer or employee any representation of a property interest in employment which does not correspond to Charter provisions unless the City Council, by ordinance, permits such representation. No unauthorized representation can serve as the basis of an employee's reliance on, or expectation of, a property interest.
Employees Seeking To Become Civil Service Employees
There is no protective leave for an exempt employee appointed to a civil service position. Upon receiving a civil service appointment and passing probation, the former exempt employee will be subject to the Civil Service provisions described in Article X of the City Charter. Upon appointment, the civil service employee will begin to accrue displacement and layoff seniority on the first day of his/her civil service appointment and may file for promotional examinations for which s/he qualifies. A full or half-time exempt employee appointed to a full or half-time civil service position continues to: contribute to the Retirement System; accrue vacation time; accrue sick time; receive anniversary date salary increases; and, receive health and dental benefits identical to those received in the civil service position.
The Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney is one of the nation's largest municipal law offices. With over 1,000 legal professionals, including 500 attorneys, the Office provides the City of Los Angeles ("City") with the highest caliber of legal services, ranging from prosecuting criminal misdemeanors and playing a leading role in criminal justice reform to advising on homelessness initiatives, defending civil lawsuits and claims, and bringing civil enforcement actions in the name of the People of the State of California.
Guided by an overarching commitment to integrity, service and accountability, we find great meaning in the work we do and the services we provide. We seek collaborative team players who understand that fulfilling our mission is key to making a positive impact.
Description
The Workers' Compensation Division is responsible for defending the City against claims litigated before the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Programs. The Workers' Compensation Appeals Board is a state agency, which has exclusive jurisdiction over disputed employee claims for benefits for injuries arising out of employment. Within the Workers' Compensation Division, the Subrogation Unit investigates and processes all cases in which Workers' Compensation benefits and/or property damage have been paid on behalf of the City and/or City employees as a result of the negligence of a third party.
Duties and Responsibilities
Legal Assistants provide comprehensive support to Division Attorneys and coordinate with the City's Personnel Department claims examiners. The position will oversee and direct support staff in preparing and managing cases from inception through final resolution. Key responsibilities include reviewing new and existing claims to determine eligibility and identify potential fraud; preparing cases for trial and/or appeal; coordinating and directing the scheduling of depositions; arranging applicants' medical examinations; and reviewing awards issued by the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) and ADR Programs to assist in determining whether to pursue an appeal or process the award for payment. This position involves telephone contact with members of the public, insurance companies, and various City departments. The Legal Assistant will also perform other related duties as assigned.
Requirements
• The Legal Assistant position requires at least six months of legal administrative experience which requires a thorough knowledge of legal procedures and terminology and independent judgment in analyzing, interpreting and reviewing legal documents;
-or-
• Successful completion of one Legal Assistant (Paralegal) class (equivalent to 3 units), which includes emphasis on legal procedures, terminology and the ability to use independent judgment in analyzing, interpreting and reviewing legal documents. The course may have been taken through a college or university.
• This position also requires a person who is self-motivated, learns quickly, can exercise independent judgment and work with a minimum of supervision. The applicant must also be able to work well with other employees of this office and personnel from other agencies, as well as members of the public. Applicants should be proficient in the use of personal computer equipment.
• This position also requires a person to lift boxes (up to 25 lbs.) with or without accommodations.
• Reliable attendance and punctuality are essential. The hours for this position are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Desired Qualifications
Experience administering workers' compensation cases for an insurance company, a law firm, a self-insured private or public employer is desirable. Demonstrated writing skills and proficiency on Microsoft Word and Westlaw. Experience in civil law, including workers' compensation litigation. Experience in criminal/civil claims investigation, evaluation of property damage, personal injury claims, account recovery processing and recovery, and other related legal work is desired.
How to apply
Requirements for Application
• Cover Letter
• Resume
Application and Deadline
Interested candidates should go to: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacityattorney/ to apply online by Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
Contact
Questions? Please email atty.recruit@lacity.org.
exempt employment
If employment is said to be exempt, it is meant that the employment is exempted from the civil service provisions of the City Charter. In order to receive a regular civil service appointment, employees must have successfully participated in a civil service examination, received a high enough score on the examination to be placed on and receive an appointment from an eligible list, and they must serve a probationary period. Exempt employees do not compete in a civil service examination, they are not placed on an eligible list and receive an appointment from that list, nor do they serve a probationary period. As a result, exempt employees do not have what is referred to as a "property interest" in their job. Exempt employees serve at the will of the appointing authority and can be terminated at any time without cause. Employees with a property interest in their job, i.e. civil service employees, cannot be deprived of their employment(discharged or suspended) without due process.
General Information About Exempt Employment
Exempt employees serve at the will of the appointing authority, and as such, they may be discharged, suspended or otherwise disciplined without cause. Exempt employees have no property interest in their employment, and any procedural benefit or other prerogative extended to them by their appointing authority is not intended to create and does not create any such property interest. No officer or employee of the City may make to any other officer or employee any representation of a property interest in employment which does not correspond to Charter provisions unless the City Council, by ordinance, permits such representation. No unauthorized representation can serve as the basis of an employee's reliance on, or expectation of, a property interest.
Employees Seeking To Become Civil Service Employees
There is no protective leave for an exempt employee appointed to a civil service position. Upon receiving a civil service appointment and passing probation, the former exempt employee will be subject to the Civil Service provisions described in Article X of the City Charter. Upon appointment, the civil service employee will begin to accrue displacement and layoff seniority on the first day of his/her civil service appointment and may file for promotional examinations for which s/he qualifies. A full or half-time exempt employee appointed to a full or half-time civil service position continues to: contribute to the Retirement System; accrue vacation time; accrue sick time; receive anniversary date salary increases; and, receive health and dental benefits identical to those received in the civil service position.