Judicial Assistant to Appellate Justice – Division Four

Overview

The California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, is accepting applications for a Judicial Assistant to an Appellate Justice. This position will perform varied, complex, and confidential paralegal, legal secretarial, and office administrative duties for the Justice and the staff. 

Responsibilities

• Provides administrative, paralegal, and legal secretarial support to an appellate court justice and, in some courts, the justice’s research attorneys.
• Supports the intake and processing of writ petitions; preparing court orders; using and maintaining internal court data bases;
• Calendars cases for oral argument and tracks cases for timeliness; 
• Word processes, edits, proofreads, and reviews opinions and court orders for correctness with respect to grammar, spelling, punctuation, content, and organization; conforms opinions to uniform style using the California Style Manual;
• Prepares final opinions by checking facts referenced against all documents from the clerk’s office and reporter’s transcripts, administrative record, exhibits, and correspondence; 
• Verifies and Shepardizes legal authorities cited using resources found in the law library and computer data bases such as state and federal reporters, state and federal statutes, citators, textbooks, handbooks, restatements, and legislative intent materials; 
• Transmits opinions and modifications to Reporter of Decisions; communicates with Reporter of Decisions regarding stylistic requirements and content of opinions; proofreads and carefully inspects galley proofs of all published opinions for complete accuracy;
• Maintains and updates chambers library; 
• Organizes and routes work, sets priorities, and follows up to ensure coordination and completion of assigned work; exercises skill in setting priorities that accurately reflect the importance of assigned responsibilities; trains backup support staff; 
• Works closely with Clerk’s Office and file room staff to ensure that materials are received and sent out in timely fashion.
• Drafts correspondence; independently initiates specified correspondence for signature by appropriate staff.
• Performs additional secretarial and administrative assistant functions as requested.

KNOWLEDGE OF

• Administrative office practices and procedures, the standard format for typed materials, including proper memoranda, briefs, drafts, opinions, recordkeeping systems and file maintenance, and standard office procedures and practices.
• Complex legal concepts, terminology, principles, and procedures.
• Methods of complex legal research (traditional and electronic).
• California trial and appellate court practices and procedures.
• Personal computers and the use of specified computer applications, such as word processing, spreadsheets, legal applications, desktop publishing, and on-line search and reference tools.
• Correct business English, including spelling, grammar, and punctuation, with emphasis on  legal terminology, the uniform system of citation and the California Style Manual, etc.
• Organizational policies and procedures.
• Basic supervisory principles and practices.

ABILITY TO

• Maintain confidentiality.
• Apply complex legal concepts, terminology, principles, and procedures.
• Conduct legal research (traditional and electronic).
• Use initiative and independent judgment within established procedural guidelines.
• Organize, prioritize, and coordinate multiple work activities from multiple sources and meet critical deadlines while maintaining accuracy; exercise skill in setting priorities that accurately reflect the importance of assigned responsibilities.
• Train others in policies and procedures related to work.
• Transport boxes weighing up to 40 pounds.
• Operate personal computers and use specified computer applications, such as word processing, spreadsheets, legal applications, and desktop publishing, including demonstrated skills in interpreting and applying technical manuals and tutorials.
• Communicate effectively in English, verbally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work, including justices, court staff, and representatives of other governmental and private agencies.
• Plan, direct, and review the work of others on a project or day-to-day basis.

Qualifications

Equivalent to six (6) years of legal secretarial experience, including four (4) years of technical legal research. OR Bachelor’s degree and two (2) years of legal secretarial experience, including technical legal research. 

Additional directly related experience and/or college-level coursework may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for either of the paths outlined above. 

OR One (1) year as a Judicial Assistant OR two (2) years as a Deputy Clerk OR three (3) years as a Lead Judicial Secretary or Assistant Deputy Clerk III with the judicial branch.

Equivalent years of experience performing the duties of a class comparable in the level of responsibility to the classes listed above in a California Superior Court or California state-level government entity also qualify.

How To Apply

To complete the online application, please click the Apply for Job button.

The following items are required.

• Completed online application
• Cover letter 
• Resume 

To ensure consideration of your application for the earliest round of interviews, please apply by March 21, 2025, and include all required items listed above. The position will remain open until it is filled.

Pay and Benefits

Salary Range: $6,627 to $8,062 per month
(Starting salary will be between $6,627 and $7,288)

• Health/Dental/Vision benefits program
• 14 paid holidays per calendar year
• Choice of Annual Leave or Sick/Vacation Leave
• 1 personal holiday per year
• Up to $130 per month reimbursement for qualifying commuting costs
• CalPERS Retirement Plan
• 401(k) and 457 deferred compensation plans
• Employee Assistance Program
• Basic Life and AD&D Insurance
• FlexElect Program
• Long Term Disability Program (employee paid/optional)
• Group Legal Plan (employee paid/optional)

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.