Position Information
THIS RECRUITMENT IS PROMOTIONAL ONLY. YOU MUST PRESENTLY BE A FULL- OR PART-TIME REGULAR OR PROBATIONARY COUNTY OF SONOMA, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, SONOMA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, OR SONOMA COUNTY WATER AGENCY EMPLOYEE IN ORDER TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION.
The District Attorney's Office has requested a department promotional certification to fill a District Attorney’s Senior Legal Processor – Promotional position. Only qualified permanent and/or probationary District Attorney's Office employees on the eligible list may be eligible for referral to the department for the advertised position. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time or part-time positions as they occur during the active status of the list.
This position will be responsible for processing discovery received from law enforcement agencies, responding to discovery-related requests from Deputy District Attorneys, and providing discovery to defense counsel as required by law. Responsibilities and tasks will include retrieving and processing body-worn camera videos, supplemental police reports, lab results, criminal histories, and other tasks as needed, ensuring the work is completed in accordance with legal and operational procedures.
The selected individual will be expected to work collaboratively with the Legal Assistant and Senior Legal Processor currently assigned to the Discovery Desk. This position also must work cooperatively with, and take direction from, Deputy District Attorneys, Chief Deputy District Attorneys, and District Attorney Investigators.
The ideal candidate will be a self-starter with excellent organizational skills. They must be a team player who actively engages with other members of this office, law enforcement partners, as well as members of the Defense Bar and their staff. The ideal candidate will also possess:
- At least two years of experience working in a law office, preferably a District Attorney’s Office
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including tact, patience, and a positive outlook
- The ability to prioritize work and multi-task while efficiently handling numerous competing tasks and a high volume of time-sensitive work
- Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to independently use sound judgment in applying appropriate rules and regulations
- Proficiency in computer systems and programs, including Word, Outlook, Prosecutor by Karpel (PBK), and SoCo Cloud
- The ability to organize voluminous and complex requests received through a variety of sources
APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.
Minimum Qualifications
Experience and Education: Any combination of work experience and education which would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed herein. Normally, two years of work experience in a law office, law enforcement office, or court environment processing legal documents would provide this opportunity.
License: Possession of a valid driver's license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position.
Special Skill Requirement: The ability to type at a corrected speed of 45 words per minute may be required for some assignments.
Background Requirements: Applicants for some assignments must successfully complete a thorough background investigation conducted by the Sheriff’s Office.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Considerable knowledge of: the purpose and processing of a diversity of court, law enforcement, and legal documents, forms, and records; the operations, procedures and jurisdictions of the court or department of assignment; the record and computer systems of the Courts and the department of assignment; basic arithmetic, English grammar, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, and composition; the technical resource materials and information sources applicable to the area of assignment; court related statutes, laws, ordinances and procedures and their applicability to the department of assignment.
Some knowledge of: effective supervision; techniques and methods of training employees in work procedures.
Ability to: prepare and process a variety of complex legal documents; maintain complex legal records, assemble materials and prepare reports; locate, identify and correct technical inaccuracies; work independently in performing assignment and in resolving problems and deviations; assist in the planning and coordination of the work in the assigned unit; understand, interpret, explain, and apply specific statues, codes, laws, regulations, and procedures train employees; use independent initiative and discretion in organizing work and carrying out instructions within a structured environment; establish and maintain cooperative and harmonious relationships with judges, attorneys, litigants, other employees, and the general public; independently research and prepare correspondence in answer to inquiries about department records, programs, services, procedures, and regulations; make accurate arithmetic calculations; operate a variety of office equipment.
Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying
- Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
- You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
- You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
- Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.
Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.
APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.
Responses to supplemental questions will be scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses that state, "See Resume" or "See Application" may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.
The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:
An Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.
Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination which evaluates the education, training, experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, and other qualifications that you demonstrate in your application and/or response to the supplemental questionnaire. Please be aware that resumes and cover letters are not typically evaluated in the Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as the number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
It is the policy of law enforcement and legal offices and departments, in the County of Sonoma, that candidates complete a thorough background investigation process prior to employment. This policy is imperative in order to keep the department’s employees and the public safe and to maintain high standards in the law enforcement community. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to applicants.
The background investigation will include a thorough assessment of a candidate’s personal, employment, educational, criminal, and credit history. The investigation may include but is not necessarily limited to: use of prescription and/or other drugs, reports from former employers, friends, family members, educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, credit reports, court reports, public records search, and/or other relevant sources. Candidates must be honest and forthcoming about information that may arise during the background process. Deception during any portion of this process is grounds for disqualification, even after employment.
Depending on the assignment, candidates may be required to take a pre-employment medical examination and may be required to take a polygraph examination. All candidates for law enforcement positions are required to undergo drug testing as part of the selection process. Additionally, candidates may be required to take a pre-employment psychological and physical abilities examination. The results of these examinations and the background investigation shall be confidential and shall not be available to the candidate for review. Failure to pass the background investigation will eliminate a candidate from the employment process. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.
Issues that arise during the investigation process will be assessed and judgment and discretion will be used to determine the employability of the candidate. Where there is evidence of a candidate’s past use of controlled substances, many factors shall be used to determine the employability of the individual such as a pattern of use, kind of drug used, circumstances of the start of the drug use, treatment, behavior and attitude since discontinuance, etc. Please note that a history of using controlled substances does not result in automatic disqualification from the selection process. Prior to disqualifying any candidate whose profile falls within the provisions of the policy, the candidate shall be given the opportunity to present any and all evidence of mitigating facts that the candidate feels should be considered by the hiring authority. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications are accepted online at www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org. Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be RECEIVED by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.
The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging. We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.
HR Analyst: DP
HR Technician: EV
