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South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) is one of the largest and most technologically sophisticated environmental regulatory agencies in the Nation. We serve a four-county region that includes all of Orange County, and parts of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, home to more than 17 million people. South Coast AQMD's headquarters is located in Diamond Bar, 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, at the junction of the 57 and 60 freeways. With a highly diverse "Clean Air Team" of over 750 employees, an annual budget of $173 million, our mission is to ensure clean air and a healthy environment. South Coast AQMD is an organization you can be proud to work for -- we make a difference in the quality of life in Southern California! Please view our video to meet our Clean Air Team.

South Coast AQMD’s mission requires diverse perspectives, talents, and life experiences to solve some of the most complex technical air quality issues.  We are committed to creating and maintaining a work environment that appreciates the unique contributions of our employees and fosters professional development and growth. South Coast AQMD respects the distinct ideas and perspectives of our stakeholders and works to bring them together toward the common goal of clean air.

ABOUT THE JOB

The South Coast AQMD is seeking to fill one Paralegal vacancy, in the Legal Office.  Under the supervision of a Senior Paralegal, this position will provide support to attorneys in pretrial and trial preparation; exhibit and witness preparation for trials and hearings; preparation for administrative hearings; case law research; legal document preparation; responding to Public Records Act requests; and other work as required.

ABOUT THIS CLASSIFICATION

This multiple-position class provides paralegal assistance to attorneys engaged in civil, criminal or administrative law in the Legal Office.  The Paralegal class is distinguished from the legal clerical classes by its responsibility for conducting legal research and analyzing legal opinions and rulings as required in the preparation and conduct of litigation proceedings.

Researches and analyzes law sources such as statutes, ordinances, court decisions, legal documents and articles for use in preparing legal documents such as briefs, pleadings, contracts, opinions, etc., for review, approval, and use by an attorney.

Drafts motions, memoranda of points and authorities, interrogatories and answers, complaints and answers, cross-claims, affidavits and declarations.

Analyzes and summarizes legislative bills and researches legislative history for determination of legislative intent, sources of law and systems by which laws are administered.

Organizes and indexes trial documents, prepares exhibits and assists attorneys at trial and administrative hearings by keeping track of exhibits, testimony and documents.

Tracks fine payment schedules and follows up on delinquent payments; tracks statutes of limitations on in-house cases.

Reviews legal documents and forms for completeness and conformance to specific requirements set forth in applicable legal codes.

Gathers factual information and performs routine legal research to assist an attorney in determining appropriate legal action.

Summarizes, organizes, and indexes prior opinions, testimony, depositions, documentary material from interrogatories and abstracts.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

The South Coast AQMD is a highly complex, scientific, engineering, and technical agency, and the language and challenges with which the Paralegal will work on a daily basis are similarly complex.  In addition to the Minimum Qualifications which follow, the most competitive candidates will possess experience with:

• Civil Litigation Rules and Procedures
• Legal Research
• Discovery Procedures
• Administrative Law and Procedures
• Computerized Document Management Systems
• Trial and/or Hearing Preparation

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE:

- EITHER I –

Successful completion of a Certificated Paralegal Program approved by the American Bar Association or graduation from a recognized law school AND two years of experience in a law office or governmental legal agency performing paralegal duties that demonstrates possession of the knowledges and abilities listed as minimum requirements or eighteen months of full-time experience performing paralegal duties for the South Coast AQMD.

- OR II –

Four years of training or experience in a law office performing paralegal duties that demonstrate possession of the knowledges and abilities listed as minimum requirements.  Legal/paralegal courses or training may be substituted for up to two years of the required experience at the rate of three semester or four and one-half quarter units for one month of experience.  Civil law paralegal experience is preferred, but not required.

KNOWLEDGE OF:  Principles, concepts, and methodology of legal research, discovery and fact investigation; legal principles and practices; legal terminology; principles of legal writing; civil and criminal legal processes; content and language requirements of legal documents, such as pleadings, briefs, ordinances and depositions.

ABILITY TO: Identify, evaluate and extract pertinent information from a wide variety of sources in the preparation of cases and legal documents; use judgment in analyzing complex issues and determining alternate courses of action to obtain required information; analyze and apply pertinent codes, laws, ordinances, and statutes; extract and organize information from diverse, complex and obscure sources including files, depositions, or other evidentiary material; develop and refine content and language of legal documents such as affidavits, declarations, complaints, motions, petitions, interrogatories and accounts, or assist an attorney in performing such work.

APPLICATION PACKETS MUST INCLUDE:

1. A completed employment application covering at least the past 10 years of employment history (or longer if you have other relevant experience), and your entire South Coast AQMD employment history if you are a South Coast AQMD employee.
2. Four references which include the names and phone numbers of your present and past supervisors or managers, and/or college professors or persons for whom you have directly provided services, not peers.
3. Responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire (SQ).  The SQ is a form of written test, and will be evaluated as such.  Your responses should be well written, clear, concise, and directly responsive to the question.
4. An unofficial copy of your transcripts (or equivalency evaluation if your education was obtained outside the U.S.), documenting all qualifying education claimed, submitted as an attachment to your online application*.

*You MUST submit acceptable documentation for all education claimed on your application.  Acceptable documentation consists of an unofficial copy of your transcripts/equivalency evaluation attached to your application.  At a later date, candidates under final consideration will be required to arrange for original, official transcripts (or equivalency evaluation, if applicable) to be mailed directly from their college/university to South Coast AQMD, documenting all education claimed on their application.

Job applications must be completely filled out.  A resume cannot be substituted for the required information. Be sure to detail any education, training or other relevant coursework that would make you a particularly strong candidate.

SELECTION PROCESS

Application packages and supplemental questionnaires will first be screened and the most competitively qualified candidates will be invited to participate in the next phase of the recruitment, which is a panel interview.  The interviews (weighted at 100%) are expected to result in a ranked eligible list, from which current and future vacancies will be filled, during the 6-12 month life of the list.  (Please note that the panel interview may be conducted remotely.)

Only those who demonstrate at each successive step of the selection process that they are among the most competitively qualified will be advanced to the next step.  South Coast AQMD reserves the right to add, delete, or modify any elements of the selection process deemed appropriate, based on the number and quality of applicants at each step.

Candidates who may need a special accommodation during the selection process must call the Human Resources Department at least one week prior to any test dates.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment, please contact the Human Resources Department at (909) 396-2800.