LEGAL SECRETARY

Job Description and Duties Under the direction of a Legal Support Supervisor I or Supervisor I, the Legal Secretary provides secretarial support in a fast-paced legal office of the Legal Division. The Bay Area Legal Office is staffed with attorneys handling litigation and house counsel matters, investigators, paralegals, and administrative staff in the following major specialties of law: Tort, Construction Arbitration, Environmental, Contracts, Employment, Eminent Domain, Inverse Condemnation, other Real Property, legal opinions, and administrative matters. Traditionally each Legal Secretary is assigned to three to five attorneys or in a typing pool and may provide clerical support and assistance to other professional staff. Legal Secretaries may receive assignments for back-up purposes and provide assistance with overflow work. The Legal Secretary must be able to work in a team environment, have strong communication skills, work well under pressure and meet short deadlines. Personal Leave Program: Effective July 1, 2025, state employees are subject to temporary salary reductions ranging from 2% to 4.62% in exchange for Personal Leave Program (PLP) hours. Please note that the salary ranges listed in this Job Control may not reflect these reductions associated with the 2025 Personal Leave Program. Please follow the link for more information regarding the 2025 Personal Leave program: http://hrmanual.calhr.ca.gov/Home/ManualItem/1/2113. Eligibility for hire may be determined by your score on the Legal Secretary exam. For those who do not have current eligibility (e.g., transfer, permissive reinstatement, or voluntary demotions) and/or who will be new to state civil services employment, you must be on the state examination list to be eligible for these positions. To apply for the exam, please click here and search by typing in the classification title. Please take this 1-minute Caltrans Recruitment survey to tell us how you found out about this job. https://forms.office.com/g/RyK102ty4G https://youtu.be/oC9wIp8QalI Apply today to join our team! We especially encourage applicants to check out our Caltrans Career Compass tool! The Caltrans Career Compass is a tool to assist and help candidates understand and succeed in applying to Caltrans positions. PARF# 42-27-0085 / JC-536522 You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement. Special Requirements Possession of Minimum Qualifications will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment. If you are basing your eligibility on education, you must include your unofficial transcript(s)/diploma for verification. Unofficial, original, or official sealed transcripts will be accepted and may be required upon appointment. Applicants with foreign transcripts/degrees must provide a transcript/degree U.S. equivalency report evaluation that indicates the number of units and degree to which the foreign coursework is equivalent. Please visit either of the following two websites for a list of evaluation agencies: https://www.naces.org/members or https://aice-eval.org. Please redact birthdates and social security numbers. Desirable Qualifications In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate: • Legal knowledge: Familiarity with legal terminology, court procedures, legal documents, & commonly used practice areas. • Document preparation: Ability to draft, format, proofread, revise, organize correspondence, pleadings, motions, contracts, & other legal documents. • Communication skills: Strong written & verbal communication skills, with the ability to interact professionally with attorneys, clients, court personnel, & outside professionals. • Organization: Excellent ability to manage files, calendars, deadlines, case information, competing priorities accurately & efficiently. • Attention to detail: Careful & consistent review of documents, citations, formatting, filing requirements, & confidential information. • Time management: Ability to prioritize tasks, meet strict deadlines, & remain effective in a fast-paced legal environment. • Professional judgment: Ability to recognize urgent matters, follow established procedures, seek clarification when needed, & appropriately refer legal questions to an attorney. • Teamwork: Ability to collaborate effectively with attorneys, paralegals, legal assistants, clerks, & administrative staff. • Adaptability: Willingness to learn new software, procedures, legal requirements, & office practices. • Professional conduct: Reliability, punctuality, integrity, tact, accountability, & a polished professional manner. • Experience supporting multiple attorneys or managing several matters simultaneously. • Knowledge of court filing deadlines & electronic filing procedures. • Ability to work independently while also accepting direction & feedback. • Calm, courteous, & solutions-oriented approach under pressure. • Commitment to continuing professional development & maintaining current legal office skills Possess a valid typing certification of 45 WPM.