Paralegal - Public Defender's Office

The County of Yolo is recruiting to fill one (1) regular, full-time positions in the class of Paralegal at the Public Defender's Office. The ideal candidate will be bilingual Spanish, and have experience working with the indigent accused or serving similar populations.

Appointment is contingent upon board approval scheduled for May 26, 2026.

THE POSITIONUnder the direction and supervision of a licensed attorney, the incumbent performs paralegal tasks and other legal services in one of the County's legal departments. This is a paraprofessional class that will be assigned to the County's Public Defender's Office. Incumbents in this class are responsible for performing legal research and other legal services requiring a paraprofessional understanding of the law and legal procedures in order to effectively support attorneys in their assigned department. This class is distinguished from the Legal Secretary class series in that the Paralegal independently performs a variety of sophisticated tasks, relieving licensed attorneys from legal responsibilities which can be appropriately delegated to specially skilled, non-licensed personnel while the Legal Secretary performs a variety of secretarial duties in direct support of legal professional staff.
HOW TO APPLY
Interested applicants should submit an online County of Yolo Employment Application, a completed Supplemental Questionnaire, and verification of education and/or certification. For important and detailed information regarding the application and selection process for this recruitment, please see the APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS section of this job announcement below.

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Gathers and analyzes research data, such as statutes, decisions, legal articles, codes, and documents.
• Investigates facts and law of cases and searches pertinent sources, such as public records, to determine causes of action and prepare cases.
• Prepares for proceedings and/or trial by gathering, maintaining, and arranging legal documents for attorney review, writing reports, and organizing exhibits; maintains litigation files and provides ongoing case and file management.
• Assists attorney with pre-trial litigation, jury selection, and support during trial.
• Meets with clients and other professionals to discuss details of legal cases.
• Obtains and prepares affidavits and other formal statements that may be used as evidence in court.
• Drafts and prepares complaints, answers, writs, notices, subpoenas, briefs, pleadings, appeals, and other legal correspondence/documents.
• Files exhibits, briefs, appeals, pleadings, and other legal documents with the court, opposing counsel, or other agencies as appropriate.
• Coordinates service of subpoenas; schedules witnesses to testify at hearings.
• Assists with drafting agreements, ensuring consistency among documents and compliance with County policies and procedures.
• Organizes and maintains documents in a paper or electronic filing system.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Applicants scheduled to graduate at the end of the Spring 2026 semester or quarter (May 2026) are encouraged to apply, provided they submit/attach a letter from the Registrar’s Office confirming that all graduation requirements have been fulfilled.

Education/Certification: Any one of the following options is qualifying:
a) A certificate of completion of a paralegal program approved by the American Bar Association.
b) A certificate of completion of a paralegal program at, or a degree from, a postsecondary institution that requires the successful completion of a minimum of 24 semester, or equivalent, units in law-related courses and that has been accredited by a national or regional accrediting organization or approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education.
c) A baccalaureate degree or an advanced degree in any subject, a minimum of one year of law-related experience under the supervision of an attorney who has been an active member of the State Bar of California for at least the preceding three years or who has practiced in the federal courts of this state for at least the preceding three years, and a written declaration from this attorney stating that the person is qualified to perform paralegal tasks.
Special Requirements: Incumbents in this class are required to fulfill the mandatory continuing education requirements as defined by the California Business and Professions Code, section 6450 (d).
Knowledge of: laws, legal codes, legal terminology, court system, and court procedures; executive orders, governmental process with regard to the judicial branch, administrative process, and agency rules; administrative, civil and/or criminal law as applicable to assignment; legal research techniques; correct English usage, grammar, punctuation, and spelling; office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and other specialized computer applications.
Ability to: understand, interpret, and apply laws and other regulations cited as part of legal periodicals, legal documents, or other correspondence; effectively utilize a variety of resources for the purpose of research and investigation; use logic and reasoning to conduct sound analysis and make effective recommendations for alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems; prepare clear, concise, accurate, and comprehensive reports, correspondence, and other legal documents; work accurately and effectively under pressure; manage competing priorities; communicate effective and tactfully both verbally and in writing; establish and maintain effective working relationships with others; work independently.
License: Positions in this classification require incumbents to possess and maintain a valid California driver's license, class C or higher, to carry out job related duties. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to a physical or mental disability may request a reasonable accommodation.It is highly recommended that you print this job bulletin for future reference.

Your application should highlight all relevant education, training, and experience, and clearly indicate how you meet the minimum qualifications for the position as of the time of submission. Application information must be current, concise, and related to the requirements in this job announcement. A resume may be included with your application; however, it will not substitute for the information requested on the application. In addition to a completed application, applicants are required to submit a completed supplemental questionnaire and verification of education and/or certification for this position at the time of submission.

Incomplete applications will be disqualified.
SELECTION PROCEDUREThe following is a tentative schedule of events that will occur as part of the selection process. The selection process steps, and all listed dates, may change with or without notice.

• Screen for Minimum Qualifications
• Screening for Best Qualified
• Department Selection Interviews
• Reference Checks
• Conditional Job Offer, pending:
  1. Pre-Employment Exams
     • Drug & Alcohol Screen
     • Department of Justice LiveScan
• Confirmed Job Offer
• Estimated Start Date: June 2026

Screening for Best QualifiedThe supplemental questions are designed to elicit specific information regarding a candidate's experience, education, and training. Responses should be consistent with the information on your application and are subject to verification. If a job included responsibilities applicable to several questions, separate the different functions of the job to answer all the questions completely. Resumes or referral to the application or other questionnaire responses will not be accepted in lieu of completing each question. If you have no experience, write "no experience" for the appropriate question. Based upon responses to the supplemental questionnaire, the applicant's education, training, and experience will be evaluated to determine those applicants that are best qualified.

Verification of Certification
Acceptable forms of certification and/or formal training documentation are certificates that list the applicant's name, institution name, course title and date the certificate was awarded. If applicable, the verifying documentation should include a certification/license number as well as an expiration date.
Verification of EducationAcceptable forms of educational documentation are official or unofficial transcripts that list the student's name, institution name, field of study and date the degree was awarded.
For recent graduates who have not received proof of their degree yet, a letter from the registrar's office stating that all requirements for graduation have been met and listing the field of study will be sufficient proof of graduation.
Please do notsend originals; copies of the required documents are acceptable. Any submitted documents will not be returned.
All foreign transcripts or diplomas must be in English. If the institution does not provide these documents in English, the applicant will need to provide a translation which has been done by a professional agency. The County of Yolo will accept education as equivalent to U.S. accreditation from Institutions that are listed as members of the International Association of Universities. You may check for your school by visiting the IAU web site (http://www.iau-aiu.net/content/institutions).Applicants who possess a degree or completed coursework that is not from an accredited college or university, must submit one of the following:1. A written statement from a U.S. accredited university or college that states that the applicant is qualified for entrance to a program of graduate studies for which a degree in a related field is required.2. An evaluation of the applicant's degree and coursework equivalency by a private organization that provides foreign credential evaluation services. The evaluation must include a comparison of comparable U.S. courses for content, credit and grade.Note: Foreign language documents must include a precise word-for-word English translation of all foreign language documents. It is the responsibility of each applicant to prove to the satisfaction of the County that the applicant meets the specific requirements listed on the job announcement for each specific examination. The following is a list of private organizations that provide foreign credential evaluation services. Fees range from $50 to $400 per document; processing times vary from 5-20 business days. For further information, please contact the organization(s). The County of Yolo does not endorse these business entities; this list has been developed for informational purposes only.
EDUCATIONAL RECORDS EVALUATION SERVICE
601 University Ave., Suite 127
Sacramento, CA 95825
(916) 921-0790
www.eres.com

FOREIGN EDUCATION DOCUMENT SERVICE
P.O. Box 151739
San Diego, CA 92175
(619) 265-5810
www.documentservice.org

CENTER FOR APPLIED RESEARCH, EVALUATION & EDUCATION, INC.
P.O. Box 18358 Anaheim, CA 92817
(714) 237-9272
www.iescaree.com

GLOBAL SERVICES ASSOCIATES, INC.
409 North Pacific Coast Highway, # 393
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 828-5709
www.globaleval.org

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION RESEARCH FOUNDATION CREDENTIALS EVALUATION SERVICE
P.O. Box 3665
Culver City, CA 90231-3665
(310) 258-9451
www.ierf.org
CONTACT INFORMATIONFor questions about the position or about employment with the County, please contact Human Resources by e-mail at jobs@yolocounty.org or by phone at (530) 666-8055.EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITYIt is the policy of the County of Yolo to provide equal employment opportunity for all qualified persons, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, race, color, ancestry, religious creed, national origin, physical disability (Including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, medical condition (cancer or genetic characteristics/information), age (40 or over), marital status, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, or any other classification protected by federal, state or local laws or ordinance. The County will comply with all of its obligations under State and Federal laws regarding the provision of reasonable accommodations to applicants. Reasonable testing arrangements may be made to accommodate applicants with disabilities or who are unable to attend a scheduled test due to religious reasons in accordance with the Fair Employment and Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please call the County of Yolo Human Resources Office at (530) 666-8055 at least five (5) business days prior to the scheduled test date to request accommodation. Documentation from a medical doctor, rehabilitation counselor, or other qualified professional will be required.


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