Confidential

Salary: $51,188.80 - $91,124.80 Annually
Location : County of San Diego, CA
Job Type: Regular - Full time
Remote Employment: Remote Optional
Job Number: 26393403
Department: County Counsel
Division: Claims
Opening Date: 03/06/2026
Closing Date: 3/16/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Job Summary

The County of San Diego's Office of County Counsel has a current opening for Confidential Paralegal

The Office of County Counsel generally supports remote teleworking and a schedule with a mix of in-office and remote work may be available in this position.

Confidential Paralegals assist in discovery, motion practice and trial preparation of tort, civil rights and law enforcement litigation and associated cases.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced paralegal who can function effectively in a busy legal office, work under a high degree of autonomy and independence, and demonstrate the ability to be a quick learner in performing a wide variety of paralegal duties. In addition, the ideal candidate will have the ability to work in a fast-paced environment with responsibility for an assigned case load and have the opportunity to participate in trials. Helpful skills include: knowledge of federal, California state and local court rules; the ability to use office productivity software like Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, etc.; the ability to propose case specific discovery strategies and efficiently prepare discovery summaries.
HIRING TIMELINE AND DATES

• Interviews, Job Offers, and Background Process begin shortly after recruitment is closed. Note: Current County employees may be excluded from additional background screening.
• Pre-employment Medical Screening: Approximately 3 days following successful background investigation results.
• Anticipated Start Date: Start date will be based upon successful completion of medical screening or other mutually agreed upon.

If you are not selected for this interview process, you may have the opportunity to compete for future vacancies.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

1. Completion of an American Bar Association accredited paralegal program (In order for this certification to qualify you MUST submit a copy of your certification with your application); OR,
2. Eighteen (18) months of experience performing paralegal work in a public or private law office.

IMPORTANT NOTE

Legal secretarial or clerical experience is not considered paralegal work for purposes of meeting the requirements. The practice of law by a licensed attorney is also not considered paralegal experience. Paralegal is defined in the California Business and Professions Code, Section 6450.

ATTACHMENTS

Please submit a resumeand three writing samplesof your work product upon applying.
CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT

As part of the County of San Diego's pre-employment process, prospective candidates will undergo a background check (including fingerprinting) and a pre-employment medical screening prior to beginning County employment. Additional types of background investigations may be conducted based on the job-related activities of the position. Current County employees may be excluded from this process.
EVALUATION

Qualified applicants will be placed on a six (6) month employment list based on scores received during the evaluation of information contained in their employment and supplemental applications. Please ensure all information is complete and accurate, as the responses you provide on the supplemental application questionnaire will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in the initial screening process, your application will be reviewed individually to confirm that the information you provided is accurate and qualifying.
The Department of Human Resources removes personally identifiable information from all recruitments. This practice, called Blind Applicant Screening, hides a candidate's personal information that could influence or bias a hiring decision. Personal information includes name, phone number, address, gender, age and race. This process helps contribute to a fair and equitable selection process leading to a more diverse and inclusive workforce.
The most highly qualified candidates, based on the evaluation results, will be referred for an interview. Be sure to include your experience in meeting the minimum requirements in both the Work Experience section and the Supplemental Questionnaire section of the Application. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the application Work History and/or supplemental questionnaire.

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of a job, on a case-by-case basis.
As an employer of over 19,000 employees, the County of San Diego is an organization committed to veteran hiring, retention, and professional development. We recognize the contributions and sacrifices made by our veterans and value the unique expertise and leadership qualities they bring to our workforce. We strive to provide veterans with the resources and tools necessary to maximize their employment opportunities, and to assist veterans with their transition into civilian life by applying the valuable skills, knowledge and training acquired in service to positions and career paths at all levels within our large organization. Click on the resource links below to learn more about how the County of San Diego supports its veterans.

Veteran's Preference PolicyThe County of San Diego offerspreferential credits for military service to assist qualified applicants in transitioning from military to civilian careers with the County of San Diego.

Military Skills Translator Do you need assistance translating your military experience into civilian experience? This tool can help!

The County of San Diego and its employees embrace the vision of: a just, sustainable, and resilient future for all. Our values include: integrity, equity, access, belonging, excellence, and sustainability. Each of which are infused throughout our operations. While also embracing a mission of strengthening our communities with innovative, inclusive, and data driven services through a skilled and supported workforce. Click here for more information on our .
Under California Government Code Sections 3100 - 3109, public employees are designated as disaster service workers. The term "public employees" includes all persons employed by the state or any county, city, state agency, or public district. Disaster service workers are required to participate in such disaster service activities as may be assigned to them by their employer or by law.

The County of San Diego is committed to valuing diversity and practicing inclusion because our diverse workforce is our greatest asset and our customers are our number one priority.
Click here to see the Confidential Non-Management Benefits Summary (CNM)
01

*PLEASE BE SURE TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN A THOROUGH AND COMPLETE MANNER, AS YOUR RESPONSES MAY BE USED TO DETERMINE YOUR OVERALL SCORE.

*PLEASE NOTE THAT, IF YOU ARE INVITED TO A SELECTION INTERVIEW(S) BY THE OFFICE OF COUNTY COUNSEL, YOUR RESPONSES TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS MAY BE SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION.

*DO YOU UNDERSTAND THIS INFORMATION?

• Yes
• No

02

Please identify which of the following ways you meet the MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS for this position:

Please Note:
- American Bar Association Program: you MUST attach a copy of your certificate at the ATTACHMENTS section of your application.
- Legal secretarial or clerical experience or the practice of law as an attorney is NOT considered paralegal work for purposes of meeting this requirement.

• Completed American Bar Association approved paralegal program
• At least eighteen (18) months of experience performing paralegal work in a public or private law office
• I do not meet the minimum qualifications

03

If you indicated meeting any of the requirements to qualify for this position in the question above you must provide detailed information regarding your experience in the employment history of the application for a successful evaluation of your qualifications. Failure to provide all the necessary information may result in the rejection of your application and the delay to be considered a qualified applicant for this recruitment.Did you provide all the necessary information in the employment history section of the application and attached all the necessary education documents to be considered a qualified applicant for this position?

• Yes
• No

04

Do you have two or more years of RECENT (within the last 5 years) paralegal experience in Civil Litigation?

Please Note: Legal secretarial or clerical experience or the practice of law as an attorney is NOT considered paralegal work for purposes of meeting this requirement.

• Yes
• No

05

If you indicated having experience in Civil Litigation in Question #4 briefly describe your paralegal duties performed and provide the dates of employment.Note: In order to receive credit for your answer your experience must be verifiable in the employment history of the application.Please indicate "N/A" if you do not have experience in this area.
06

Please select from the list below to indicate whether you have direct experience working on cases or administrative matters in any of the following areas. Select all that apply.

• Vehicle accident cases
• Tort litigation, other than police misconduct or civil rights
• Police misconduct or civil rights issues
• Public entity liability
• Dangerous condition of public property
• None of the above

07

For EACH area selected in Question #6 above, briefly describe the duties you performed in each area.Please indicate "N/A" if you do not have experience in this area.
08

Please select from the list below to indicate whether you have direct experience dealing with court rules or filings in any of the following court systems. Select all that apply.

• California Superior Court, Civil Division
• California State Appellate Courts (Court of Appeal or Supreme Court)
• United States District Court
• United States Courts of Appeal (Circuit Courts or Supreme Court)
• None of the above

09

For EACH court system selected in Question #8 above, briefly describe your experience.Please indicate "N/A" if you do not have experience in this area.
10

Please select from the list below to indicate whether you have independently performed any of the following paralegal duties. Select all that apply.

• Preparing complaints, petitions, answers or declarations
• Summarizing and analyzing responses to discovery
• Using on-line legal research programs such as Lexis/Nexis or WestLaw
• Analyzing or summarizing legal opinions, rulings, and case law
• Preparing summaries of depositions or trial testimony
• Reviewing documents for privilege and preparing privilege log
• Case management
• Arranging witness appearances for depositions or trial testimony
• Preparing Trial Readiness Conference Reports
• Organizing exhibits for trial
• Operating Sanctions software or other trial presentation program
• Document management
• Cite checking legal pleadings and appellate briefs
• Preparing discovery to propound and responses
• Preparing initial and pretrial disclosures
• Calendaring
• None of the above

11

For EACH area selected in Question #10 above, briefly describe your experience.Please indicate "N/A" if you do not have experience in this area.
12

As part of the application process a resume and three writing samples are required. Did you attach your resume and three writing samples at the ATTACHMENTS section of this application?

• Yes
• No

13

How did you first hear about this job opportunity?

• County of San Diego website
• County Facebook
• County Twitter
• Family, Friends, Neighbors
• Careers in Government
• Employee Resource Groups (ERG's)
• Southern California American Indian Resource Center-SCAIR
• USD Career Services
• Alliance for Africa
• Mana de San Diego
• Voice and Viewpoint
• LinkedIn

Required Question