Self Help Assistant I/II/III

General Information

Under direct supervision of the Family Law Facilitator, Senior Attorney/Self-help Coordinator or other staff attorney, the Court Self Help Assistant classification assists self-represented litigants with a variety of legal issues; assesses legal problems and presents options and the correct legal procedure for the situation; uses the Court's computerized file management system to identify the customer's file history; assists the Family Law Facilitator Senior Attorney/Self-help and other staff attorneys with a variety of paraprofessional legal duties; and performs other duties as required.

The Court Self Help Assistant I is the entry position and is the trainee classification of the Court Self Help Assistant series. Incumbents perform a variety of legal administrative duties associated with the operations of the self help centers of the court, while learning to apply specialized court/legal practices and procedures applicable to the functions of the self-help centers.

The Court Self Help Assistant II is the working level of the Court Self Help Assistant series. Incumbents are expected to perform the full range of administrative duties in support of the court's self help centers. Incumbents must demonstrate understanding of court's policies and procedures, the court's different operational units (e.g., Records, Civil, and Family Law); knowledge of legal resources including community partners and agencies that may be available to self-represented-litigants.

The Court Self Help Assistant III is the full journey level and provides technical expertise in support of the court's self help centers. Incumbents regularly perform the full range of the court's self help administrative duties, lead duties and have full understanding on the court's operational units, policies and procedures, and the resources available to self-represented litigants.

Examples of Duties

Assist self-represented litigants from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds with completion of legal forms and providing legal information;

Interview and triage self-represented litigants, assessing their legal problems and determine the appropriate next steps;

Identify non-routine cases and ask for specific direction from supervising attorney; provide assistance to self-represented litigants in accordance with those directions;

Explain legal procedures and provide legal information to self-represented litigants one-on-one and in group/workshop settings;

Assist the Family Law Facilitator, Senior Attorney/Self-help Coordinator and other staff attorneys with a variety of para-professional legal duties;

Make phone calls, gather materials, conduct internet research; prepare and/or update forms and flyers.

Minimum Requirements & Qualifications

Education: High School diploma or its equivalent.

Level I Experience: Two (2) years of legal administrative experience which substantially demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities required for this job, WITH minimum of one(1) year experience of providing legal information and completing and/or updating legal forms or documents or any combination of training and/or experience that could likely provide the desired knowledge and abilities, or its equivalent court experience;

OR

Completion of a certified paralegal program AND one (1) year experience of providing legal information and completing and/or updating legal forms or documents or any combination of training and/or experience that could likely provide the desired knowledge and abilities, or its equivalent court experience;

Level II: Minimum three (3) years experience of providing legal information and completing and/or updating legal forms or documents or any combination of training and/or experience that could likely provide the desired knowledge and abilities, or its equivalent court experience.

OR

Completion of an accredited and certified paralegal program AND two (2) years experience of providing legal information and completing and/or updating legal forms or documents or any combination of training and/or experience that could likely provide the desired knowledge and abilities, or its equivalent court experience;

OR

One (1) year as a Court Self Help Assistant I.

Level III:

Minimum five (5) years experience of providing legal information and completing and/or updating legal forms or documents or any combination of training and/or experience that could likely provide the desired knowledge and abilities, or its equivalent court experience;

OR

Completion of an accredited and certified paralegal program AND three (3) years experience of providing legal information and completing and/or updating legal forms or documents or any combination of training and/or experience that could likely provide the desired knowledge and abilities, or its equivalent court experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Working knowledge of:

Court policies and procedures;

Legal principles;

Legal terminology;

Basic communication skills including questioning and investigative interviewing techniques.Skill and ability to:

Effectively communicate in writing, in person and on the telephone with self-represented litigants, court personnel and community partners and agencies;

Provide exceptional customer service

Operate proficiently in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel;

Learn and develop skills prioritizing, maintaining and coordinating a heavy workload;

Research statutory laws and rules of court and apply them as they pertain to the completion and/or processing of legal documents;

Remain abreast of new laws, amendments and local rules related to assigned duties and responsibilities;

Develop and maintain effective working relationships with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures;

Maintain confidential information according to legal standards and/or Court Regulations as required;

Operate standard office equipment including computers, copy machine, etc;

Complete and/or update legal forms for a supervising attorney's review.

Important Recruitment Information

This recruitment will be used to establish a list of eligible applicants for future regular, fixed term, provisional or intermittent positions. This is a continuous recruitment, and may be closed at any time, with short notice.

Because the Court operates in multiple branches, the employee may be required to travel to other court locations, and possession of a valid California driver’s licenses is therefore required. To be considered you must possess a valid California driver's license.

TO APPLY: Please visit our website at to submit an online application. If you are unable to complete an application online, please contact Human Resources at .

APPLICATION EVALUATION: Qualifying: All applications will be reviewed to determine whether or not the stated requirements are met. A comparative screening based on knowledge, skills and abilities required for the position, the department and the Ventura Superior Court, will be conducted to determine which of the applicants will be selected for invitation to the recruitment processes. Applications will be evaluated and ranked according to criteria that most closely meet the needs of the position, department, and the Ventura Superior Court. It is essential that applicants provide as much detail as possible and answer all parts of the application. RESPONSES OF SEE MY RESUME, OR SEE RESPONSE TO MY APPLICATION WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AND WILL CAUSE APPLICANTS NOT TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS.

ORAL BOARD PANEL AND/OR SELECTION INTERVIEW PROCESS: Oral exam/Interview(s) will be conducted to evaluate and compare qualified candidates' knowledge, skills, and abilities in relation to those factors which job analysis has determined to be essential for successful performance of the job. Oral exam and selection interview may be combined depending on the number of qualified applicants.

Oral Exam: TBD

Selection Interview: TBD