About the Opportunity
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE The Stanislaus County Public Defender's Office fights mass incarceration by providing zealous representation to low-income people facing criminal charges. The Public Defender seeks to serve the whole client, addressing needs that contribute to criminal legal involvement or that arise from contact with the legal system. The office is client-centered in its representation, recognizing that all clients deserve autonomy, dignity, and respect throughout their experience with the justice system. The Paralegal III will join a team of over 80 attorneys, investigators, paralegals, and other staff dedicated to keeping people free and preserving their future despite the criminal charges they may be facing.
The ideal candidate will apply knowledge of legal research methods, legal document preparation, and case development procedures to support attorneys in all phases of case preparation and related legal proceedings. The candidate is a skilled and self-directed professional who can independently manage complex assignments with minimal supervision. Candidates should demonstrate advanced analytical and problem-solving abilities, adaptability in handling specialized legal work, and the initiative to support special projects and departmental objectives.
TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE Application Deadline: 5/25/2026 Oral Examination: Tentatively scheduled for the week of 6/8/2026
To learn more about the Office of the Public Defender, visit Public Defender - Stanislaus County.
THE POSITION: The Public Defender’s Office is seeking a qualified professional to perform paraprofessional and technical legal support to work assisting attorneys with the preparation, management and processing of case-related documentation.
Typical Tasks
TYPICAL TASKS
- Provide outreach training to law enforcement, other public agencies and the community
- Perform simple legal research, including locating statues and cases utilizing various legal research platforms
- Research, interpret, apply laws, court decisions and other legal authorities for use in preparation of case opinions and briefs, with minimum instruction
- Review reports, which may include law enforcement reports
- Prepare and/or assist in preparation of pleadings, points and authorities related to legal documents
- Maintain legal case files
- Conduct interviews, inventory evidence
- Retrieve and respond to requests for information and/or inquires from interested parties
- Review a variety of documents for compliance with statutes, court decisions, and other legal authorities, advise parties on requirements of document completion
- Prepare and respond to complex motions and pleadings; and receive service of process
- Gather information, analyze, compute and calculate financial information and statistics utilizing established policies and procedures of assigned unit
- Study, research and interpret laws, court decisions and other legal authorities for use in the preparation of cases, opinions, and briefs; assist in case analysis
- Assign, review, and coordinate correspondence, special projects, and research
- Prepare complex legal forms, reports, and correspondence
- Serve as a lead to assigning, monitoring work, training employees on work methods, and providing direction
- Act as a financial investigation/asset forfeiture expert and oversee the liquidation of the forfeited cases
- Maintain current reference index logs of all claims, defendants and victims to field inquiries, ascertain status of prosecution or the eligibility of claim or benefits paid on the claim
- Participate in mediation and various court hearings, and
Assist with grant preparation; assign court calendar; and update case and computer files
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Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education/Experience)
KNOWLEDGE
In addition to a demonstrated knowledge of all Level II requirements:
- Applicable local, State, and Federal laws, codes, ordinances, rules and regulations;
- Legal document preparation techniques;
- Advanced research techniques and tools;
- Paralegal methods and practices;
- Civil procedures and rules of court;
- Litigation processes; and
General accounting principles and practices.
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SKILLS/ABILITIES
In addition to a demonstrated ability with all Level II requirements:
- Assist in negotiating settlements
- Prioritize and assign work
- Summarize data and information
- Draft and analyze complex legal documents
- Perform advanced legal research
- Independently prepare clear and concise reports
- Verbal and written communication sufficient to exchange or convey information and receive work
- Calculate financial information
- Understand, interpret and apply advanced principles and practices
- Advanced editing and drafting skills and
- Work independently
We recognize your time is valuable, please only apply if you meet the following required qualifications.
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:
One (1) year experience equivalent to a Paralegal II in Stanislaus County
AND
PATTERN I:
- Certificate of completion from a recognized Paralegal Program or associate’s degree in paralegal studies
PATTERN II:
- Possession of Juris Doc degree from a recognized law school
Application and Selection Procedures
APPLICATION PROCEDURES/FINAL FILING DATE Applications cannot be submitted later than 5:00 p.m. on the final filing date. Make your online application as complete as possible so a full and realistic appraisal may be made of your qualifications.
Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed application. Attaching your resume and cover letter are an optional feature for those who wish to do so in addition to completing the required application. Information on your resume and cover letter will not substitute for the education, work experience and required fields on the County application. The online County application is the primary tool used to evaluate your job qualifications.
EXAMINATION PROCESS
Most County recruitments consists of the steps detailed below and are governed by Merit Principles. The examination process ensures that all applicants are given the same opportunity to gain employment within Stanislaus County.
- Application Review and Screening. Applications are carefully screened based on information provided. Those who submit incomplete applications that lack relevant qualifications or do not submit all required documents will not be invited to move on.
- Written Examination. Applicants will be invited to participate in a written exam that tests knowledge for the position.
- Oral Examination. Applicants are invited to a panel interview in which they will be evaluated by County subject matter experts.
- Eligible Lists. Candidates who pass the examination will be placed on an eligible list for that classification. Eligible lists are effective for six months but may be extended up to eighteen months.
GENERAL INFORMATION CLASSIFICATION INFORMATION Unless otherwise provided, this position is part of the Classified Service of the County and is assigned to the Technical Services bargaining unit for labor relations purposes.
The Job Task Analysis provides information detailing the physical and functional demands of the classification. For the complete job task analysis, visit the Risk Management website at http://www.stancounty.com/riskmgmt/ under the "Disability" tab.
Note: The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, part-time and full-time vacancies throughout Stanislaus County.
Incumbents may also be subject to overtime, standby, callback, weekend, holiday and shift assignments as identified in their MOU (Memorandum of Understanding).
RECRUITMENT ACCOMMODATIONS Arrangements may be made to accommodate disabilities and religious convictions. Applicants requiring testing accommodations are required to complete and submit the Testing Accommodations Request Form prior to the test administration date. Special arrangements for religious convictions should be included in the "Additional Information" section of the application form.
GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS
- Pass County-paid pre-employment job-related background investigation.
- Perform job duties in a manner assuring a safe working environment for oneself and others.
- Maintain confidential information according to the legal standards and/or County regulations as required.
- Some positions may be required to possess and maintain a valid California Driver’s License and meet County insurability requirements.
APPLICATION AND/OR EXAMINATION APPEAL RIGHTS Application and/or examination results may be appealed by applicants presenting facts alleging irregularity, fraud and/or error in application screening or in exam scoring. Appeals must be in writing and submitted to the Chief Executive Officer within seven (7) days after the examination results are emailed.
DISCLAIMER Stanislaus County reserves the right to revise the examination plan described in this flyer to better meet the needs of County service. The provisions of this bulletin do not constitute an express or implied contract. Any provision contained in this bulletin may be modified or revoked without notice. The information contained in the bulletin is information which sets forth a general summary of benefits for this respective position. This information is not legally binding. The benefits and other information regarding this position may be found in the Stanislaus County Code, the Stanislaus County Personnel Policies manual, or in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding(s), and such information prevails over information contained in this flyer. Questions regarding this bulletin may be directed to the Stanislaus County Chief Executive Office/Human Relations.
Benefits associated with this position can be found at Benefits Summary.
Closing Date/Time: 5/25/2026 5:00 PM Pacific
