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The County of San Mateo District Attorney's Office is accepting applications for the position of Paralegal.

About the Agency
The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office mission is to prosecute adult and juvenile offenders, provide services to support victims, enforce consumer and environmental laws, provide legal and investigative support to public safety partners and to remain committed to the principles of equity and transparency in seeking justice and greater public safety. To that end, we are committed to ensuring that no member of our office will seek or obtain a criminal conviction or seek or obtain a sentence of any individual based on race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, or disability. To learn more about the District’s Attorney’s Office please visit: https://www.smcgov.org/da.
 
The Position
Paralegals perform a wide range of complex legal support work, such as conducting legal research, preparing legal memoranda, motions and other documents, responding to discovery requests, corresponding with attorneys, and assisting attorneys in all aspects of case preparation. Incumbents may receive general direction regarding the scope and approach to projects or assignments, but procedures and techniques are discretionary, and incumbents are expected to possess the initiative to operate with a significant degree of independence.
  
The ideal candidate for this position will be able to handle several projects and assignments simultaneously, have experience with complex legal support work, strong oral and written communication skills, well developed computer skills, as well as proficiency with the full range of Microsoft products (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook) in addition to legal case management software. The ideal candidate will work collaboratively with office management, attorneys, support staff, and other County departments, and will be able to accept assignments outside of their prior work experience. The abilities to independently conduct legal research, use initiative, exercise sound judgment, set priorities and meet critical deadlines are also strongly desired. In addition, the ideal candidate will have experience in processes and procedures related to the field of criminal law.
 
There is currently one vacancy to be filled.
  
NOTE: The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, term, unclassified, and regular classified vacancies.

Examples Of Duties

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

• Perform legal research under the direction of an attorney; gather information regarding statutes, rules, regulations, court decisions, local resolutions and ordinances, and similar materials related to assigned responsibilities.
• Draft and prepare responses to motions, including points and authorities, discovery requests and other legal actions.
• Format and edit briefs written by attorneys.        
• Prepare and send subpoenas and subpoenas duces tecum to witnesses, agencies, medical professionals, and businesses.
• Organize, index, and summarize research results and assist in preparation for litigation.
• Prepare, file, and serve a variety of legal documents such as motions, petitions, and orders, while utilizing a computerized case management system.
• Work with law enforcement and other government agencies in obtaining reports and records.
• Prepare and organize digital files, exhibits and other documents for court hearings and trials.
• Prepare a variety of correspondence and written materials.
• May direct the work of others on a project basis; train others in work procedures as needed.
• Compile and review confidential and sensitive materials/records.
• Review reports, transcripts, criminal history documents and prepare summaries.
• Review audio and video evidence and prepare summaries.
• Use LexisNexis, Evidence.com and other legal software platforms, and have familiarity with E-Filing (superior court and appellate levels).
• Perform related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is:

• Completion of coursework leading to paralegal certification or completion of the first year of law school, or two years of increasingly responsible legal office experience including legal research and policies and procedures related to the specified field of law.

Knowledge of:

• Legal research techniques and standard legal reference materials.
• Processes and procedures related to criminal law.
• Legal office terminology, processes, procedures, and the format for legal documents.
• Record keeping, report preparation and filing methods.
• Correct English usage, including spelling, grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary.
• Office administrative practices and procedures, including filing, business letter writing and the operation of common office equipment, including a computer, scanner, and printer/copier.

Skill/Ability to:

• Perform legal research from varied sources.
• Communicate with individuals of various backgrounds.
• Prepare a variety of legal documents.
• Use initiative and sound independent judgment within established guidelines.
• Organize and maintain accurate records and files.
• Organize work, set priorities, meet critical deadlines, and follow up on assignments.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships.

APPLICATION / EXAMINATION

Open & Promotional. Anyone may apply.  Current County of San Mateo and County of San Mateo Superior Court of California employees with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, extra-help/limited term positions prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score  
 
Responses to supplemental questions are required and must be submitted in addition to the standard County of San Mateo employment application. A resume or reference to a resume will not be accepted as a substitute for your responses to these questions or the employment application. 
  
The examination process will consist of an application screening (weight: pass/fail) based on the candidate's application and responses to the supplemental questions. Candidates who pass the application screening will be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%). Depending on the number of applicants, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations or further evaluation of work experience may be conducted to group applicants by level of qualification. 

All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. All examinations will be given in the County of San Mateo, California and applicants must participate at their own expense.
  

IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button. If you are not on the County's website, please go to https://jobs.smcgov.org/ to apply. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.
  
TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE
Final Filing Date:  June 12, 2025, at 11:59 PM
Application Screening:  June 17-18, 2025
Panel Interviews:  June 25-26, 2025

About the County

San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities.
  
The County of San Mateo is committed to advancing equity to ensure that all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment. The County seeks to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply. Eighty percent of employees surveyed stated that they would recommend the County as a great place to work.
  
The County of San Mateo is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion at all levels.

Analyst: Chet Overstreet (05292025) Paralegal (E008)

The Financial Management Analyst (FMA) I/II, under general supervision, provides financial and analytical support in planning, developing, and managing programs and projects, including budgeting, financial reporting, grants and contract administration, training, legislative analysis, and regulatory compliance. Responsibilities include conducting research, needs assessments, feasibility studies, and evaluations; recommending improvements to ensure accurate financial reporting; and developing complex accounting and financial systems. FMA I is entry-level, FMA II is journey-level, and FMA III is advanced journey-level in the classification series. This in-person position, located in Orland, CA within the Health and Human Services Agency, is full-time at forty (40) hours per week and is eligible to telecommute up to two (2) days per week.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Assists in the development and implementation of analytical studies that pertain to the short and long-range financial analysis and planning for assigned programs.
• Performs professional-level financial management analysis and program analysis work in the planning, development, and administration of assigned programs and projects, including budget and financial analysis and reporting, grants management and reporting, contract development and administration, training and development, and/or legislative analysis and regulatory compliance.
• Develops and administers budgets for assigned programs; prepares preliminary budget estimates, and grant funds disbursement; monitors revenues and expenditures; identifies and recommends resolutions for budgetary problems and makes budget adjustments; prepared budget reports, analyses, and documents.

Stanislaus Council of Governments (StanCOG)
Executive Administrative Assistant

The Stanislaus Council of Governments (StanCOG) is seeking qualified candidates for an Executive Administrative Assistant. This is an excellent opportunity for a high-level professional to be part of a small and collaborative team working on important issues that impact the lives of people all around Stanislaus County.

In this role, you will provide highly responsible and complex administrative and analytical support utilizing your strong computer and communication skills to support the execution of projects for Executive Management. The ideal candidate will be resourceful, highly organized, and able to work in a fast-paced, dynamic team environment.

The annual salary range for the position is $42,756.00 – $77,023.00. StanCOG also offers an excellent benefit package including generous group health, dental, vision, paid and flexible/hybrid work options.

StanCOG provides the forum that brings mayors, city council members and county supervisors together to work on regional issues in a setting that promotes the involvement of the public in the planning process for the Stanislaus region. StanCOG is the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Stanislaus region.

To be considered for this rewarding career opportunity, please submit your application, résumé, and cover letter to hr@stancog.org. For more information, please visit https://www.stancog.org/157/Job-Opportunities

The Office of the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder and Chief Elections Officer is seeking well-qualified candidates for the position of Principal Appraiser.  Principal Appraisers must have thorough knowledge of Property Tax and the Revenue and Taxation Code as it relates to Real Property Valuation, Change in Ownership reassessment or exclusion requirements, New Construction valuation, Decline in Value valuation, Property Classification, etc.
 
The department currently has two vacancies in the areas of Residential and Commercial real property appraisal and assessment.
 
The Principal Appraisers share a critical role in assisting the Chief Appraiser and Deputy Assessor in the completion of the Office's mission to determine the assessed value of all taxable property located in San Mateo County, the creation of the official record of taxable property (approximately 240,000 assessments each year in the local assessment roll), and the sharing of this information with the County Controller and Tax Collector and making it publicly available.
 
This is an exciting time for seasoned Principal Appraisers to join our dynamic team of Appraisal professionals. The Assessor's Office is currently involved in several major projects, including the development of a new Assessor's Property Assessment System (APAS), and the appraisal and assessment of several large-scale new generation commercial, manufacturing, research and development, and mixed-use developments being built throughout San Mateo County.  Principal Appraisers may be called upon to provide subject matter expertise in the development of the Assessor's Property Assessment System.

 

Examples Of Duties

The technically-savvy and experienced individuals hired for these positions will have the responsibility to supervise appraisal and exemption staff in the timely collection, processing, and analysis of valuation data for real, personal, tangible, and intangible property for tax assessment purposes, and to manage the impact of the new regulations.
 

Additional responsibilities and duties of these Principal Appraisers will include (but are not limited to):

• Planning, organizing, training, supervising, reviewing, and evaluating the work of appraisal staff
• Providing advanced support in the most difficult, specialized, or high-value or high-risk appraisals
• Fostering professional growth and effective working relationships
• Managing, analyzing, and evaluating special projects
• Providing subject matter expert (SME) advice to IT analysts/team in the development of the new Assessor Property Assessment System

The ideal candidates will possess:

• Knowledge of supervisory principles and practices including work planning, scheduling, assignment, and review, and employee training, evaluation, and corrective action
• Technical and professional knowledge of appraisal procedures for real, personal, and intangible property
• Understanding of California Property Tax laws, State Board of Equalization guidelines, and Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice; and the ability to read, interpret, and apply these rules, policies, and procedures
• Familiarity with systems, technology, and desktop applications
• Ability to appraise and assess complex property interests as per California statutes and Property Tax Rules and Regulations
• Skill in analyzing information and using sound independent judgment to make decisions and determine appropriate courses of action, including recommending legal actions
• Effective communication skills in both oral and written formats, including formal presentations
• Capability to be adaptable and resourceful
• Team building skills and effective ways of motivating and leading others to meet the challenges of a changing work environment
• Leadership skills, the ability to be a team player, and the ability to build strong interpersonal relationships
• Training experience to train new staff and develop appraisal and property tax assessment skills in all employees
• Ability to manage a heavy workload, including reviewing hundreds of appraisals and assessments per week and providing the appropriate feedback to staff

 
THE DEPARTMENT AND DIVISION
The mission of the Office of the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder and Chief Elections Officer is to ensure equitable treatment of County property owners by accurate and fair valuation of land, improvements, and businesses; to create an accurate public record of recorded transactions relating to people and property within San Mateo County; and to register County citizens to vote and efficiently conduct honest elections.
 
The Department is responsible for:

• The maintenance of 240,000 assessments and a local property tax roll of over $238 billion.
• The maintenance of County birth, death, and marriage records.
• The maintenance of over 3,000,000 recorded land records.
• The facilitation of local elections.
• The maintenance of the voter registration rolls representing over 330,000 County voters.

 
The Department is also responsible for a budget of $20 million, election billing to all jurisdictions, and 15 governmental trust funds.
 
 

Qualifications

Licensure/Certification: Acquisition within one year of appointment of a permanent Property Tax Appraiser Certificate issued by the California State Board of Equalization.  
 
Education and Experience: Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying.
 
The preferred qualifications include:

• A Bachelor's degree, and
• Six years of experience performing a full range of appraisals of tangible and taxable property, of which three years are for tax assessment purposes preferably with an Assessor's Office in California, and
• Experience appraising and assessing at least 3,000 or more residential properties, and
• Three years of experience with Assessment Appeals

Additional preferred qualifications include:
 

• Previous completion of advanced level courses offered by the California Board of Equalization and/or the Appraisal Institute
• Advanced Appraiser Certification issued by the State Board of Equalization.

Three years of experience as a Sr. Appraiser with San Mateo County Assessor's Office is considered qualifying experience.
 
The preferred and most highly qualified candidates will have experience in both the commercial and residential areas.
 
Specialized knowledge of Property Tax Rules and Regulations and Revenue and Taxation Code as they relate to Change in Ownership, Transfers, Assessments, etc., is a plus.
 
Knowledge of:

• Supervisory principles and practices, including work planning, scheduling, assignment, and review, and employee training and corrective action
• Technical and professional knowledge of appraisal procedures for real, personal, and intangible property
• Principles, methods, and techniques of effective interviewing, negotiating, and case management
• Training methods, procedures, and requirements
• California Property Tax statues and Rules and Regulations
• California State Board of Equalization guidelines
• Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice
• Court decisions affecting assessment procedures
• Methods to appraise typical real property, personal property, and Possessory interests
• Methods to appraise Special Properties like Ag and Timber Preserves, Historical Mining, etc.
• Policies and procedures related to the department
• Business arithmetic and statistical measures
• Correct English usage, including spelling, grammar, and punctuation
• Record keeping principles and procedures

 
Skill/Ability to:

• Plan, assign, supervise, review, and evaluate the work of others
• Train others in work procedures
• Appraise complex property interests
• Analyze information and situations and use sound independent judgment to make decisions and determine appropriate courses of action, including recommending legal actions
• Organize, manage, and monitor cases and maintain accurate files, records, and statistics
• Select and make appropriate adjustments to property
• Read, interpret, and apply rules, policies, and procedures
• Accurately determine historic, reproduction, and replacement costs
• Accurately identify and measure depreciation and obsolescence
• Measure income-producing characteristics of property and appropriately capitalize the income stream into value
• Identify and classify various types of land, sites, buildings, structures, manufactured homes, vessels, aircraft, trade fixtures, and personal property interests in an accurate and uniform manner
• Travel to a variety of geographic locations throughout the County according to regular schedules as well as on demand
• Produce effective presentations
• Maintain complete and accurate records
• Prepare written appraisal reports
• Operate standard office equipment, including departmental applications
• Use initiative and sound independent judgment within established guidelines
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work 

 

Application/Examination

Open and Promotional. Anyone may apply. Current County of San Mateo and County of San Mateo Superior Court of California employees with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, Confidential and Management extra-help/limited term, and SEIU or AFSCME represented extra help/limited term positions prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score on this examination.  
 
Responses to the supplemental questionnaire, in addition to our regular employment application form, must be submitted in order to be included in this recruitment.
 
The first phase of the examination process will consist of an application screening (weight: pass/fail).  Those who pass the application screening will be invited to the second phase of the examination process, the panel interview, which could include the evaluation of a brief written and/or performance exercise given immediately preceding the interview.  In order to be considered for the position, applicants will have to successfully pass the interview.
 
Depending on the number of applicants, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations or a screening committee may select those applicants whose education and/or experience appear to best meet the needs of the position. Qualified applicants will be notified of the date, time and place of the test(s).
 
IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button. If you are not on the County's website, please go to http://jobs.smcgov.org/ to apply. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before 11:59 p.m. on the final filing date.

 This is a continuous recruitment which may close at any time. The final filing date will be posted 5 days in advance in the County of San Mateo Human Resources Department. 

Apply immediately. This recruitment is open on a continuous basis and selections may be made at any time within the process. 

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE
Final Filing Date: Continuous