Job Description

Posting number: E379J

Department: District Attorney's Office

Job classification: Lead Legal Secretary

Posting type: Promotional

Categories: Administration, Legal, Office and Administrative Support

Under general supervision, the incumbent will provide lead direction in assigning, directing and reviewing the work of legal secretarial and general office support staff; provide difficult or specialized legal secretarial support to two or more attorneys.

The successful candidate will possess leadership and team building skills with the ability to create an environment that unites people and motivates them to work collaboratively and effectively.

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:

• Provide lead direction, training and work review to office support staff; organize and assign work, set priorities and follow up to ensure coordination and completion of assigned work.
• Provide input into selection decisions, performance evaluations and corrective action matters.
• Draft pleadings, subpoenas, contracts, ordinances and other legal documents and correspondence, memoranda and reports from stenographic notes, brief instructions, or prior materials.
• Calendar and schedule court dates, meetings and appointments for attorneys; file or arrange for the filing of legal briefs and other necessary paperwork with the court.
• Receive and screen visitors and telephone calls, providing information regarding the particular area of assignment, which may require the use of judgment and interpretation of policies and procedures or taking messages or referring the caller to the proper attorney.
• Process a variety of legal agreements, contracts, etc., following attorney's instructions.
• Research and compile a variety of informational materials.
• Type drafts and a wide variety of finished documents, including both general and legal-related correspondence and documents; may use word processing equipment and input or retrieve data and prepare reports using an online computer system.
• Independently initiate specified correspondence such as transmittal letters for signature by appropriate staff; review finished materials for completeness, accuracy, format, compliance with policies and procedures, and appropriate English usage.
• Organize and maintain chronological and other files.
• Relieve attorneys of certain administrative matters by following up on projects, transmitting information, keeping informed of pertinent activities, and scheduling and arranging for meetings.
• Organize own work, set priorities and meet critical deadlines.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

County Status:Only current County of San Mateo employees in the District Attorney's Office with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, or extra-help/limited term position prior to the final filing date may apply.

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:

One (1) year of journey-level legal secretarial and office administrative experience.

Knowledge of:

• Basic supervisory principles and practices.
• Office administrative and secretarial practices and procedures, including filing and business letter writing.
• Legal office terminology, processes, procedures, and the format for legal documents.
• The operation of common office equipment, including a word processor and personal or online computer.
• Record keeping, report preparation and filing methods.
• Correct English usage, including spelling, grammar, punctuation and vocabulary.
• Business arithmetic, including percentages and decimals.

Skill/Ability to:

• Plan, assign, direct and review the work of others.
• Train others in work procedures.
• Draft pleadings and other legal documents from notes, brief instructions or printed information.
• Provide varied and responsible secretarial and office administrative assistance to one or more attorneys and/or associated staff.
• Use initiative and independent judgment within established guidelines.
• Research and compile a variety of informational materials.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.
• Organize and maintain accurate records and files.
• Organize work, set priorities, meet critical deadlines, and follow up on assignments.
• Type accurately at a rate of 50 net words per minute from printed copy.

Supplemental information

Departmental Promotional Only. Only current County of San Mateo employees in the District Attorney's Office with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, or extra-help/limited term position prior to the final filing date may apply.

The examination process will consist of an application screening (weight: pass/fail) based on the candidates' 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 San Mateo County, 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 on 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: Thursday, September 3, 2026, by 11:59 PM PST
Application Screening: Week of September 7, 2026
Panel/Department Interview: Week of September 7 or September 14, 2026

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, as an employer, 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.