Litigation Paralegal III

LITIGATION PARALEGAL IIIAt the City of Santa Barbara, the best part of our organization is our people. As a City of Santa Barbara employee, you will work in an environment with other motivated individuals who are passionate about their work. We strive to provide employees with the support they need to thrive. Discover more about us, our values and our organizational culture here. The City Attorney's Office is responsible for all legal representation and advice for the City Council, Boards, Commissions and all City officers and staff in all matters of law pertaining to the City as well as all City code enforcement and litigation services. The office is staffed by seven full-time attorneys (the City Attorney, Chief Assistant City Attorney, Assistant Prosecutor, and four Assistant City Attorneys), one investigator, one business manager, and five professional support staff who work as a close and collaborative team.Under general supervision, assists attorneys in the preparation and coordination of all stages of litigation and transactional work.

Coordinate and implement case and discovery tasks; work with staff and clients to obtain information and assistance on legal projects; evaluate and summarize legal data; and prepare for depositions, arbitrations, and trials; other related duties as assigned. The Litigation Paralegal assists with case planning, development, and management, legal research, interviews clients, gathers facts and retrieves information, drafts and analyzes legal documents and collects, compiles and utilizes technical information, to make recommendations to an attorney. Under general supervision, assists attorneys in the preparation and coordination of all stages of litigation and transactional work; and performs other related duties as assigned.Payroll Title: Litigation Paralegal IIIThe Paralegal III position is the advanced journey level classification in the Paralegal series. Incumbents are responsible for exercising a high degree of independent judgement and performing the most complex and difficult paralegal duties requiring extensive legal knowledge, proficiency and skill in support of complex administrative, civil or criminal cases. Incumbents may act as a project lead and provide task supervision of subordinate staff. The Paralegal III is distinguished from the Paralegal I and Paralegal II by the former's level of technical specialization, lead function and complexity of assignments performed.

Complexity is defined in terms of the depth and scope of involvement in a case and by the level of responsibility of procedural and functional guidance to lower-level Paralegal staff, while independently performing the full range of paralegal duties in support of the most complex cases.Key Responsibilities:Draft and prepare a variety of legal documents, correspondence, and reports that are complex and require extensive original writingPerform complex legal research in which issues are not readily defined, and a substantial amount of research is required from a variety of referencesEstablish internal procedures for organizing and processing work for departmental efficienciesAssist attorneys in extensive preparation of highly sensitive and complex cases at all phases of case preparationProvide lead direction, guidance, and coordination of work to subordinate staff to ensure case priorities are achieved through administrative efficienciesFiles pleadings and other documents with court clerksPrepares affidavits of documents and maintains document filesInvestigates status of cases and locates witnesses or interested partiesAssists in scheduling witnesses for trials and/or hearingsObtains and verifies information from defendantsArranges appearances of and prepares witnesses for legal procedures; prepares files for courtAssists attorney at court with documents and informationCommunicates extensively with clients, opposing attorneys, and court staffPerforms related duties as assignedSalary & Benefits:CalPERS retirementMedical, dental, and vision insurancePaid vacation, sick leave, and holidaysDeferred compensation (457 plan)Flexible spending accountLife and disability insuranceContinuing legal educations and professional development opportunitiesEmployment Standards:Knowledge of:Procedures and practices of civil litigationPrinciples and practices legal terminologyPrinciples of business letter writing and basic report preparationMethods of research, case analysis and report preparationPrinciples and procedures of record keepingEnglish usage, spelling, grammar and punctuationModern office procedures, methods and computer equipmentPertinent Federal, State and local laws pertaining to area of assignmentAbility to:Coordinate and implement case and discovery tasksResearch and compile data on a variety of legal casesDraft and prepare a variety of legal documentsRespond to requests and inquiries from the general publicWork independently in the absence of supervisionUnderstand and follow oral and written instructionsCommunicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writingEstablish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of workSelection Process:Applications and supplemental questionnaires will be reviewed, and the most qualified candidates will be invited for an interview. Applications should fully describe relevant education, training, and experience. Final candidates will undergo a background investigation and meet all pre-employment requirements.Additional Information:There is currently one (1) vacancy within the City Attorney's Office. Communication regarding your application and/or status will be sent to the email address listed on your application. Please check your email and spam regularly throughout the recruitment process. You may also log into your governmentjobs.com account to view these emails.

City application and responses to the supplemental questionnaire must be received by 5:00 PM on Friday, September 18, 2026.Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO): The City of Santa Barbara is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an EEO employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, or other factors. We believe in fostering an inclusive work environment where employees feel valued, respected and empowered.Disaster Services Assignments: As public employees, we play an enhanced role in the event of a disaster or other emergency in our community. You will be registered as a disaster services worker, and you will be issued a disaster services identification card. In the event of a disaster or other emergency, make sure that your family is safe and secure first, then report to your assigned emergency location. Hourly employees generally do not receive disaster services assignments.