Paralegal

Salary : $74,450.00 - $111,676.00 Annually
Location : City of Anaheim, CA
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number:
Department: City Attorney
Opening Date: 11/13/2026

Description
The City Attorney's Office is seeking a highly motivated and organized Paralegal to perform a full range of paralegal duties at all stages of litigation, as well as providing other legal assistance as needed. The successful candidate will have broad knowledge of the litigation process and the ability to conduct research and draft motions, discovery and other legal documents.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early. Applicants that apply after the first review date of December 14, 2026, are not guaranteed to be considered for this recruitment. This recruitment may close at any time without notice after the first review date.

Essential Functions
The following functions are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed functions and/or may be required to perform additional or different functions from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices. To view the complete job description, please click HERE.

• Prepare briefs, affidavits, subpoenas, pleadings, and discovery documents; assist with research and preparation of more complex pleadings and discovery documents, such as complaints, discovery responses and objections, motions, and trial and appellate briefs.
• Organize and coordinate trial preparation, including scheduling and preparation of witnesses and handling of courtroom logistics; prepare pre-trial documents such as deposition summaries, trial exhibits, evidence, notebooks, and other related materials; assist attorneys during trial.

• Draft, review and edit contracts, leases, ordinances, resolutions, memoranda, staff reports, MOUs and similar agreements and documents; conduct legal research required to prepare these documents.
• Independently answer inquiries, interpret legal requirements and provisions, and prepare responses to Public Records Act requests.

• Assist with case management tasks, including calendaring and contact with opposing counsel and compiling substantive information on case status.

• Research, gather, and compile information on legal issues, statutes, rules, precedents, facts, evidence, codes, public records, contracts, ordinances, and resolutions.
• Assemble and review administrative records.

• Review claims filed against the City and take appropriate action.
• Serve as primary contact within the City regarding service of, and responding to, subpoenas; train and provide information to City staff regarding subpoenas and how to respond to subpoenas.
• Perform related duties as required.

Qualifications
Experience and Education: Three years of increasingly responsible experience in a legal office environment/field/industry including significant legal research experience supplemented by completion of the twelfth grade and formal education in the form of a certificate of completion of an approved paralegal program. An equivalent combination of experience and education sufficient to perform the essential job functions and provide the required knowledge, abilities, and certification is qualifying.

Knowledge of: Legal office methods, procedures, terminology, and documents; operational characteristics, services, and activities of assigned functions, programs, and operations; pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations; legal research procedures and form; court rules and procedures; standard legal references and their contents; government liability claim requirements and procedures; basic public entity liability law; modern office procedures, methods and equipment including computers; computer applications such as document management, case management, calendaring, word processing, spreadsheets and statistical databases; principles and procedures of record keeping; principles and methods of legal writing and document preparation; principles of business letter writing and report preparation; methods and techniques of public relations; English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Ability to: Perform responsible paralegal duties involving the use of independent judgment and personal initiative; understand the organization and operation of the City and of outside agencies as necessary to assume assigned responsibilities; understand, interpret, and apply administrative and departmental policies and procedures as well as pertinent laws, regulations, and ordinances; analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions and implement recommendations in support of goals; coordinate and implement case discovery tasks; provide effective assistance with trial preparation and at trial; conduct effective interviews; locate various legal references including statutes, codes, regulations, and citations; effectively research and extract pertinent data from a variety of sources in the preparation of legal cases and documents; participate in the preparation of a variety of reports and documents; draft and prepare a variety of legal documents; independently prepare correspondence and memoranda; implement and maintain specialized and standard filing systems; operate and use modern office equipment including a computer and various software packages; organize and prioritize work flow; work under steady pressure with frequent interruptions and a high degree of public contact by phone or in person; work independently in the absence of supervision; exercise good judgment and maintain confidentiality in maintaining critical and sensitive information, records, and reports; communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; and establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

License/Certification Required: Possession of a Legal Assistant Certificate from an American Bar Association approved paralegal program. Possession of an appropriate, valid California driver's license.

Supplemental Information
IMPORTANT APPLICATION INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTION

Applicants are encouraged to apply early. Applicants that apply after the first review date of December 14, 2026, are not guaranteed to be considered for this recruitment. This recruitment may close at any time without notice after the first review date.
The selection process may consist of, but is not limited to a skills examination, and an oral interview.

The eligibility list established from this recruitment may also be used to fill the current and/or additional vacancies throughout the City.

Candidates must be specific and complete in describing their qualifications for this position. Failure to state all pertinent information may lead to elimination from consideration. Stating "See Resume" is not an acceptable substitute for a completed application.
The successful candidate will be required to undergo a reference / background check (to include a conviction record) and pass a post-offer pre-employment medical examination (which will include a drug/alcohol screening). The City of Anaheim utilizes E-Verify and new employees must provide documentation to establish both identity and work authorization.
Communication regarding your application and/or status will be sent to the email address listed on your application. Please check your email regularly throughout the recruitment process as you will not receive communications by any other method.

To view the current benefits summary, visit: https://www.anaheim.net/DocumentCenter/View/30970/Benefits-Summary-Full-Time

For additional information about the City's benefits, visit: www.myanaheimbenefits.com

RETIREMENT BENEFITS - The City contracts with the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) to provide retirement benefits. Retirement formula is based on appointment date and membership status with CalPERS.

Note: Pension contribution limitations are set by CalPERS each calendar year, with compensation limit requirements for Public Employee Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) members and Classic members. Employee contributions will be deposited into a 401(a) account after reaching this limit. Employees with CalPERS membership dates prior to July 1, 1996 are not impacted by these limits.

To view the current limits and additional CalPERS information, visit:
https://www.anaheim.net/DocumentCenter/View/4783/CalPERS-Rates
01

Candidates will be evaluated based on the information provided on both the application and the responses to the following Supplemental Questions. Failure to fully detail all experience or stating experience in response to the Supplemental Questions but not listing the experience in the application, copy/pasting information, or responses referring to your resume may eliminate you from consideration. Do you understand this requirement?

• Yes
• No

02

How many years of increasingly responsible experience do you possess working in a legal office environment?

• None
• Less than 3 years
• At least 3 years, less than 4 years
• At least 4 years, less than 5 years
• At least 5 years, less than 6 years
• At least 6 years or more

03

Do you have a Legal Assistant Certificate from an American Bar Association approved paralegal program? If yes, please attach a copy to your application to be considered for this recruitment. Failure to provide the required documentation may result in disqualification from the selection process.

• Yes
• No

04

Please describe your experience working with computer software, including legal case management programs. Be specific about the software programs you have used, the purpose of using each program, and your level of experience. If none, type N/A.
05

Please describe the types of litigation cases you have worked on in the past two years and your responsibilities with respect to those matters. Include your experience with pleadings, motions, discovery, trial preparation, depositions, and court filings, as applicable. Please distinguish between duties you performed independently and those performed under attorney supervision. If none, type N/A.
06

Please describe your experience processing and responding to subpoenas and advising clients or other personnel regarding subpoena requirements and procedures. Include your experience reviewing subpoenas, coordinating the collection of responsive documents, communicating with departments or outside parties, and preparing responses. If none, type N/A.
07

What level of experience do you have preparing, reviewing, and responding to written discovery?

• No experience.
• Limited experience; primarily organizing documents and assisting with discovery.
• Moderate experience; have drafted discovery requests and responses with attorney direction.
• Extensive experience; independently prepare draft discovery requests, responses, objections, and supporting documents for attorney review.
• Advanced experience; regularly manage discovery processes, including document review, privilege issues, discovery tracking, and coordinating responses.

08

Do you have any experience processing or responding to government tort claims? If so, please describe that experience. If none, type N/A.
09

Describe your experience drafting, reviewing, editing and red-lining a variety of contracts, agreements, resolutions and ordinances. If none, type N/A
10

Describe your experience compiling, assembling, organizing, and reviewing administrative records for litigation, administrative proceedings, or appeals. Include your experience with document collection, indexing, Bates numbering, identifying missing records, and preparing records for submission. If none, type N/A.
Required Question