SENIOR LAW CLERK

Job Description:

SENIOR LAW CLERK

Description

Position/Program Information

LAW OFFICES OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY
ALTERNATE PUBLIC DEFENDER

EXAM NUMBER

7-9243B-R

REPOSTING INFORMATION

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS A REPOSTING TO REOPEN THE FILING PERIOD

APPLICATION FILING:

We will begin receiving applications beginning Tuesday, September 2, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. All applications must be received BEFORE 5:00 p.m. (PT) on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT
We welcome applications from everyone.

Why work for us?
Los Angeles County is home to over 10 million residents and employs more than 112,000 people across 36 departments. The Office of the Alternate Public Defender (APD) is the second-largest public defender’s office in California, with 300+ attorneys and staff in more than 20 offices countywide! For information about our amazing benefits, such as flexible work schedules, 13 paid holidays, and a Cafeteria Benefit Plan, please visit us here: https://hr.lacounty.gov/benefits/

The Senior Law Clerk (SLC) is an outstanding 16-week paid internship performing legal research, assisting in various criminal cases, participating in hearings and trials and a pathway to advancing into permanent employment as a Deputy Alternate Public Defender (DAPD) I.

Essential Job Functions

• Researches, studies, interprets, and applies laws, court decisions, and other legal authorities for use in the preparation of cases, opinions, pleadings, briefs and other legal documents.
• Organizes extensive legal discovery, reports, documents and potential exhibits.
• Conducts pretrial review of case files for witness subpoenas and other necessary evidence for trial.
• Conducts preliminary interviews of potential complainants in criminal cases and reports on findings of facts to determine if cause of sufficient evidence is present to undertake prosecution.
• Reads, understands and analyses legal documents such as pleadings, affidavits, court orders, transcripts statutory codes and appellate decisions.
• Prepares a variety of legal documents including drafts and memoranda summarizing the results of examinations of court decisions, administrative board decisions, State statutes, ordinances and opinions.
• Provides information to judges, attorneys, and the public concerning the work of the department.
• Communicates with witnesses, experts, clients and other interested parties.
• Schedules witnesses and prepares witnesses and clients in courtroom procedures and appropriate protocol.
• Interviews clients to obtain factual, biographical and financial information.
• Performs other related work as required.

Requirements

REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY:

Be eligible for certification through the California State Bar (Bar) Practical Training of Law Students (PTLS)** program at the time of the appointment -AND- either:

OPTION 1 :

• Have a Juris Doctor degree from an approved or accredited law school*, - AND-
• Be registered to take the first available bar following your law school graduation date -OR-

OPTION 2***:

• Be currently enrolled in law school*, -AND-
• Have successfully completed Second Year or equivalent of law school*

*To receive credit for a Juris Doctor degree or current academic standing, you must provide a legible copy of your official diploma/transcripts/letter from an accredited institution that shows the area of specialization at the time of filing or within seven (7) calendar days of submitting your application.

• If you cannot attach the required documents to your application, you must email them to ecervantes@hr.lacounty.gov .
• Please include the exam number and exam title in your email.
• Unofficial transcripts will not be accepted.
• Applications received without proof of the required degree(s) or certificate will not be considered as meeting the stated requirements under Option I.

For more information regarding education, please see the Employment Information ( Download PDF reader ) document on the LA County Jobs website.

**To be eligible for California State Bar certification (PTLS), applicants must:

• Have sat for or registered to sit for the first eligible bar exam. The results of the first eligible bar must not be published at the time of appointment, -AND-
• Register as a law student with the California State Bar.

Submit proof of bar registration and approval by logging into the Bar applicant community site and providing a screenshot with your Application and Examination Event Information details or a copy of your Admittance Ticket .

***Applicants who qualify under Option 2 will be permitted to participate in the exam. However, their names will be withheld from the list of candidates ("Eligible Register") for hiring consideration until they can produce a copy of their diploma or a copy of official transcripts that clearly show when JD degree was conferred.

Additional information on the PTLS program can be found at Practical Training of Law Students -State Bar of California .

PROVISIONAL LICENSEES ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EXAMINATION.

LICENSE:

A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.


PHYSICAL CLASS:

II - Light. This class includes administrative and clerical positions requiring light physical effort that may include occasional light lifting to a 10-pound limit and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable ambulation may be involved.

Additional Information

OUR ASSESSMENT PROCESS:
This exam will consist of a structured interview test weighted at 100%, measuring:

• Professional/Technical Knowledge (General Criminal Case & Statutory Law and Constitutional Principles of California Rules of Professional Conduct as they pertain to Criminal Defense),
• Critical Thinking,
• Decision Making Skills,
• Client Focus,
• Oral Communication Skills,
• Listening Skills,
• Fact Finding,
• Ethics & Integrity,
• and Cultural & Individual Sensitivity.

The passing score for the assessment is 70% .

ELIGIBILITY AND VACANCY INFORMATION :
We will place candidates who passed the assessment onto a list in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months. We will use this list to fill vacancies as they occur.

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION :
We only accept applications filed online and do not accept applications submitted by U.S. mail, fax, or in person. Apply online by clicking on the "Apply" green button at the top right of this posting. This website can also be used to get application status updates.

Please fill out the application completely. We may verify information included in the application at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of information or copying language from the requirements or class specification could result in refusal of application or rescission of appointment.

We will send important email notifications, so please provide a valid email address. Unsubscribing may lead to missed notices. Register these email addresses to ensure email notifications are not filtered as junk mail or spam: info@governmentjobs.com and ecervantes@hr.lacounty.gov .

New email addresses need to be verified. This only needs to be done once per email address and can be done at any time by logging in to Governmentjobs.com and following the prompts. This is to improve the security of the online application and to prevent incorrectly entered email addresses.

All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID and password. Using a family member's or friend's login information may erase a candidate's original application record.

If you require an accommodation to fairly compete in any part of the assessment process, you will be given the opportunity to make a request when completing the application. Please note, we may require documentation from a qualified medical provider or other qualified professional to support the request for testing accommodation.

Federal law requires that all employed people have a Social Security Number, so please include it for record control purposes.

For candidates who do not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County. Access library locations here.

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ANTI-RACISM, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION (ARDI):
The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. The Department of Human Resources is committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst race. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.


Testing Accommodations Coordinator: TestingAccommodations@hr.lacounty.gov Teletype Phone: (800) 735-2929
California Relay Services Phone: (800) 735-2922
Contact Name: Elia Cervantes
Contact Phone: (213) 441-2090
Contact Email: ecervantes@hr.lacounty.gov
Exam Number: 7-9243B-R

For detailed information, please click here

Closing Date/Time: 9/9/2025 5:00 PM Pacific

Salary:

$67,566.24 Annually