Senior Legal Analyst
California State Personnel Board Specification
Schematic Code: JY60
Class Code: 5333
Established: 06/12/1990
Revised: --
Title Changed: --
Definition*
Under direction, independently provides paralegal and legal analytical support to an attorney in the most complex area of law; and performs other related duties.
*Additional information regarding functions performed, complexity factors, and scope of responsibility is contained in a separate document titled "Allocation Guidelines".
Distinguishing Characteristics
The class of Senior Legal Analyst is the advanced journey analytical paralegal class established to provide full-time employment in a legal program in State service. Incumbents are the most experienced paralegals who provide high level assistance to attorneys in State service. The class is designed for permanent employment where incumbents, with direction from an attorney, regularly and independently perform the full range of the most responsible, varied and complex paralegal duties which are analytical in nature, and provide consultative services to management and others. It is distinguished from the class of Legal Assistant in which incumbents, under the immediate direction, control and responsibility of an attorney, perform the less difficult, more routine paralegal duties generally of a processing, monitoring or data gathering nature; and from the class of Legal Analyst in which incumbents, under the general supervision of an attorney, may perform a broad range of less difficult paralegal duties which do not require the services of the most experienced paralegals.
Typical Tasks
Under direction of an attorney who shall accept full responsibility for the tasks performed, the Senior Legal Analyst reviews and analyzes client agency requests for legal services, develops strategies and proposals to rectify problem areas; analyzes statutory and regulatory authority, prepares analyses of legislation and regulations, drafts legislation and regulation proposals for client agencies, monitors progress of legislation and regulations; designs and conducts investigations, identifies issues of concern for investigations, interviews witnesses, gathers documentation, drafts declarations, makes recommendations for search warrants; researches and analyzes statutory and case law authority relating to specific issues and makes recommendations concerning handling of the issues; drafts various pleadings on the most complex issues; summarizes and categorizes deposition transcripts, creates manual and computerized systems for managing discovery documents, analyzes and summarizes trial evidence, assists attorney in trial; identifies, contracts and screens expert witnesses, assists attorney in preparing expert witnesses for depositions and trial testimony, analyzes and summarizes expert witness statements; attends settlement negotiations and drafts settlement agreements; creates systems for gathering and tracking litigation information; develops paralegal training material and trains other paralegals; serves as consultant to attorneys and others; may serve in�a lead capacity over other paralegals.
Minimum Qualifications
Either I
Experience: Two years of experience in the California state service performing the duties of Legal Analyst.
Or II
Four years of progressively responsible paralegal experience performing duties in one or a combination of the following specialty areas: Litigation and trial preparation, administrative law and procedures, criminal law and procedures, corporate and business law, medical malpractice, estate and tax law, environmental and land use law, antitrust, labor and consumer law. (Experience in California state service applied toward this requirement must include one year performing the duties of Legal Analyst.)
(Candidates who are within six months of satisfying the experience requirement for this class will be admitted to the examination, but they must fully meet the experience requirement before being eligible for appointment.)
Knowledge and Abilities
Knowledge of: Basic legal concepts, terminology, principles and procedures; use of legal reference materials; role of a paralegal staff in a legal office.
Ability to: Reason logically; analyze situations accurately and recommend an effective course of action; write effectively; prepare reports and summary sheets which set forth a statement of the facts, applications of relevant law and conclusions; read and understand statutes, court decisions, legal documents and similar material; prepare drafts of pleadings; draft litigation discovery documents, such as interrogatories and motions; work cooperatively with attorneys, clerical staff, technical staff and the general public. Demonstrated ability to act independently, to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing, and to assume increased responsibility.
Additional Desirable Qualifications
Evidence of continuing education, such as additional paralegal or legal coursework.
