Judicial Assistant to Appellate Justice (Downtown Los Angeles)

About This Job

OVERVIEW

Division Eight of the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, is seeking a Judicial Assistant (JA) for Associate Justice Matthew A. Scherb. The position is based in downtown Los Angeles. The JA will provide comprehensive support within the justice\'s chambers, working directly with the justice and research attorneys on a variety of complex paralegal, secretarial, and administrative tasks in a professional and collegial setting. A key responsibility involves the meticulous review of appellate court opinions and orders to ensure accuracy in citations, adherence to style guides such as the California Style Manual and California Rules of Court, and correctness in grammar, spelling, syntax, clarity, and internal consistency. This role is integral to a team committed to high-quality work and public service.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Delivers administrative, paralegal, and secretarial support to an appellate justice and, as applicable, to the justice\'s research attorneys.
• Assists with the intake and management of writ petitions, drafts court orders, and utilizes internal court databases.
• Schedules cases for oral argument and monitors case timelines.
• Processes, edits, proofreads, and evaluates opinions and court orders for grammatical, spelling, punctuation, content, and organizational accuracy; ensures opinions conform to uniform style standards.
• Prepares final opinions by verifying referenced facts against all relevant documents from the clerk’s office, reporter’s transcripts, administrative records, exhibits, and correspondence.
• Confirms and Shepardizes cited legal authorities using law library resources and computer databases, including state and federal reporters, statutes, citators, textbooks, handbooks, restatements, and legislative history materials.
• Transmits opinions and modifications to the Reporter of Decisions; liaises with the Reporter regarding stylistic standards and opinion content; proofreads and inspects galley proofs of published opinions for total accuracy.
• Maintains and updates the chambers library collection.
• Organizes workflow, establishes priorities, and conducts follow-up to coordinate and complete assigned tasks; demonstrates skill in prioritizing assignments based on their relative importance; trains backup support personnel.
• Coordinates closely with Clerk’s Office and file room staff to ensure timely receipt and dispatch of materials.
• Composes correspondence; independently initiates specific correspondence for authorized signatures.
• Performs other secretarial and administrative duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE OF

• Standard administrative office practices, procedures, and formats for typed materials, including memoranda, briefs, drafts, opinions, recordkeeping systems, file maintenance, and general office operations.
• Complex legal concepts, terminology, principles, and procedures.
• Methods for conducting complex legal research, both traditional and electronic.
• Practices and procedures of California trial and appellate courts.
• Personal computers and specified software applications, such as word processing, spreadsheets, legal software, desktop publishing, and online search and reference tools.
• Correct business English, including spelling, grammar, and punctuation, with a focus on legal terminology, standard citation systems, and the California Style Manual.
• Relevant organizational policies and procedures.
• Fundamental supervisory principles and practices.

ABILITY TO

• Maintain strict confidentiality.
• Apply complex legal concepts, terminology, principles, and procedures.
• Conduct legal research using both traditional and electronic methods.
• Exercise initiative and independent judgment within established procedural guidelines.
• Organize, prioritize, and coordinate multiple work activities from various sources to meet critical deadlines accurately; skillfully set priorities that reflect the importance of assigned duties.
• Train others in work-related policies and procedures.
• Transport boxes weighing up to 40 pounds.
• Operate personal computers and use specified applications, such as word processing, spreadsheets, legal software, and desktop publishing, including the ability to interpret and apply technical manuals and tutorials.
• Communicate effectively in English, both verbally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with justices, court staff, and representatives from other governmental and private agencies contacted in the course of work.
• Plan, direct, and review the work of others on a project or daily basis.

QUALIFICATIONS

One of the following combinations is required:

• Six years of legal secretarial experience, which must include four years of technical legal research.
• A Bachelor’s degree plus two years of legal secretarial experience, including technical legal research.

Additional directly related experience and/or college-level coursework may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for the requirements listed in either path above.

Alternatively, qualification is met with one year of experience as a Judicial Assistant, two years as a Deputy Clerk, or three years as a Lead Judicial Secretary or Assistant Deputy Clerk III within the judicial branch.

Equivalent years of experience performing duties at a comparable responsibility level in a California Superior Court or another California state-level government entity also qualify.

SALARY

Salary Range: $6,826 to $8,304 per month.

The starting salary will be between $6,826 and $7,509 per month.

Please note that due to statewide fiscal conditions, the posted salary range is subject to a temporary 3% reduction. In exchange for this reduction, judicial branch employees accrue an additional 5 hours of paid personal leave per month through June 30, 2027.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online at http://www.aaalist.ca.gov/careers

The following items are required for a complete application:

• A completed online application form.
• A cover letter.
• A resume.

For earliest consideration, please submit your application by December 8, 2025.

BENEFITS

• Health, Dental, and Vision insurance benefits.
• 13 paid holidays per calendar year.
• Choice between an Annual Leave plan or separate Sick and Vacation Leave.
• One personal holiday per year.
• A monthly transit pass subsidy of $130.
• CalPERS Retirement Plan.
• 401K and 457 deferred compensation plans.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Basic Life and AD&D Insurance.
• FlexElect Program.
• Long Term Disability insurance.
• Group Legal Plan.

The Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, is an Equal Opportunity Employer.