Paralegal (Public Records Specialist)

About the role

The Office of General Counsel (OGC) is in-house counsel to the State Bar, providing a full range of services, including representation of the State Bar in all state and federal courts and before administrative agencies; advocacy of State Bar discipline and admission cases in the California Supreme Court; and providing legal advice to the State Bar Board of Trustees, and all State Bar entities, executives, and programmatic clients.

OGC provides legal advice and representation in the following areas: litigation, admissions and discipline, antitrust, Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, bankruptcy, California Public Records Act, collections, contracts, copyright, governance, labor and employment, legislation, regulations and rules, real estate, regulatory work, and general corporate matters.

Responsibilities

• Drafting and sending responses to public records requests and ensuring compliance with the CPRA, including drafting initial responses that set out all applicable exemptions.
• Independently communicating with public records requestors to help them identify relevant documents and ensure effective interpretation of requests, as necessary.
• Working with offices within the State Bar to gather records and providing guidance and support to the offices to identify/locate responsive records.
• Independently reviewing documents and determining applicable exemptions and required redactions consistent with the CPRA and the State Bar Act.
• Researching eligible exemptions and staying abreast of changes to the CPRA and related legislation.
• Organizing records with particular attention to detail and maintaining excellent documentation of request status such that backup coverage can be provided during absences – both planned and unplanned.
• Educating and advising staff on CPRA obligations and procedures.
• Assisting with subpoena and discovery compliance, including reviewing requests, gathering responsive documents, coordinating with internal departments, drafting responses and tracking deadlines.
• Providing support for responding to government claims, including preparation of response letters and tracking deadlines.
• Conducting document review, analysis, and organization for litigation, audits, investigations, or other regulatory matters.
• Assisting with contract management, including drafting standard terms, tracking contract status, and maintaining files.
• Providing litigation support as needed including case management and litigation tracking.
• Performing a number of other similar or related duties which may not be specifically included within this position description, but which are consistent with the general level of the job and the responsibilities described.

Requirements

• Prior experience handling records requests (either under the CPRA or the Freedom of Information Act) in a government setting.
• A solid understanding of public record laws.
• Highly skilled at managing competing priorities, analyzing sensitive documents for legal compliance, and communicating effectively within the organization and to members of the public.
• Excellent judgment and discretion.
• Ability to work independently, identify legally sensitive information, apply exemption criteria, and produce clear and accurate written responses.
• Technologically adept, capable of navigating Microsoft Office Suite, document management systems and tracking tools to maintain accurate records and ensure timely responses.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience in a field that develops the skills required for the functions and responsibilities of the position.
• Two (2) years’ experience as a paralegal.

Skills

• Legal research and writing.
• Public records law.
• Microsoft Office Suite.
• Document management systems.

Benefits

N/A

Pay

$74,786 - $99,640 annually

Schedule

Full-time, 40 hours per week