Senior Paralegal

SALARY DETAILS

$45.87 - $57.16 Hourly

APPLICATION FILING DATES

Apply Now! The application period will close on Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at 11:59 PM PST

Open: 4/21/2026

Close: 5/12/2026

*Close date is subject to change and may be extended as needed.

INFORMATION ABOUT LAUSD

We are LAUSD. We are at the forefront of innovation in public education, focused on a clear and inspiring vision of the future for all of our students as they venture forward on their journey as lifelong learners. Here, you will have the opportunity to exercise your potential in a role supporting the business of education. Our work directly contributes toward the goal of ensuring that our students graduate ready for the world – ready to thrive in college, career and life.

LAUSD is the second largest school district in the nation with an enrollment of nearly 575,000 students. We serve an area totaling 710 square miles, with over 1,190 schools and educational centers, and we employ over 74,000 individuals, making us one of the largest employers in our city. LAUSD Employees: Please be advised that all LAUSD employees must sign in to the GlobalProtect Virtual Private Network (VPN) in order to submit an application from an external network outside of an LAUSD location.

For assistance with installing the GlobalProtect virtual network, please contact Information Technology Services at (213) 443-1300 or (213) 241-5200 or via their page (https://www.lausd.org/helpdesk)

DEPARTMENT OR SCHOOL SITE

The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) of the Los Angeles Unified School District seeks to be nothing less than the best public law office in Los Angeles County. The OGC is an ethical, high performance legal department with high professional standards and integrity that provides first class legal service to the teachers, supervisors and administrators who support the District's 520,000 plus students whom we educate. While we use our skills to advise and counsel schools and administrative offices, we recognize that our ultimate clients are the students of the District and their families, and work to support the District's vision that L.A. Unified will be a progressive global leader in education, providing a dynamic and inspiring learning experience where all students graduate ready for success. 

Our mission is to use our specialized experiences, knowledge and skills to support and advance the LAUSD. We provide effective and proactive legal advice and quality representation while creating an ethical environment in support of a high quality learning environment for all students.

THE POSITION

The Senior Paralegal assists attorneys and other legal professionals with complex legal research, litigation, and transactional matters.

Supervision is received from the General Counsel, the Deputy General Counsel, an Associate General Counsel, an Assistant General Counsel II or other legal professional. A Senior Paralegal provides general supervision to Paralegals, secretarial, and other clerical staff.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

*The current vacancies are within the Litigation team and Business Transactions and Public Records Act team.

LITIGATION:

The ideal candidate for the Litigation Team is a confident, detail-oriented legal professional who thrives in a fast-paced court-focused environment and takes pride in producing high-quality work under pressure.

BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS AND PUBLIC RECORDS ACT:

The ideal candidate for the Business & Government Legal Services Team is a highly organized, analytical professional who thrives on managing large volumes of work while maintaining accuracy and responsiveness.

JOB DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Drafts and files complex litigation documents (e.g., pleadings, answers, title searches, proofs of service, demands for indemnity, and due diligence statements) in court.
• Reviews opposition filings and prepares draft responses with minimal supervision.
• Supervises, trains, and mentors paralegals, secretarial, and clerical staff.
• Manages a law office, including budget and financial data preparation.

Assists attorneys and other legal professionals with complex legal research matters and case preparation by:

• Using law library facilities and resources to research assigned subjects.
• Developing data and preparing pleadings, reports, or memoranda that are related to problems assigned to study.
• Preparing fact analyses and assembling complicated packages of documents and other materials.
• Preparing trial documents for federal and State court.

For a complete class description, please visit https://careers.lausd.org/pc, under >Working at LAUSD> and select >Job Descriptions-Classified Jobs. Search for the position under its official title.

Entrance requirements are representative of the minimum level of knowledge, skill, and/or abilities.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION: Graduation from a recognized college or university with a bachelor’s degree. Certification as a Paralegal or an associate’s degree in paralegal studies from an accredited post-secondary institution, preferably by a program approved by the American Bar Association. A Juris Doctor degree or equivalent from an American or California Bar Association accredited institution can be substituted for all the above educational requirements OR a bachelor’s degree or an advanced degree in any subject, a minimum of one year of law-related experience under the supervision of an attorney who has been an active member of the State Bar of California for at least the preceding three years or who has practiced in the federal courts of this state for at least the preceding three years, and a written declaration from this attorney stating that the person is qualified to perform paralegal tasks as required by the California Business and Professions Code 6450.

EXPERIENCE: Five (5) or more years experience as a paralegal in one or more of the following areas is required: a) construction/real estate; b) litigation; c) contracts/business services/information technology; d) labor and employment; e) special education/legal compliance; and f) school-district law.

Special: A valid California Driver License and the availability of private transportation, or the ability to use an alternative method of transportation.

SPECIAL NOTE: All Paralegals shall be required to certify completion every two years of four hours of mandatory continuing legal education in legal ethics. Every two years, all Paralegals shall be required to certify completion of four hours of mandatory continuing education in either general law or in a specialized area of law. All continuing legal education courses shall meet the requirements of Business & Professions Code Section 6070. Certification of these continuing education requirements shall be made with the Paralegal’s supervising attorney. The Paralegal shall be responsible for keeping a record of the Paralegal’s certification.

SELECTIVE CERTIFICATION

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT "SELECTIVE CERTIFICATION"
Some positions may require special knowledge or experience for which selective certification may be made according to the Education Code Section 45277, AB2125.

SELECTIVE CERTIFICATION is a tool that allows management to interview additional candidates beyond the top three overall ranks who possess specialized knowledge, skill, or experience in an area which is not widely expected in the overall recruitment pool, is not readily developed on the job, and yet is consistent with the overall concept of the classification. Verified competence in one or more of the following areas may be considered in filling some positions in the job classification. In order to be considered for Selective Certification, candidates must apply and meet one or more of the following requirements:

(1) Litigation: At least three (3) years of experience as a paralegal with primary responsibility supporting civil litigation matters, including drafting and filing pleadings and motions in State and/or federal court; assisting in discovery and trial preparation; preparing deposition summaries; managing litigation calendars; and participating in court-related activities.

(2) Business Transactions and Public Records Act: At least three (3) years of experience as a paralegal with primary responsibility supporting transactional matters, business litigation and/or Public
Records Act compliance, including reviewing agreements; conducting legal research; preparing memoranda; organizing and analyzing large volumes of records; and coordinating responses to internal or external information requests.

Selective Certification will be assessed at a later time to ensure you satisfy the requirement(s) for consideration.

Apply for Selective Certification: When you are applying for the position you will complete a survey. In the survey you will be able to select the selective certification you would like to apply under. 

Tentative Test Plan for Selective Certification: This will be assessed during the interview and/or Technical Project. 

BENEFITS

Insurance: Paid premiums for your choice of several medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans.

Retirement: Membership in the California Public Employee Retirement System (CalPERS).

Vacation: Full-time employees earn up to two weeks of paid vacation to start. Three weeks after five years of year-round paid service.

Paid Holidays: Up to 13 days. 

APPLICATION PROCESS

After application materials (questionnaire(s), application, resume, and cover letter) are reviewed and determined to meet the minimum qualifications, qualified candidates will move on to the next phases of our selection process.

The tentative selection process may consist of one or more of the following: Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E), a Technical Project, and/or a Technical Interview. 

This is a competitive process and we anticipate a number of well qualified candidates for this recruitment. Please make sure that you describe in DETAIL your experience, education, and training that most closely relates to this position in your application. You may include a professional resume, but it will NOT be in lieu of a detailed application and the required questionnaire. It is imperative that your application reflects your true and accurate background. Furthermore, if you have assisted in an interim or other temporary assignment or worked out-of-class for a significant and specified duration of time, include the contact information of your immediate supervisor during that assignment and be prepared to present verification from the official (local district superintendent, department administrator, or supervisor) validating your claim.  

**Please be sure to include correspondence from @lausd.net AND @successfactors.com as an approved sender so that messages aren't accidentally placed into your spam/junk e-mail folder. All notifications regarding this recruitment will be sent via email.**

PLEASE NOTE: Qualified Candidates will be required to present an unexpired government identification at the time of the test. If you are unable to attend the scheduled test date, rescheduling is NOT guaranteed. We encourage you to visit our website periodically to check for the next recruitment and we encourage you to apply to any positions for which you believe you meet the minimum qualifications. For more information about the LAUSD employment assessment process, visit the 'My LAUSD Career' section of our website at https://careers.lausd.org/pc.

DO YOU NEED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WITH THE ON-LINE APPLICATION? Email us at helpmeapply@lausd.net. To find out whether the application deadline has been extended, visit the website at: http://www.lausdjobs.org. The Los Angeles Unified School District intends that all qualified persons shall have equal opportunities for employment and promotion.

Reasonable accommodations in completing an application and testing are available to individuals with disabilities. Please call (213) 241-3455 for more information.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Jessica Carrera at jessica.carrera@lausd.net.

ADDITIONAL POSTING INFORMATION

The Los Angeles Unified School District is committed to providing a working and learning environment free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation, abusive conduct, or bullying. The District prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, abusive conduct or bullying based on actual or perceived race or ethnicity, gender/sex (including gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding/lactation status and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, religion, color, national origin (including language use restrictions and possession of a driver’s license issued under Vehicle Code), ancestry, immigration status, physical or mental disability (including clinical depression and bipolar disorder, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, epilepsy, seizure disorder, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and heart disease), medical condition (cancer related and genetic characteristics), military and veteran status, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age (40 and above), genetic information, political belief or affiliation (unless union related), a person's association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law, ordinance, or regulation in any program or activity it conducts or to which it provides significant assistance.

For inquiries or complaints contact our Equal Opportunity Section, (213) 241-7685.

Selection and promotion are based on a competitive employment assessment process. Candidates who pass all parts of the assessment process are placed on a hiring (eligibility) list based on their assessment score. Hiring departments may make job offers to candidates on the top three ranks of the hiring list. Eligibility typically lasts for 12 months. The hiring list resulting from this assessment process may be used to fill open positions in related job classifications.

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