Attorney I, Child Support Services

CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES DEPARTMENT EXAM NUMBER: N9284C FILING DATE: FILING WILL START WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2023, AT 8:30 A.
M.
(PT) UNTIL THE NEEDS OF THE SERVICE ARE MET AND IS SUBJECT TO CLOSURE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE.
REPOSTING INFORMATION: This announcement is a repost to update information in the following section: Examination Content.
TYPE OF RECRUITMENT: OPEN COMPETITIVE JOB OPPORTUNITY Click here for more information DEFINITION: Under general supervision, performs beginning level legal work for the Child Support Services Department pursuant to Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, which includes, but is not limited to determining parentage and modifying and enforcing child support obligations.
CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS: Positions allocable to this class typically report to a higher-level attorney and are characterized by the performance of the less difficult legal tasks involved in handling child support cases.
Incumbents are given a variety of legal assignments and are expected to develop progressively increasing skills in caseload management, the preparation of pleadings, legal strategy and trial advocacy.
Incumbents must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of law, trial procedure, and their application, including California Welfare and Institutions Code, Family Code, Civil Code, Evidence Code, and the rules of court, knowledge of legal research methods and have the ability to present statements of fact, law and argument clearly and logically in both written and oral format.
Incumbents in this class serve a one-year probationary period.
Essential Job Functions Handles routine civil paternity and support litigation heard in the Superior Court.
Handles routine workers compensation and unemployment insurance proceedings for purposes of asserting liens or claims for the recovery of support debts.
Initiates and responds to motions, discovery requests and other legal actions and proceedings regarding paternity and support.
Interprets and applies laws, court decisions, local, state and Federal regulations, and other legal authorities for use in the preparation of child support cases.
Makes recommendations for appeals of routine child support cases.
Confers with custodial parents, non-custodial parents, witnesses and other interested parties regarding cases for purposes of negotiating settlements and/or preparing cases for hearing.
Represents the department in administrative hearings, under Family Code Section 17801.
Reviews and analyzes financial information from parties and as provided by State, Federal, and other agencies.
Performs legal research in specific areas of civil and family law, analyzes legal issues in pending cases and reports findings and conclusions.
Prepares judgments, orders, stipulations and other legal documents necessary to establish and enforce paternity and support.
Provides legal guidance to non-attorney staff regarding legal issues involved in prospective paternity and/or support actions.
Assist senior level attorneys in preparing for and conducting more complex litigation as needed.
Requirements MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: No experience required.
Please see Special Requirement Information below.
LICENSE: Admission to practice law in all courts of the State of California.
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: 2 - 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.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION: In order to qualify for this examination, applicants must upload/submit a legible copy of their valid active California State Bar license to practice law in all courts of California OR a copy of online Bar member information print-out from the State Bar of California website with an "Active" status designation.
Applicants who have taken the California State Bar, but are waiting on their Bar Cards, must upload a copy of their congratulations letter that reflects the name and address of the applicant completing all the requirements at the time of filing or within fifteen (15) calendar days from application submission.
Applicants may upload required and/or additional documents (i.
e.
, copy of degree, certification, transcripts, DD214, etc.
) as attachment(s) at the time of filing or within fifteen (15) calendar days of filing.
If you are unable to attach the required document(s) to your online application, you may email them to Jillian_Maldonado@cssd.
lacounty.
gov.
Please include your name, employee number (if applicable), examination title, and examination number.
APPLICATIONS LACKING THE ABOVE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION MAY BE REJECTED.
Additional Information EXAMINATION CONTENT: This examination will consist of multiple-choice and/or simulation assessments weighted at 100% measuring: Verbal Ability Deductive Reasoning Professional Potential Generating New Ideas Analyzing Information Responsibility Learning Quickly Working to High Quality Standards Coping with Uncertainty Adapting to Change Achievement Willingness to Learn Working Relationships Uses time Efficiently WRITTEN TESTS ARE NOT REVIEWABLE BY CANDIDATES PER CIVIL SERVICE RULE 7.
19.
Candidates must meet the Minimum Requirements and achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on the written examination in order to be placed on the eligible list.
TRANSFER OF ASSESSMENT COMPONENTS: Applicants who have taken identical components recently for other exams may have their responses automatically transferred to this examination.
This examination contains assessment components that may be used in the future for new examinations and your assessment scores may be transferred.
NOTE: All test invitations will be sent to candidates via email.
It is important that candidates provide a valid email address in their application.
Please add Jillian_Maldonado@cssd.
lacounty.
gov, vcudiamat@hr.
lacounty.
gov, CSears@hr.
lacounty.
gov, swang@hr.
lacounty.
gov, noreply@governmentjobs.
com, and info@governmentjobs.
com to your email address and list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk/clutter mail.
TEST PREPARATION: Study guides and other test preparation resources are available to help candidates prepare for employment tests through the Department of Human Resources website at: https://hr.
lacounty.
gov/.
You can also access practice tests for the computerized portion of the test by going to the following website: https://www.
shldirect.
com/en-us/practice-tests/.
While these study guides will help in preparing for the test, we advise you to review ALL related materials that you deem necessary.
ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION: The names of candidates receiving a passing score in the examination will be placed on the eligible list in the order of their scored group for a period of six (6) months following the date of promulgation.
SPECIAL INFORMATION: The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer.
Except for a very limited number of positions, you will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless you receive a contingent offer of employment.
The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and consider potential mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s).
If asked to provide information about a conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed.
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 Child Support Services Department is committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst races.
We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.
VACANCY INFORMATION: The resulting eligible list for this examination will be used to fill vacancies throughout the Child Support Services Department as they occur.
AVAILABLE SHIFT: Any APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION: Applications must be filed online only.
We must receive your application by the end of the filing period.
Applications submitted by U.
S.
Mail, fax, or in person will not be accepted.
Apply online by going to https://www.
governmentjobs.
com/careers/lacounty and clicking on the green "Apply" button at the top right of the posting.
You can also track the status of your application using this website.
Many important notifications including invitation letters will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application.
It is important that you provide a valid email address.
Please add Jillian_Maldonado@cssd.
lacounty.
gov, vcudlamat@hr.
lacounty.
gov, CSears@hr.
lacounty.
gov, swang@hr.
lacounty.
gov, noreply@governmentjobs.
com and info@governmentjobs.
com to your email address and list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk/clutter mail.
Applicants have the ability to opt out of emails from LA County.
If you unsubscribe, you will not receive any email notification for any examination for which you apply with Los Angeles County.
It is your responsibility to take the above steps to view correspondence.
Los Angeles County will not consider claims of not viewing or receiving notification to be a valid reason for late test administration or rescheduling of a test component.
Plan to submit your online application well in advance of the deadline as you may be required to verify your email address.
This only needs to be done once per email address, and if you already have a job seeker account on www.
governmentjobs.
com/careers/lacounty, you can verify at any time by logging in and following the prompts.
This is to enhance the security of your online application and to ensure you do not enter an incorrect email address.
Computer and Internet Access at Public Libraries: For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.
No Sharing of User ID and Password: All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID and password.
Using a family member's or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.
Fill out your application completely.
The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the Special Requirements.
Provide any relevant job experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the job.
For each job held, give the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, description of work performed, and salary earned.
Incomplete applications will be rejected.
Applicants may upload required and/or additional documents (i.
e.
, copy of degree, certification, etc.
) as attachments at the time of filing or within 15 calendar days of filing.
If you are unable to attach the required documents, you may digitally send them via e-mail to Jillian_Maldonado@cssd.
lacounty.
gov.
Please include your name, employee number, examination title, and examination number in your email.
IMPORTANT NOTES: Please note that all information included in the application materials is subject to verification at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made.
Falsification of any information may result in disqualification or rescission of appointment.
Utilizing verbiage from Class Specifications and Selection Requirements serving as your description of duties will not be sufficient to demonstrate that you meet the requirements.
Doing so may result in an incomplete application and you may be disqualified.
Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes.
Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number.
Testing Accommodation Information and Coordinator Contact Information If you require an accommodation to fairly compete in any part of the assessment process, let us know by contacting the Testing Accommodations Coordinator at TestingAccomodations@hr.
lacounty.
gov.
You will be required to complete the Request for Reasonable Accommodation form as well as provide supporting documentation from a qualified professional justifying the requested accommodation(s).
The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can respond to your request and keep you moving through the process.
DEPARTMENT CONTACT: Jillian N.
Maldonado (323) 929-1913 Jillian_Maldonado@cssd.
lacounty.
gov ADA COORDINATOR: adarequests@hr.
lacounty.
gov CALIFORNIA RELAY SERVICES PHONE: (800) 735-2922 TELETYPE PHONE: (800) 325-0778 COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES Employment Information Any language contained in the job posting supersedes any language contained below.
Your Responsibilities: 1.
Completing Your Application: a.
Before submission of the application, it is your responsibility to ensure that all information provided is correct and complete on the application.
Incomplete applications cannot be accepted.
b.
List each payroll title separately for each job.
Do not group your experience.
Specify the beginning and ending dates for each job.
If you are a Los Angeles County employee and have held multiple positions, do NOT list all of your time with the County under your present payroll title.
c.
Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes.
Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number.
d.
To receive credit, include required documents (e.
g.
, copy of your diploma, transcript, certificate, or license) as directed on the job posting.
International degrees in a foreign language must be translated to English and evaluated for equivalency to U.
S.
standards.
Refer to the job posting for specific deadlines for supporting documentation.
2.
Requirements on Job Posting: a.
Your application will only be accepted if it clearly shows you meet the requirements.
The information you give will determine your eligibility and is subject to verification at any time.
b.
You must be at least 16 years of age at the time of appointment unless other age limits are stated on the job posting.
The Federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967, as amended, prohibits discrimination on the basis of age for any individual over age 40.
c.
Experience is evaluated on the basis of a verifiable 40- hour week, unless specified otherwise.
Prorated part-time experience may be acceptable.
3.
Application Deadline: All job applications must be completed and submitted before the closing time on the last day of the filing period as indicated on the job posting unless other instructions are provided.
Job postings with an open continuous filing period are subject to closure without prior notice.
It is to your advantage to file your application early and not wait until the last allowable date and time as you will not be able to apply once the filing period has closed.
4.
Change of Name or Address: To change personal information such as your name or address, log into your profile on www.
governmentjobs.
com and make the necessary change.
This can be done at any time.
5.
Equal Employment Opportunity/Non-Discrimination Policy: a.
It is the policy of the County of Los Angeles to provide equal employment opportunity for all qualified persons, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation or disability.
b.
If you are an individual requesting reasonable accommodation(s) in the examination process, please contact the testing accommodation coordinator listed on the job posting.
The provision of accommodation may be subject to verification as allowable with State and Federal law.
All accommodation-related information will remain confidential.
Disclaimer: The County of Los Angeles is not responsible or in any way liable for any computer hardware or software malfunction which may affect the employment application or the application selection process.
You assume all responsibility and risk for the use of this system and the Internet generally.
This system and the information provided on it are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied.
No advice or information given by the County of Los Angeles or its respective employees shall modify the foregoing or create any warranty.
The County of Los Angeles expressly disclaims any warranty that the information on this system or on the Internet generally will be uninterruptible or error free or that any information, software or other material accessible from the system is free of viruses or other harmful components.
You shall have no recourse against the County of Los Angeles as the system provider for any alleged or actual infringement of any proprietary rights a user may have in anything posted or retrieved on our system.
The County of Los Angeles shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, punitive, incidental, special or consequential damages arising out of or in any way connected with the use of this system or with the delay or inability to use it (or any linked sites), or for any information obtained through this system, or otherwise arising out of the use of this system, the Internet generally or on any other basis.
NOTE: Your application is submitted using Secure Encryption to ensure the privacy of all information you transmit over the Internet.
By accepting the Use Disclaimer set forth here, you agree to all of the above terms and further agree to use this Online Job Employment Application System only for the submission of bona fide employment applications to the County of Los Angeles.
Any other use of this Online Job Employment Application System, including without limitation any copying, downloading, translating, decompiling, or reverse engineering of the system, data, or related software, shall be a violation of the Use Disclaimer.
Test Preparation: Study Guides and other resources are available to help candidates prepare for employment tests.
An interactive system for taking practice tests may be accessed on the Department of Human Resources website at https://hr.
lacounty.
gov/.
Additional resources may be listed on the job posting.
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES Employment Information Any language contained in the job posting supersedes any language contained below.
Veteran’s Credit: In all open competitive examinations, a veteran’s credit of 10 percent of the total credits specified for such examinations will be added to the final passing grade of an honorably discharged veteran who served in the Armed Forces of the United States under any of the following conditions: During a declared war; -or- During the period April 28, 1952 through July 1, 1955; -or- For more than 180 consecutive days, other than for training, any part of which occurred after January 31, 1955, and before October 15, 1976; -or- During the Gulf War from August 2, 1990 through January 2, 1992; -or- For more than 180 consecutive days, other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning September 11, 2001, and ending on August 31, 2010 the last day of Operation Iraqi Freedom; -or- In a campaign or expedition for which a campaign medal or expeditionary medal has been authorized and awarded.
Any Armed Forces Expeditionary medal or campaign badge, including El Salvador, Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, Southwest Asia, Somalia, and Haiti qualifies for credit.
A campaign medal holder or Gulf War veteran who originally enlisted after September 7, 1980 (or began active duty on or after October 14, 1982, and has not previously completed 24 months of continuous active duty) must have served continuously for 24 months or the full period called or ordered to active duty.
This also applies to the spouse of such person who, while engaged in such service was wounded, disabled or crippled and thereby permanently prevented from engaging in any remunerative occupation, and also to the widow or widower of any such person who died or was killed while in such service.
A DD214, Certificate of Discharge or Separation from Active Duty, or other official documents issued by the branch of service are required as verification of eligibility for Veterans preference.
Applicants must submit the documentation for each open competitive exam to qualify for veteran’s credit.
More information available at: https://www.
opm.
gov/policy-data-oversight/veterans-services/vet-guide-for-hr-professionals/ Accreditation Information: Accredited institutions are those listed in the publications of regional, national or international accrediting agencies which are accepted by the Department of Human Resources.
Publications such as American Universities and Colleges and International Handbook of Universities are acceptable references.
Also acceptable, if appropriate, are degrees that have been evaluated and deemed to be equivalent to degrees from United States accredited institutions by an academic credential evaluation agency recognized by The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services or the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc.
(AICE).
More information available at: https://file.
lacounty.
gov/SDSInter/dhr/070812_PPG123.
pdf (Download PDF reader) and https://file.
lacounty.
gov/SDSInter/dhr/205105_PPG_123_AC E_Resource_Guide.
pdf Background Check: The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer.
Except for a very limited number of positions, you will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless you receive a contingent offer of employment.
The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and consider potential mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s).
If asked to provide information about a conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed.
Career Planning: Resources to help current and prospective employees plan a career with Los Angeles County are available.
To explore career paths to and from nearly all job titles, please visit our interactive Career PathFinder application at https://career-pathfinder.
hr.
lacounty.
gov/#/.
Benefit Information: Depending on the position, the successful candidate will enroll in a contributory defined benefit pension plan if the candidate is a “new member” of the County’s defined benefit plan (LACERA) on or after January 1, 2013 (first employed by the County on or after December 1, 2012) – unless she or he established reciprocity with another public retirement system in which she or he was a member before January 1, 2013.
It should be noted that County employees do not pay into Social Security, but do pay the Medical Hospital Insurance Tax portion of Social Security at a rate of 1.
45%.
The Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA) has reciprocal agreements with several public retirement systems in California.
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990: All positions are open to qualified men and women.
Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, persons with disabilities who believe they need reasonable accommodation, or help in order to apply for a position, may contact the ADA/Personnel Services for Disabled Persons Coordinator.
Hearing impaired applicants with telephone teletype equipment may leave messages by calling the teletype phone number on the job posting.
The County will attempt to meet reasonable accommodation requests whenever possible.
Equal Employment Opportunity: It is the policy of the County of Los Angeles to provide equal employment opportunity for all qualified persons, regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, or disability or any other characteristic protected by State or Federal law.
All positions are open to qualified men and women pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act.
The County will comply with all of its obligations under State and Federal laws regarding the provision of reasonable accommodations to applicants.
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES Employment Information Any language contained in the job posting supersedes any language contained below.
Los Angeles County Child Support Compliance Program: In an effort to improve compliance with courtordered child, family and spousal support obligations, certain employment and identification information (i.
e.
, name, address, Social Security number and date of hire) is regularly reported to the State Directory of New Hires which may assist in locating persons who owe these obligations.
Family Code Section 17512 permits under certain circumstances for additional employment and identifying information to be requested.
Applicants will not be disqualified from employment based on this information.
Social Security Act of 2004: Section 419 (c) of Public Law 108-203, the Social Security Protection Act of 2004, requires State and local government employers to disclose the effect of the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset Provision to employees hired on or after January 1, 2005, in jobs not covered by Social Security.
The County of Los Angeles does not participate in the Social Security System.
All newly hired County of Los Angeles employees must sign a statement (Form SSA1945) prior to the start of employment indicating that they are aware of a possible reduction in their future Social Security benefit entitlement.
For more information on Social Security and about each provision, you may visit the website www.
socialsecurity.
gov, or call toll free 1-800-772- 1213.
Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may call the TTY number 1-800-325-0778 or contact a local Social Security office.
Employment Eligibility Information: Final appointment is contingent upon verification of U.
S.
citizenship or the right to work in the United States.
Immigration law provides that all persons hired after November 6, 1986, are required to present original documents to the County, within three (3) business days of hiring, which show satisfactory proof of 1) identity and 2) U.
S.
employment eligibility.
The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (Part 2.
8 commencing with Section 12900 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code) and the Regulations of the Fair Employment and Housing Commission (California Code of Regulations, Title 2, Division 4, Sections 7285.
0 through 8504) prohibits employment discrimination based on race or color; religion; national origin or ancestry, physical disability; mental disability or medical condition; marital status; sex or sexual orientation; age, with respect to persons over the age of 40; and pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
COVID-19 VACCINATION: Some County workforce members may be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Successful candidates for those positions/classifications may be required to submit proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or request an exemption for qualifying medical or religious reasons during the onboarding process.
Candidates should not present proof of vaccination until instructed to do so by the hiring department.
Updated April 2023