Court Probate Examiner (Open and Promotional)

Posting number: X004A

Department: Superior & Municipal Courts

Job classification: Court Probate Examiner

Posting type: Open & Promotional

Categories: Administration, Code Enforcement, Community Services, Court Administration, Legal, Public Relations, Customer Service, Project Management, Attorney

Summary

The Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo seeks qualified candidates for the position of

The Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo seeks qualified candidates for the position of Court Probate Examiner.

Under general supervision from the Senior/Supervising Court Staff Attorney, the Probate Examiner provides technical and procedural support to Attorneys and Judicial officers for probate matters. This specialized technical level position performs complex and specialized probate assignments, requiring the use of advanced specialized knowledge of probate policies, practices, and procedures.
  
The person selected for this position will provide paraprofessional legal assistance on the technical and procedural aspects of probate law, applying probate rules, policies, procedures, and practices in carrying out difficult and detailed processes. The Probate Examiner will perform the full range of probate case evaluation and work closely with judicial officers, attorneys, county agencies, and unrepresented litigants.

The Probate Examiner works in a variety of settings primarily outside the courtroom, performs the final examination on probate case files prior to hearings in the Court, and recommends court approval on matters that are in order and may be approved by petition. The Probate Examiner classification is distinguished from Court Staff Attorney in that the latter is assigned to a variety of areas to perform all phases of legal work.

Examples of duties

Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Receive, examine, and process complex probate petitions and supporting pleadings for accuracy and inform judicial officers of any deficiencies.
• Review the accountings of a variety of pending probate case files set for hearing by the court for compliance with jurisdictional and procedural requirements of existing statutes, rules, and policy, note deficiencies where appropriate, and recommend approval to a judicial officer those matters which are in good order.
• Confer and communicate with attorneys, litigants, other members of the public, judges, and courtroom staff, provide information regarding court procedures and materials, answer inquiries and explain legal filing processes, and explain fees and fines.
• Review files to ensure documentation is procedurally correct in compliance with appropriate laws and local rules and note deficiencies and contact attorneys and petitioners to resolve problems and issues.
• Perform legal research of statutes in applicable areas of law and brief the judge regarding unusual cases prior to hearing.
• Prepare summary documentation, set forth the facts of each matter before the court, summarize the legal factors and any issues, and make recommendations for action.
• Monitor changes to probate and family law, recommend policy and procedural changes required for compliance, and institute such modifications after approval.
• Attend court hearings and provide consultation on procedural matters as needed.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

Applicants must meet the qualifications for a Probate Examiner as set forth in rule 10.777 of the California Rules of Court, which are:

1. A Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree from an accredited educational institution and a minimum of two years' employment experience with a court, a public or private law office, a public administrator, public guardian, public conservator, or private professional fiduciary.

OR

 2. A paralegal certificate or an Associate of Arts degree from an accredited educational institution and a minimum of a total of four years' employment experience with a court, a public or private law office, a public administrator, public guardian, public conservator, or private professional fiduciary.

 OR

 3. A juris doctor degree from an educational institution approved by the American Bar Association or accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California and a minimum of six months' employment experience with a court, a public or private law office, a public administrator, public guardian, public conservator, or private professional fiduciary.

Knowledge of:

• Provisions of the Probate Code, Civil Code and other Ca