Legal Assistant Jobs in Ridgefield, WA (NOW HIRING)

Job Summary
Join a dynamic and high-performing team dedicated to meaningful work within the judiciary. Serving the judiciary is both rewarding and vital to the fundamental principal of rule of law. We are committed to fostering a diverse team, as we believe that a variety of backgrounds enhances our adaptability and resilience, enabling us to better serve our community.
Clark County Superior Court is seeking a Judicial Assistant to become a valued member of our team. In this role, you will provide support to Superior Court Commissioners, ensuring the smooth operation of the court. Additionally, you will serve as a reliable backup, filling in for Judicial Assistants during their leave. This coverage is essential to maintain continuity and efficiency in the courtroom, as you'll be responsible for assisting Judicial Officers during the absence of their assigned Judicial Assistant. Your duties will encompass a variety of clerical and technical tasks that demand independent judgment, all within established policy guidelines. A strong grasp of legal terminology, processes, and procedures is crucial for this position. We seek someone with exceptional reliability, accuracy, communication, and the ability to effectively prioritize tasks.
This role is a project-based position through 2027 and then expected to be made into a permanent position in 2028. The Superior Court has consistently secured funding for this role and is committed to advocating for its permanency
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. First review of applications will be August 28, 2026. This posting may close when the position is filled with no additional notice.
Qualifications
Bachelor's Degree or completion of paralegal course work at an accredited college or business school and three years [minimum] to six years [desirable] of progressively responsible office work experience within a court environment performing legal support activities; or any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities will be considered.
The ideal candidate will have the following strengths and knowledge:

• Excellent interpersonal oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent customer service skills, including ability to de-escalate and solve problems in a fluid situation.
• Strong computer skills in MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams), Zoom, and database experience.
• Highly organized and self-directed.
• Ability to work well with a diverse population.
• Bilingual skills are preferred, but not required.
• Previous courtroom experience with any area of law preferred, but not required.
• Knowledge of legal terminology and ability to understand local and state court rules necessary to provide legal support to the Judicial Officer.
• Knowledge of general office practices and procedures.

Knowledge of: criminal, civil, domestic relations, dependency, juvenile offender, termination of parental rights, competency proceedings, sexually violent predator, civil commitments for incapacitated citizens, probate and guardianships proceedings; technical and confidential aspects of all areas of the law and essential county, state and court functions; Revised Codes of Washington, local and state court rules necessary to provide legal support in the Superior Court, state and local appeals process; legal terminology, forms, policies and procedures; general office practices and procedures; technical and specialized functions, policies and procedures of the work unit, including filing systems and data recording methods; procedures, documents and procedural law related to conduct of legal practice in county court systems; legal terminology and diction; standard formats for legal and business correspondence, court orders and jury instructions; business English, spelling, punctuation, diction and grammar; commonly used office machines and equipment, including various personal computer applications and software programs.
Ability to: communicate with the media as required; exercise tact and mature judgment in all personal contacts as a representative of the elected judicial officer; manage matters in confidential and sensitive manner; supervise staff and volunteers; compose legal correspondence and statistical information and prepare periodic reports; understand and render clear explanation of legal procedures and policies; understand and execute complex oral and written instructions; apply extensive guidelines to a variety of work situations; maintain or supervise the keeping of complex records; develop and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, supervisors, the general public and employees and officials of other public and private agencies; perform lead worker duties and assist in the maintenance of smooth office work flow and proper office decorum.
SELECTION PROCESS:
Resumes and other documents must be attached together in the 'Resume Upload' section of the application. Multiple files are allowed, but all applicant attachments must be uploaded simultaneously, as there is no way to edit or append uploaded materials after submitting the application.
Application Review (Pass/ Fail) - An online application, RESUME and COVER LETTER are REQUIRED. Attaching a resume does not substitute for a completed application; incomplete applications will not pass the application review. Candidates deemed most qualified will be invited to participate in the remainder of the selection process. Incomplete applications WITHOUT the RESUME and COVER LETTER will not pass the application review.
Oral Interview - The interview will be job related and may include, but not be limited to, the qualification outlined in the job announcement and position classification. Candidates should be prepared for panel interview format, and interviews will generally be held in person.
Employment References will be collected for final candidates and may include verification of education.
Employment is dependent on successful completion of a Clark County background check.
Examples of Duties
Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Manage the judicial department/commissioner; plan work of the department and set daily priorities.
• Devise and evaluate legal procedures and implement changes per the direction of the Judicial Officer.
• Stay abreast of changes in civil, probate, criminal and domestic relations rules, legal procedures and codes.
• Draft orders in all case types, file court orders, forms, warrants, and other court issued pleadings with the Superior Court Clerk's Office.
• Coordinate with other Superior Court Judicial Assistants to ensure all Judicial Officers have needed support and staff coverage.
• Research and monitor statutorily required case deadlines in criminal, civil, domestic relations, probate, guardianship, dependency, termination case types and obligations for Judicial Officers.
• Schedules flow of cases to promote judicial efficiency, including case reassignments in event of recusals, affidavits of prejudice, and other conflicts.
• Evaluate all incoming communications and drafts responses following statutory and procedural guidelines for the Judicial Officer approval, often routing responses to the appropriate parties, calling attention to items needing immediate consideration.
• Manage court dockets; examine and distribute documents and bench copies in preparation of dockets and special settings. Conducts analytical research independent or at the direction of the judicial officer for the purpose of docket, hearing or trial preparation.
• Maintain official audio/video court records for the required statutory period, along with annual archiving of department records. Attend court and perform Superior Court related functions such as keeping detailed logs of trials and docket proceedings, managing video conference software and document sharing software for video court hearings for virtual appearances. Coordinates jail transport pertaining to all matters involving in-custody defendants.
• Disseminate data from court proceedings to other judicial departments and acts as a liaison between judicial department to relay vital operative case information.
• Manage jury trials; coordinate, schedule, and supervise bailiffs and jury panels; in the absence of an available bailiff, take on the role of bailiff as well; supervise jurors, arranging juror meals, monitoring of evidence during deliberations, and drafting jury instructions.
• Performs related duties as required.

Salary Grade
M3.8
Salary Range
$29.69 - $40.08- per hour
Close Date
09/15/2026Recruiter
Leslie Harrington Smith
Email:
Leslie.HarringtonSmith@clark.wa.gov
Equal Opportunity Employer
Clark County is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal opportunity in employment, access, and delivery of all county services. Clark County's Equal Employment Opportunity Plan is available at http://www.clark.wa.gov/human-resources/documents.
Employee Benefits and additional compensation
Clark County provides regular full-time and part-time employees with a comprehensive benefits package which includes medical, vision and dental insurance, paid leave, flexible spending accounts, life insurance and long-term disability, retirement, and deferred compensation. Some types of employees in some positions and bargaining units might have different benefits and additional compensation. More specific benefit information for the different bargaining units can be found at https://clark.wa.gov/human-resources/employee-benefits. Also please refer to the specific bargaining unit contract for additional compensation at https://clark.wa.gov/human-resources/documents.
Retirement Information
All Clark County employees must participate in a WASHINGTON STATE RETIREMENT SYSTEM PLAN (PERS, PSERS or LEOFF).Employee contributions begin the first day of work. Current contribution rates vary by plan but could range from 5% to 15% of gross pay, depending on the plan choice.
For additional information, check out the Department of Retirement Systems' web site here: http://www.drs.wa.gov/
If you are in need of ADA/Section 504 assistance for accommodations, please contact Human Resources at (564) 397-2456; Relay (800) 833-6388.