Paralegal 2 With Mediation Duties, Labor And Industries Division, Attorney General's Office

Persons requiring reasonable accommodation in the application process or requiring information in an alternative format may contact the recruitment team at HREmployment@atg.wa.gov. Those with a hearing impairment in need of accommodation are encouraged to contact the Washington Relay Service at 1-800-676-3777 or www.washingtonrelay.com.

Position and Salary

The Attorney General's Office is recruiting for a permanent full time Paralegal 2 in the Labor & Industries Division. This position is located in Seattle, Washington, and  is represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).

Paralegal 2 (Range 55) salary range: $58,104 - $78,120 (Thru 6/30/2024)

Paralegal 2 (Range 55) salary range: $59,844 - $80,460 (Effective 7/1/2024)

The base pay offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the preferred candidate's job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

The following stipends may apply based on position requirements:

• Incumbents assigned to our Seattle office location receive an additional 5% King County Location Pay stipend.

• Incumbents assigned to a position designated as requiring dual language skills will receive a 5% Dual Language Requirement Pay stipend.

Excellent benefits

Washington State offers one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation, including Medical/Dental/Vision for employees & dependent(s); Vacation, Sick, and Other Leave; 11 Paid Holidays per year; Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) plans; and Life Insurance.  Beyond these traditional benefits, we offer Dependent Care Assistance, Flexible Spending Accounts, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Tuition Waiver, Deferred Compensation, Employee Recognition Leave, and more.

With the goal of employee health and wellness, we also offer flexible schedules and telework options for most positions, a Wellness Program, the Employee Assistance Program, and numerous affinity groups to foster community and connection.

Agency Information

WASHINGTON STATE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

Join an agency whose work impacts the lives of every resident of Washington State.

The Attorney General's Office (AGO) touches the lives of every resident in this state.  We serve more than 230 state agencies, boards, commissions, colleges and universities, as well as the Legislature and the Governor.  The Office is comprised of nearly 700 attorneys and 800 professional staff, all working together to deliver the highest quality professional legal services to Washington state officials, agencies, and entities.  This includes:

• Economic justice and consumer protections (safeguarding consumers, protecting youth, seniors, and other vulnerable populations)
• Social justice and civil rights (addressing discrimination, environmental protection, and veteran and military resources)
• Criminal justice and public safety (investigative and prosecutorial support, financial crimes)
• And much more!

Our agency also has national reach, representing the State of Washington before the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals and trial courts in all cases that involve the state's interest.  If you want to make a difference, we may be the perfect fit for you!   Learn more about the AGO here.

Commitment to Diversity

Diversity is critical to the success of the mission of the AGO. This means recognizing, respecting, and appreciating all cultures and backgrounds-- and fostering the inclusion of differences between people.  Appreciating, valuing and implementing principles of diversity permits AGO employees to achieve their fullest potential in an inclusive, respectful environment.

One recent measure of the AGO's commitment to diversity can be found in its nomination for Rainbow Alliance and Inclusion Network's "Outstanding Agency Award" in 2019.  Our commitment to employee wellness is reflected in earning the 2021 Zo8 Washington Wellness Award.

Division Information

The Labor and Industries Division is comprised of 51 attorneys and 55 professional staff in Tumwater and Seattle. There is someone handling L&I litigation at every AGO location, but the Labor and Industries Division has primary responsibility for assigning cases and providing advice to the Department. The Labor and Industries Division represents and advises the Department of Labor and Industries regarding the state's industrial insurance program, workers' compensation benefits, questions about fair wages and prevailing wage requirements, workplace conditions, and safe work environments, contractor and building issues, crime victim claims, and other issues for workers and employers. The division handles a wide variety of cases from entry level to highly complex matters, and has a robust appellate litigation program. The work touches all businesses and workers in Washington, and is of central importance to the business economy of our state.

Attorneys defend L&I orders before the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals and state courts that are appealed by injured workers who are seeking benefits or additional benefits. To a lesser degree, they also defend L&I orders that assert worker fraud, as well as orders that are appealed by employers who challenge the amount assessed for their workers' compensation premiums, or penalties assessed for violations of WISHA standards. Attorneys also represent L&I before the Office of Administrative Hearings and state courts on contractor and electrical citations, wage and hour citations, prevailing wage citations, employment standards matters, and WISHA discrimination cases, as well as provide client advice on these matters.

With such a diverse practice, our professional staff are continuously engaged in challenging and interesting work. Opportunities to learn and achieve professional growth through experience, mentorship and training are encouraged and supported. Our teams consist of attorneys, paralegals, and legal assistants.What does a Mediation Paralegal 2 do?

The Labor & Industries Division of the Attorney General's Office serves its client agency and the citizens of the state of Washington by providing quality legal advice and strategic representation with the highest standards of excellence, ethics, and effectiveness. This position supports that mission by providing advanced paralegal assistance, which, absent the paralegal, would be performed by an assistant attorney general. These services support attorneys in the practice of law.

The duties primarily include, but are not limited to, mediation of appeals and possibly some backup litigation support:

Mediation of appeals before the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals:

• Under the supervision of an Assistant Attorney General, represent the Department of Labor & Industries at mediation conferences conducted by the Board.

• Review appeal files prior to the first settlement conference.

• Analyze complex legal and factual issues or obtain additional information.

• Conduct investigation to gather relevant information and documents.

• Contact other parties in an effort to resolve appeals.

• Perform legal and medical research as is required by the facts of each appeal and ensure court rules are followed.

• Correspond with others, including potential witnesses and opposing counsel.

• Prepare proposals for settlement and evaluate proposals from other parties, consulting Department employees or senior attorneys.

• Participate in negotiations, discuss and analyze settlement potential with client contacts, and obtain settlement authority to enter into agreements on behalf of the client agency.

• Communicate with the Department by memoranda describing accomplished settlements.

• For assigned cases that do not resolve in mediation, forward files for assignment to attorneys in a timely manner, with a completed review summary that identifies issues, relevant case-related information, potential witnesses, and a narrative as to negotiations in the course of mediation, using prescribed forms.

• Position may require travel to outlying counties within the State.

Litigation support:

This position may handle litigation support duties if there is a business need.  These duties include, but are not limited to:

• Provide paralegal support to attorneys within the divisional programs.

• Review and prepare responses to formal discovery requests, including interrogatories, requests for production, and requests for admission, as well as CR 30(b)(6) deponents.

• Review opposing parties' answers to discovery requests for completeness, evasiveness, and propriety of objections and follow-up on non-responsive answers and additional sources of information.

• Identify, locate, collect, organize, analyze, assess and manage documentary, statistical, computer and demonstrative evidence, including records and other information obtained from public and private sources for use in civil litigation.

This recruitment announcement may be used to fill multiple open positions for the same classification, in addition to the position(s) listed in this announcement.Research suggests that women and people of color are less likely to apply unless they are confident they meet 100% of the listed qualifications. We strongly encourage all interested individuals to apply, and allow us to evaluate your combination of knowledge, skills, and abilities demonstrated using an intentional equity lens.

Combination of four years of experience through paralegal certification, two-year paralegal degree, and/or paraprofessional experience in support of an attorney.

OR

Three years' experience as a Paralegal 1 in Washington State Service.

You may have gained applicable paraprofessional experience through previous Paralegal or Legal Assistant work.APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

In addition to completing the online application, applicants must attach the following documents to their profile in order to be considered for this position:

• A letter of interest, describing your specific qualifications for the position;
• A current resume detailing experience and education.

READ THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION COMPLETELY:

• Carefully review your application for accuracy, spelling and grammar before submitting.

• You may not reapply to this posting for 30 days.

• The initial screening of applications will be solely based on the contents and completeness of the "work experience" and "education" sections of your application in www.careers.wa.gov, completeness of the application material submitted, and responses to the supplemental questionnaire.

• A resume will not substitute for completing the "work experience" section of the application.

• All information may be verified and documentation may be required.

Honoring diversity, equity and inclusion means that as an agency, and as individuals, we are committed to ensuring that all employees and volunteers enjoy a respectful, safe and supportive working environment. Only by fostering the inclusion of people from all backgrounds, cultures and attributes, can AGO employees and volunteers achieve their fullest potential and best advance the goals and mission of the AGO.

The AGO is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation/gender identity, age, disability, honorably discharged veteran or military status, retaliation or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. Persons requiring reasonable accommodation in the application process or requiring information in an alternative format may contact the recruitment team at HREmployment@atg.wa.gov. Those with a hearing impairment in need of accommodation are encouraged to contact the Washington Relay Service at 1-800-676-3777 or www.washingtonrelay.com.

For questions regarding this recruitment or assistance with the application process, please contact Judith Vandergeest @ (360) 586-7691 or Judith.Vandergeest@atg.wa.gov.

If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing or completing your application, please call NEOGOV toll-free at (855) 524-5627 or support@neogov.com.