Paralegal 2 W/Supervisory Duties Complex Litigation 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 Supervisor in the Complex Litigation Division. This position is located in Tumwater, Tacoma, or 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.

About the Complex Litigation Divsion:

The Complex Litigation Division is comprised of 28 Attorneys, 25 Paralegals, 1 Administrative Office Manager, 1 Investigator, and 1 Legal Office Assistant.

The affirmative litigation in which members of the Complex Litigation Division may participate includes cases similar to Washington v. McKesson Corp. and Washington v. Johnson & Johnson, two of Washington's lawsuits related to the opioid epidemic; Washington v. Meta (Facebook), a campaign finance enforcement action against Meta/Facebook related to its political advertisements; Washington v. JUUL, a consumer protection lawsuit challenging the e-cigarette company's targeting of underage consumers; and innovative financial institution litigation focused on recovering the state unemployment benefits stolen during the pandemic.

The defensive litigation in which members of the Complex Litigation Division may participate includes cases defending the constitutionality of state statutes and class action litigation brought against state agencies. These cases may be similar to the many state and federal cases challenging the constitutionality of COVID-19-related emergency proclamations issued by Governor Inslee and the Legislature; Wahkiakum School District v. Washington, an action seeking to require funding of school building construction; and Mitchell v. Atkins, a challenge to the constitutionality of a voter-approved gun control initiative. The Division also fulfills a leading role for the Office in the enforcement of the tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.

Duties and Essential Functions of a Paralegal 2 Supervisor:

The primary focus of this position is to supervise paralegals. This position also performs expert level legal support functions for attorneys or equivalent while applying independent judgment in completing complex tasks and projects such as:  determining the distribution of subordinates' workload and resolving workload conflicts using expert knowledge of legal support assignments and drafting new office procedures and updating office manuals to maximize the efficiency and operations of a legal office.

This position participates as part of the Complex Litigation management team.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Composes, formats, proofreads, prepares, serves, and files pleadings, motions, briefs, and other legal documents in State and Federal courts.

• Prepare initial responsive pleadings and correspondence in a civil lawsuit, subsequent answer and jury demand; discovery pleadings, both propounded and responsive, such as interrogatories and requests for production; motions, affidavits, briefs, responses, and proposed orders; cost bills; deposition notices and subpoenas; appellate pleadings, motions, and briefs, as well  as other documents required by court rule.

• Prepares and initiates lawsuits in State and Federal Courts.

• Checks legal citations and references and checks case citations using WestCheck.

• Obtains due dates from court documents or court rules and keeps tickle calendar; keeps litigation team informed of approaching due dates.

• Schedules depositions and hearings, and makes arrangements with court reporters, conference rooms, and travel reservations.

• Contacts court/judge, attorneys, and parties to legal actions to obtain and relay technical information at attorney's request. Accepts calls for attorney and sets appointments; schedules hearings and meetings on the attorney's behalf.

• Receives, reads, and dockets incoming mail.

• Reviews Critical Events prepared by Critical Event Reader to verify accuracy of date calculations and postings to team calendars.

In addition, this position performs paralegal duties including collecting and organizing information and documents related to litigation, potential litigation, or legal services to state agency clients. Locates witnesses by searching discovery records, telephoning or checking other sources of information. Composes, organizes and enters factual information and documents related to litigation into computer databases. Logs and assists with organization and preparation of large volumes of documents related to litigation. Tracks documents, exhibits, pleadings, depositions, and other information by utilizing databases. Identifies, compiles and prepares documents for discovery and trial.  Prepares, organizes and assembles trial materials, including trial notebooks, trial briefs, jury instructions, exhibits, courtroom aids, pre- and post-trial motions. Keeps clients and witnesses informed on progress of cases.  Assists attorneys during trial within the office and in the courtroom as requested.

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.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Qualifications:

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.

The most competitive candidates will possess the following desired qualifications:

• Litigation experience

• Supervisor experience

• Public service experience

About the 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.

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.

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.