Section Chief - Criminal Justice Division's Sexually Violent Predator Unit, Seattle

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. 

All employees and volunteers of the Washington State Attorney General's Office serve a crucial role in the protection of the state, its people and resources, thereby providing an incomparable degree of job satisfaction. The AGO is composed of diverse, collegial and supremely talented legal professionals who are resolute in their commitment to public service and share the common goal of advancing the public interest. For more information about the AGO, we encourage you to review the Office's Annual Report which can be found HERE and view THIS VIDEO. 

The Office appreciates the benefits of a healthy life-work balance as well as a respectful, inclusive and diverse workplace. Successful candidates will join an Office in which every person is committed to providing exceptional legal services and where individual professional development is encouraged and supported.  The exceptional benefits of joining the AGO include: 

• A competitive benefit package that includes affordable medical plan options, dental benefits and retirement plans

• Vacation Leave, Sick Leave, Military and Civil Leave and Paid Holidays

• Transparent salary schedule - AAG salaries are set between $78,240 and $146,556.  The exact amount is set in accordance with Appendix B of the AWAAG CBA

• The AGO will pay the general bar dues of someone who begins their assignment on or before January 31st per Article 10.8 of the AWAAG CBA

• Flex schedules and telecommuting options

• A formal AAG mentoring program that complements the AGO's inherently collegial and supportive environment

• Health and wellness program

• Training and career development program that is recognized for its excellence and efficacy by AGOs nationwide 

The Bob Keppel Criminal Justice Division has an exciting opportunity in its Seattle office for an attorney interested in managing the division's Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) Unit. The mission of the Criminal Justice Division is to work with and support its partners in the criminal justice community in creating safe communities. The attorney selected for this position will work to provide safer communities by overseeing the prosecution of sexually violent predator civil commitment cases throughout Washington State pursuant to Chapter 71.09 RCW.

Washington's sexually violent predator statutes, Chapter 71.09 RCW, generally provide that persons are sexually violent predators if they have previously been convicted or charged with a crime of sexual violence; and they suffer from a mental abnormality or personality disorder which makes them likely to engage in predatory acts of sexual violence if not confined in a secure facility. The SVP Unit prosecutes the civil commitment of persons identified as sexually violent predators throughout 38 of Washington's 39 counties.

SVP's are housed at the Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island pending trial and post-commitment, unless court-approved for a less-restrictive alternative (LRA) release to the community. LRA litigation is a burgeoning subcategory of the SVP Unit's litigation work.

Work in the SVP Unit is demanding but performed by dedicated staff working collegially towards the common goal of protecting the community. We seek a leader for this group.

The selected candidate will supervise attorneys who primarily practice in Washington's superior courts, but who also handle appellate cases in the Washington State Court of Appeals, Washington State Supreme Court, and federal courts on an occasional basis. SVP cases are civil in nature but some aspects of criminal law come into play. The litigation duties of the attorneys this position will supervise include discovery practice under the civil rules, taking and defending depositions, submitting and responding to interrogatories and requests for production, jury and/or bench trials, and extensive motion practice. Because liberty is at stake, certain constitutional protections afforded to criminal defendants also come in to play during the SVP civil commitment process.

In addition to meeting the qualifications to serve as an Assistant Attorney General, we seek an attorney with the demonstrated trial experience necessary to advise and direct the litigation of the SVP Unit. We also seek someone adept at managing a large statewide program and a diverse mix of attorneys and staff of varying degrees of experience.

The attorney hired for this position will directly supervise three attorney managers, one appellate attorney, and one senior investigator. Mentoring attorneys during stressful litigation is an important component of this position. The attorney hired for this position will supervise the totality of the unit's litigation work, which is performed by 16 attorneys, an investigator, and the division's dedicated paralegal staff.

Attorney and paralegal staff are primarily located in the Seattle office of the AGO, but some SVP Unit attorney staff are located in the Spokane office of the AGO. The SVP Section Chief reports directly to the Division Chief of the Criminal Justice Division, and at times works with the AGO Administrative Division, including the Attorney General and his staff and the Public Affairs Unit. The attorney hired to this position also serves as a liaison and meets regularly with numerous agencies involved in the SVP civil commitment process, including the Washington State Department of Corrections, the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, the End of Sentence Review Board, and local law enforcement and prosecutors' offices.

To serve as an Assistant Attorney General, one must have graduated from a law school accredited by the ABA or completed the WSBA's Rule 6 Law Clerk Program; and be licensed to practice law in Washington state. (Applicants who meet the other stated qualifications and are actively pursuing admission by motion will also be considered.) The AGO seeks applicants who are committed to public service as demonstrated by an applicant's background, talents, attitude, and enthusiasm for public law practice. The AGO greatly encourages, celebrates and values diversity, appreciating that a workforce composed of those from different backgrounds and experiences creates an inclusive environment, strengthens positive relationships with the local community and brings new perspectives and approaches to fulfill its mission of providing excellent, independent and ethical legal services to the State of Washington and protecting the rights of its people. 

NOTE! The selected applicant will be required to submit to and pass a fingerprint-based criminal background check conducted by the Washington State Patrol. The incumbent will submit to additional background checks as a condition of employment every five (5) years thereafter.

This Managing Assistant Attorney General position is represented by the Association of Washington Assistant Attorneys General (AWAAG) / Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) AFSCME Council 28, AFL-CIO.  Managing AAG salaries are set between $78,240 and $146,556.

The exact amount is set in accordance with Appendix B of the AWAAG CBA. Note that the position's location is King County and thus the person hired would be eligible for 5% King County Assignment pay per legislative action.  A competitive state benefits package is also offered which includes a choice of medical/dental insurance plans, retirement, life and basic long-term disability insurance.

In addition, there are non-financial benefits that include working in a collaborative and supportive work environment where professional development and work-life balance are highly valued.  The health, safety and professional satisfaction of all AGO staff and volunteers is critical to fulfilling the mission of the AGO to provide exceptional legal services. Complementing and fostering this goal is a long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship, as evidenced in the AGO's environmental policies.

Interested applicants must apply by hitting the "apply" button above.  In addition to the on-line application, one must upload, via the system and preferably as PDFs:

• A letter of interest;

• Resume;

• Law school transcript (unofficial copy is acceptable); and

• Writing sample.

If you have questions about this position and/or wish to learn more about it before applying, we welcome and encourage you to contact Division Chief John Hillman at John.Hillman@atg.wa.gov.

• 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.