Legal Assistant 1, Social & Health Services Division

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 Legal Assistant 1 in the Social & Health Services Division. This position is located in Seattle, Washington, and is represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).
 
Legal Assistant 1 (Range 38) salary range: $39,804 - $52,920
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. 

The AGO provides a workplace that is understanding of work-life balance and promotes advancement by offering a wide variety of professional development and growth opportunities.

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 part-time/hybrid telework options;
• A Wellness Program, an Infants in the Workplace Program, and the Employee Assistance Program, which provides counseling, webinar, and other cost-free support resources;
• Numerous employee-driven affinity groups to foster community and connection, including Bereavement, Elder Care, Parenting, POC, LGBTQ+, Veterans and more. The AGO is a place to belong and make a difference!

About the Social & Health Services Division:

The Social & Health Services Division provides legal support to the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).  Our division handles a variety of work including child abuse, neglect, and termination of parental rights proceedings; vulnerable adult protection and guardianship proceedings; foster care, child-care, and adult family home administrative proceedings; and appeals involving all of these cases.  

This is fast-paced, high-volume litigation.  It requires excellent communication and time-management skills, as well as the ability to juggle competing priorities, think on your feet, and work effectively with a variety of people.  Experience with litigation case-preparation and a commitment to child advocacy are preferred.  This is a great opportunity to handle interesting and meaningful work in a supportive, team-oriented environment in beautiful downtown Seattle.

Duties and Essential Functions of a Legal Assistant 1:

Under supervision of the Legal Assistant 3 supervisor, this position performs general clerical work and basic technical legal assignments within the Social & Health Services Division.  Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Extract and verify case data for accurate and timely processing of legal documents and identification and/or entry of key dates and other data in agency Case Management System (CMS);
• Mail and e-mail processing;
• Processing receipt of dependency petitions and screening referrals for termination of parental rights;
• Organize and send large certified mailings (ICWA) to numerous parties;
• Draft Expert and/or Lay Witness Contracts;
• Receive and distribute discovery via Managed File Transfer;
• Maintain multi-function devices; 
• Determine if division has responsive documents for public record requests and/or Tort lawsuits; 
• Process division invoices; 
• Scan paper documents to electronic form for long-term storage.
• Answer and route phone calls;
• Maintain knowledge of Seattle Office security procedures and act as Floor Warden;
• Other duties as assigned. 

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: 

Option 1: High School diploma or equivalent and two years of clerical experience including a minimum of one year of experience in a legal environment; 

Option 2: Two years of legal office experience; 

Option 3: A combination of three years of college education and/or relevant experience; 

Option 4: A two year degree in Legal Secretary Studies, Paralegal studies or related field of study.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Communicate effectively;
• Build working relationships;
• Be adaptable and flexible;
• Customer focus;
• Database/spreadsheet/research proficiency;
• Development and continual learning;
• Operate office equipment as needed;
• Proofreading to assure accuracy;
• Records and file system maintenance;
• Workload management and teamwork.

In addition to the required AGO competencies for all employees:

• Integrity;
• Performance leadership;
• Organizational and political awareness;
• Results orientation and initiative;
• Accountability;
• Judgment;
• Decisiveness;
• Recognize and support the important of diversity and inclusion.

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.

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.

Equal Employment Opportunity and Accommodations Requests

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 Jenny Wilding @ (360) 753-6216 or Jenny.Wilding@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.