Paralegal 2, Labor and Industries Division, WA State Office of the Attorney General - Olympia, United States - State of Washington

Description

Persons requiring reasonable accommodation in the application process or requiring information in an alternative format may contact the recruitment team at Those with a hearing impairment in need of accommodation are encouraged to contact the Washington Relay Service at or

Position and Salary Information

The Attorney General's Office is recruiting for a permanent full time Paralegal 2 in the Labor and Industries Division. This position may be 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

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.

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 2022 "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 Paralegal 2 do?

The Labor & Industries Division of the Attorney General's Office serves its client agency and the citizens of the state 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 the attorneys in the practice of law.

Under the direction of an AAG, duties may include but are not limited to:

• Provide paralegal support to attorneys within the divisional programs.
• Independently compose formal discovery requests.
• 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 nonresponsive 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.
• Investigate facts of cases; identify legal issues; develop rapport with, secure cooperation from, and interview potential witnesses, either in person or on the telephone to obtain information relating to the facts of cases.
• Compose comprehensive interview memoranda/reports.
• Interview client personnel to obtain facts and information for responses to formal discovery.
• Independently compose affidavits and/or declarations as attachments to motions and briefs.
• Independently create comprehensive, concise computerized reports outlining evidence to include the evaluation and analysis of the evidence for relevance, credibility, authenticity, and admissibility.
• Recommend and carry out further investigative activities.
• As directed by AAG, appear on behalf of the Department at mediation conferences (either in person or by phone) before the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals.
• Prepare written reports on the results of each mediation conference attended.
• Design and utilize computer databases to organize, maintain, summarize and prepare documents, records, transcripts, audio recordings, photographs and other tangible records and documents, as well as case analysis.
• Prepare cases for hearing or trial, including exhibits, ER 904 Disclosures, witness notices and subpoenas, documentary evidence and demonstrative exhibits.
• Attend and assist at hearing and trial at the discretion of the Assistant Attorney General.
• Organize documents and records produced by the AGO, received by the AGO or requested, subpoenaed or otherwise obtained. This can include filing, preparing documents, production logs, indexes, spreadsheets or other organizational tools.
• Position may require travel to outlying counties within the State.

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.

DESIRED 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.


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:

• You may not reapply to this posting for 60 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
• A resume will not substitute for completing the "work experience" section of the application.
• Please be sure to remove private information such as your Social Security number, date of birth, etc.
• All information may be verified and documentation may be required.

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.

If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing or completing your application, please call NEOGOV toll-free at or

For assistance with the application process, please contact Judith Vandergeest or