Assistant Attorney General - Civil Rights Division, Seattle or Spokane

All employees and volunteers of the Washington State Attorney General's Office (AGO) 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 - Assistant Attorney General (AAG) salaries are set between $76,752 and $149,508.  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 

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The Wing Luke Civil Rights Division of the Washington State Attorney General’s Office seeks experienced litigators with a demonstrated commitment to civil rights and public service to join the Division’s affirmative civil rights team. 

This position will undertake affirmative investigation and litigation to enforce the constitutional and civil rights of Washingtonians. The Civil Rights Division has led some of the most visible and cutting-edge enforcement matters the office undertakes, including Washington’s challenges to the federal government’s Travel Ban, Transgender Military Service Ban, and repeal of DACA. We have successfully challenged labor practices at the Northwest Detention Center and in industries ranging from aerospace to agriculture. 

The Civil Rights Division works to protect the rights of Washingtonians to live and participate in our communities without discrimination on the bases of protected characteristics including: race, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran or military status, disability, or use of a service animal by a person with a disability. We take on unconstitutional police practices and challenge discrimination by nationwide companies like Motel 6, Greyhound, Facebook, and O’Reilly Auto Parts. 

We work closely with the Solicitor General’s Office, Consumer Protection Division, and other AGO divisions and state agencies to enforce Washington laws in state and federal courts. For example, we recently partnered to lead a multi-state lawsuit to protect reproductive choice by removing excessively burdensome regulations for a medication abortion drug; and, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we enforced Governor Inslee’s emergency moratorium on evictions, ensuring compliance by housing developers, affordable housing providers, and a national sorority. 

Interested candidates are encouraged to review the Division’s full list of cases and amicus briefs.

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This ATTORNEY position is one that develops, files, and litigates enforcement actions and is assigned a docket that is fast-paced, innovative, and complex. The Civil Rights Division’s cases are litigated in state and federal courts, both trial and appellate, throughout the state and country. Casework for this position will include all phases of investigation and litigation, including fact development, case filing, discovery, motions practice, trial, and appeal. As plaintiff-side litigators working on behalf of the public, attorneys in the Division are expected to show initiative and advance their assigned matters expeditiously towards resolution. 

In addition to AGO-initiated enforcement work, this position will represent the Washington State Human Rights Commission in enforcement matters under the Washington Law Against Discrimination. These matters are prosecuted in the Office of Administrative Hearings or superior court. Like our enforcement work at the direction of the Attorney General, representing the Human Rights Commission involves litigating cases from start to finish. This position will also enforce the Healthy Starts Act’s provisions requiring reasonable accommodations for pregnant employees, and the Fair Chance Act’s prohibition on job advertisements that unfairly exclude applicants because of criminal history. 

Beyond investigation and litigation duties, attorneys contribute to the Division’s amicus and policy work on matters affecting the public interest. The Civil Rights Division engages in significant public outreach and education on civil rights topics and serves as a resource on civil rights issues within state government. Our attorneys advise the Attorney General, Legislative Director, and Policy Director on issues impacting civil rights and social justice, including proposed legislation. Civil Rights Division attorneys are routinely asked to represent the AGO in public or media settings on matters that may be sensitive, high-profile, and that carry elevated media interest. And like all Division lawyers and staff, this position will contribute to the Division’s work to promote vibrant, anti-racist, and inclusive community and governmental partnerships.   

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The Wing Luke Civil Rights Division is located in Seattle and consists of seventeen attorneys, four investigators, and seven professional staff members. Each member of our team is committed to the highest-quality work. We value collaboration, diversity, creativity, and collegiality.

The selected candidates will work in downtown Seattle or Spokane, as determined during the interview and hiring process. This position requires statewide travel, including overnight trips. Out-of-state travel may also be required.

In addition to meeting the qualifications to serve as an Assistant Attorney General, all of the following are required qualifications:

• Three or more years of civil litigation experience, including experience with written discovery and depositions, working with witnesses including experts, the full range of non-dispositive and dispositive motions, and presenting evidence in an administrative or courtroom setting; 
• Exceptional and positive interpersonal and communication skills, including demonstrated cultural competence and experience working with individuals from diverse cultural, language, educational, and geographic backgrounds; 
• Commitment to race equity and social justice;
• Commitment to community lawyering and structural reforms to empower vulnerable populations;
• Strong analytical, research, and writing skills and the ability consistently to produce high-quality work; 
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the ability successfully to handle competing, time-sensitive assignments; 
• A high level of motivation with the ability to work independently, be a team player, and devote the time necessary to complete the work; and 
• Demonstrated discretion, excellent judgment, and the ability to work well as a member of a litigation team that is working under pressure.

For these positions, the ability to read, write, and/or speak a language in addition to English is preferred.

These Assistant Attorney General positions are represented by the Association of Washington Assistant Attorneys General (AWAAG) / Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) AFSCME Council 28, AFL-CIO. AAG salaries are set between $76,752 and $149,508. The exact amount is set in accordance with Appendix B of the AWAAG CBA. The salary of an employee whose official duty station is Seattle would reflect 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, preferably as PDFs: 

• A letter of interest;
• Resume;
• Law school transcript (unofficial copy is acceptable); and
• Writing sample

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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 Office of the Attorney General is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained 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.