Team Leader - Children, Youth, and Families Division, PAL Section, Tumwater

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.  

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 - Managing AAG salaries are set between $80,592 and $156,996.  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 Children, Youth, and Families Division (CYF) of the WA State Attorney General's Office has an immediate opening for a Team Leader in the Program Advice and Litigation Section.  

The CYF Division is made up of two sections, the Program Advice and Litigation (PAL) Section, and the Juvenile Litigation Section. The PAL Section has an exciting opportunity for a managing AAG to lead a team of three attorneys in this section that advises and represents Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) Headquarters staff. It is anticipated that the team’s work will include representing DCYF in public disclosure and contract issues. The Team Leader will work in dynamic legal fields involving child welfare, juvenile rehabilitation, and licensing systems that provide critical support to children and families. The work and responsibilities of this division have a significant impact on the families and children of our state. The satisfaction that comes from doing this work and supporting the professional development of other attorneys and staff is profoundly rewarding.

About the Section’s Work

The PAL Section has several major areas of responsibility, which include: DCYF headquarters advice and representation; policy support to the AGO when needed on child welfare, early learning, and juvenile rehabilitation issues; and statewide juvenile litigation and appellate coordination. Legal advice to DCYF covers a range of topics, including: the state and federal Indian Child Welfare Acts, civil rights and racial equity, foster care and childcare licensing, adoption, confidentiality and public disclosure, contracts, child abuse and neglect, children's health, and many others. Litigation can include lawsuits arising from contracts or disclosure claims, administrative appeals, and class action litigation seeking injunctive relief. The section also handles appeals of termination of parental rights and dependency orders for several counties, and consults on and edits appellate briefs for division colleagues and other divisions that represent DCYF statewide. A typical workweek can vary greatly, but may include: assigning cases, providing written and verbal client advice, editing a team member’s appellate brief or client advice memo, consulting and coordinating with team members about client advice, and participating in stakeholder meetings with the client. 

Leading a Team

The Team Leader will join the sixteen-attorney PAL Section and will serve as a member of the CYF Division Management Team. In addition to maintaining their own assignments and cases, the Team Leader will supervise three attorneys who work together in the challenging and rewarding work of representing and advising DCYF Headquarters and program staff. The Team Leader will report to the PAL Section Chief. The position is located in the Tumwater Attorney General’s Office and may involve occasional travel within the state.

The ideal candidate will have a passion for training attorneys and staff on litigation skills and legal requirements related to child welfare, early learning, and juvenile rehabilitation, knowledge of some or all of these areas, strong written legal writing and client advice skills, and is a confident communicator and collaborator who also enjoys working independently. 

In addition to meeting the requirements to serve as an Assistant Attorney General, desirable qualifications for legal work and management include:

• The ability to work with sophisticated clients who are responsible for critical programs of statewide significance,
• Demonstrated knowledge of legal and programmatic issues affecting DCYF client representatives, including understanding of client policies and client constituency,
• Comprehensive knowledge of rules and procedures related to assigned practice areas,
• The ability to provide excellent written and verbal client advice, 
• Significant experience in child welfare, childcare and early learning, and/or juvenile rehabilitation practice, and
• Demonstrated ability to foster teamwork and collaboration and promote a positive work environment that recognizes and respects all employees.

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 $80,592 and $156,996. The exact amount is set in accordance with Appendix B of the AWAAG CBA.  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 (10 pages or less). 

If you have questions about this position and/or want to learn more about it before applying, you are welcome and encouraged to contact Section Chief Carissa Greenberg at (360) 586-6498 or by email at Carissa.Greenberg@atg.wa.gov or Division Chief Carrie Wayno at (360) 586-6506 or by email at Carrie.Wayno@atg.wa.gov. 

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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 AGO 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 dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability 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.