Supervising Paralegal 2, Torts Division, Tacoma

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 Paralegal 2 in the Torts Division. This position is located in Tacoma, Washington, and is represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).
 
Paralegal 2 (Range 55) salary range: $59,844 - $80,460
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 Torts Division:

The Torts Division defends tort claims and lawsuits against all state agencies, officers and employees. Many cases are based on actions brought under theories of liability for state actions such as highway design, release of inmates, injuries on state property, medical malpractice, employment, childcare and custody, auto accidents, maritime injuries, false arrests and unreasonable force. Tort attorneys also provide legal and risk management advice to the Office of Financial Management and state agencies on tort matters.

Duties and Essential Functions of a Paralegal 2 Supervisor:

This position provides advanced paralegal assistance to Torts Division Assistant Attorneys General in order to provide defense of claims and lawsuits against the State of Washington, its agencies and employees, supervising team paralegals and legal assistant support staff. The paralegal initiates and continues the discovery process to retrieve and analyze the documentation and evidence necessary to support and defend the State's case and continues that assistance to the conclusion of the claim, lawsuit, and/or appeal. This position supervises, trains, motivates, and coaches three Paralegal 1’s and one Legal Assistant 1 on the Tacoma Torts Division team.

Paralegal duties:

• Compose letters, pleadings and other documents by researching legal issues and completing detailed legal analysis to prepare briefing, including, but not limited to, affidavits, motions, memoranda in support of motions for summary judgment, and mediation memoranda and claim resolutions. 

• Conduct legal, medical and other technical research utilizing Westlaw, library resources, available databases and the internet on assigned multi-issue tort claims with high dollar exposure. Prepare research reports. Review, organize, and evaluate damage information, calculate damages (medical costs, wage loss, property damage) and prepare, maintain, and update damages.  
• Recommend strategic options to Assistant Attorneys General during claim and lawsuit investigation, including analysis of legal issues, based on available agency and claimant/plaintiff evidence.
• Design, develop and implement methods for gathering client records for utilization in support of settlement or legal defense. 
• Compile, analyze, and/or present case and claim data for reporting to Division and AGO leadership, client agency representatives, Department of Enterprise Service liaisons, and other stakeholders.    

Supervisory duties:

• Responsible for work assignments and workload distribution.  Assist in the development of systems and procedures to assure effective and efficient paralegal case management and work methods.  Oversee and monitor work methods and systems used by paralegal staff. Formulate and implement policies and procedures for improvement of services to include paralegal and legal support staff training in all available technologies.  Responsible for professional development of paralegal and legal support staff. This includes researching, developing and providing trainings. 
• Conduct regular meetings to review workloads, legal issues, training needs, equipment needs, and personnel issues.  Conduct regular supervisory meetings to discuss team and division needs and determine how to meet those needs.
• Evaluate work performance and timely complete the Professional Development Plan for supervised staff.   Approve or deny leave and training requests for assigned staff.  Review and approve monthly timesheets for assigned staff. 
• Participate in interviewing and selection of assigned staff candidates and handle personnel matters.

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.

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
• Paralegal plus (or nine-month paralegal, post BA) certification,

and/or

• Paraprofessional experience in support of an attorney

OR

• Three years’ experience as a Paralegal 1 in Washington State Service.

Examples of paraprofessional experience in support of an attorney:

• Preparing legal pleadings and legal correspondence
• Ensuring and verifying timely and proper service of legal documents
• Calculating, verifying, and calendaring critical events and other dates
• Managing case documents, files and exhibits
• Tracking and organizing discovery documents
• Researching legal issues and verifying legal citations and references for accuracy

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Experience in the following items is desired: 

• supervising and training employees;
• legal case management and analysis;
• electronic document management, redaction, and production; 
• working with a high volume of sensitive information; 
• appellate practice; and
• settlement negotiations and mediation presentation. 

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 the recruitment team at HREmployment@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.