Paralegal 2, Consumer Protection Division, Washington State Office of the Attorney General

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. 

This position is open to current permanent employees of the Washington State Office of the Attorney General only.

Position and Salary 

The Attorney General’s Office is recruiting for a permanent full time Paralegal 2 in the Consumer Protection Division. This position is located in Seattle, 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. 

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.

Agency Information

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.

Division Information

The Consumer Protection Division (CP) is composed of attorneys and professional staff. The division enforces the Consumer Protection Act (RCW 19.86) and other statutes to help keep the Washington marketplace free of unfair and deceptive practices. The division investigates and files legal actions to stop unfair and deceptive practices, recovers refunds for consumers, seeks penalties against offending entities, and recovers costs and fees to ensure that wrongdoers pay for their actions. Division staff participate in the many legislative initiatives that affect consumer protection each year.  The Consumer Protection Division also includes public service programs including the Consumer Resource Center and administers the Washington State Lemon Law Program and the Manufactured Housing Dispute Resolution Program.

Professional staff can expect to participate in high-profile consumer protection litigation such as State v. Navient (student lending), State v. Providence (charity care violations), State v. Google (unlawful privacy practices), State v. Chuck’sTowing (failure to comply with Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act), State v. CA Certificate Services (government imposter), State v. Federal Way Discount Guns (unlawful sale of large capacity magazines), State v.Puppyland (predatory lending), State v. CLA Estate Services,Inc., et al. (financial exploitation of seniors), and State v.LuLaRoe (misrepresentations regarding profitability).

What does a Paralegal 2 do?

In support of the Mission and Values of the Attorney General's Office, Consumer Protection Division, the primary purpose of this position is to supervise legal support staff and to perform expert level legal support to CP Division AAGs enforcing the Consumer Protection Act.

 Professional staff in the Consumer Protection Division are valued members of litigation teams.  Their input is critical to case management and strategy.   The division is a collaborative environment where individuals’ contributions are equally valued. If you are offered this position, you can expect to be an active participant in case planning and provide valuable input when big decisions are being made.  

If you enjoy helping people reach their full potential and career goals and being a part of a collaborative team environment, this position is for you! This position would lead a team of legal assistants and paralegals and would include supervising, training, and coaching legal professional staff in the performance of all assignments, projects and job duties. The division will tap into your experience and training to ensure quality, timeliness, and continuous process improvements of litigation support services by monitoring workload of direct reports. You will act as a resource to division staff for questions and concerns regarding legal support services, assignments, and litigation support systems used by the division or office. Your organizational skills will be necessary to resolving workload overflow and conflicts using your knowledge of legal support staff assignments by determining workload distribution of the team. 

Paralegal duties will be a critical part of the work assigned.  You will provide support to division attorneys, including scheduling and coordinating their litigation activities. You will review legal documents for proper format and ensure court rules have been followed. You will draft and prepare pleadings, discovery, and case information at attorneys’ request. You will initiate correspondence and pleadings for attorneys’ signatures, and proofread, format, and finalize letters, memos, reports, and pleadings. As matters approach trial, you will be a critical part of the team, providing trial support on CP enforcement cases, compiling exhibits/attachments, maintaining service lists, and ensuring that legal documents are prepared and processed to meet legal requirements and all filing deadlines. You will also maintain physical and electronic files, including electronic calendars, and keep attorneys and other paralegals informed of upcoming deadlines (status reports, discovery deadlines, brief filing deadlines, hearings, etc.).

This position will be well suited to candidates who prefer diversity in their daily work.  There is a long list of ways that you will contribute to the Division in addition to litigation related tasks. Your leadership skills will be particularly important to your success in this position.  

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.

Conditions of Employment 

Supplemental Information

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.

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.