Paralegal 4 | Labor and Industries Division | Multiple Locations Statewide

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 two permanent full time Paralegal 4s in the Labor and Industries Division. These positions may be located in Tumwater, Tacoma, Seattle, or Spokane, Washington, and are represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).

Paralegal 4 Salary Range (Range 62): $74,748 - $100,488/annually

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.

• Paralegal 3s assigned to work within King County receive Group C Assignment Pay in addition to their base pay. The Group C pay percentage received at this classification is a limited premium and applies at the Paralegal 2 classification.
  • King County Paralegal 3s – 5% Group C Assignment Pay

• 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 Labor and Industries Division
The LNI Division is a dynamic, diverse, inclusive, and collegial division. All of the LNI Division's 120+ staff are respected for their individual contributions and attributes, and all share the same commitment to serving the public by providing excellent legal services in support of their client's mission to protect workers, preserve the industrial insurance accident fund, and help injured workers heal and return to work.

The LNI Division works with partner divisions across the state to handle all aspects of workers’ compensation litigation and appeals, starting with the foundational work of our team of mediation paralegals. Mediation paralegals appear as representatives of the Division and Department of Labor and Industries (Department) to seek early, effective, ethical, creative, and practical resolutions to workers’ compensation appeals before the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals, helping the Division and Department serve their mission to keep Washington safe and working. 


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. 


Duties and Essential Functions of a Paralegal 4
Mediation Paralegal 4s will be responsible for supervising a team of Paralegal 3s, both mediation paralegals and supervisors, across the state. They are also responsible for developing and implementing strategic goals, processes, and trainings for mediation for the LNI statewide team.

What do mediation paralegals do? LNI’s mediation paralegals are an invaluable resource in finding early resolutions to cases that would otherwise go through the mediation process. When parties appeal Department orders, mediation paralegals may be assigned to preliminarily assess the case, suggest or review resolution options, and represent the Department in both mediation conferences and in direct negotiations, before a case moves on to formal litigation. They are responsible for assessing the legal and factual strengths of cases and understanding the laws, policies, and goals of the client Department in order to craft and assess possible resolutions. Mediation paralegals use knowledge, creativity, and an understanding of the Department’s priorities to identify, craft, and recommend novel solutions and strategies to the Department. If cases do not resolve, they also provide their assessments and any other strategically useful information they have prepared to the later-assigned Assistant Attorneys General, who rely on the mediation paralegals’ reports to prepare for the later phases of strategy and litigation in appeals.

What will the mediation P4s do? In addition to supervising mediation paralegals, the mediation P4s are charged with developing overarching statewide strategy for mediation practices, including assignment, training, organization, and interaction with litigation and litigation support. This position is expected to set statewide strategy to balance the highest quality outcomes for the client and customers with maximizing mediation effectiveness and resolution rates.

Duties include:

• Strategic management of paralegal-led mediation practice. 
  • This position will help develop establish and maintain standards for mediation across all of the LNI statewide team.
  • The successful P4 will identify and develop reporting on mediation outcomes and other substantive aspects of mediation and will analyze mediation practices, data, services, and outcomes for the Division and client.
• Coordinating with stakeholders involved in LNI mediation practice to assess and improve mediation practice. 
  • This position will work with the statewide mediation team, Assistant Attorneys General, program advisors, the client agency, and tribunals to assess, identify, and recommend best practices for mediation statewide.
• Work on mediation cases.
  • The successful P4 will occasionally handle mediations as the primary paralegal including in cases that can be used for training or learning opportunities, matters that would allow for workload balancing for the team, particularly complex mediation matters, and working with mediation paralegals to discuss and strategize on difficult cases, novel legal issues, and ways to improve processes and outcomes.
• Lead and manage a team of mediation paralegals and supervisors as part of the Division’s management teams.
• Design and implement training for the statewide team of mediation paralegals and supervisors.

A successful P4 will embrace and benefit from LNI’s growth-oriented culture that encourages learning and giving and receiving feedback, asking for and offering help in a supportive and collegial environment, and problem solving with creativity, inclusiveness, and the highest ethical standards.

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.


Required 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 seven 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

• One year experience as a Paralegal 3 in Washington State Service.

OR

• Equivalent experience.

*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 & Abilities

• Knowledge of and/or ability to build skill in paralegal practices, policies and procedures 
• Familiarity with and successful application of management principles and practices, including training and supervision 
• Ability to develop and implement long and short-term strategic planning 
• Gainful participation in organizational development 
• Ability to develop and implement internal operating procedures 
• Effectively supervise and provide appropriate direction to lower-level supervisors 
• Conduct effective meetings 
• Organize, prioritize and manage a large number of projects and diverse work groups 
• Effectively communicate both orally and in writing 
• Work independently 

Preferred qualifications that may enhance success but are not required include: 

• Proficiency in computerized litigation or legal work support systems and familiarity with administrative, state, and federal court rules with a thorough understanding of applicable rules. 
• Knowledge of and teaching capacity in a variety of litigation or legal work support software systems. 

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.
• The Washington State Office of the Attorney General does not use the E-Verify system; therefore, we are not eligible to extend STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT). For more information, please visit www.uscis.gov.
• The AGO complies with employment eligibility verification requirements of the federal employment eligibility verification form, I-9, and the selected candidate for these roles, on the first day of employment, must be able to provide proof of identity and eligibility to work in the Unities States consistent with the requirements of form I-9. In order to proceed in the consideration process at AGO, you will need to provide work authorization that would not require the AGO to sign a cooperative education agreement with a school.

Commitment to Diversity
Diversity is critical to the success of the mission of the AGO and we are committed to building an anti-racist and equitable agency. It is our goal to identify, discuss, and challenge racial inequity in the workplace and the impact it has on our employees, and, within our authority, combat racism that impacts the people of the State of Washington. 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 a professional, inclusive, respectful environment.

Our commitment to employee wellness is reflected in earning the 2025 "Zo8 Washington Wellness Award".


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.