Assistant Attorney General (Temporary) - Education Division, Olympia

State of Washington•Thurston County – Olympia, WA

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Education Division of the WA State Attorney General’s Office has an opportunity for an Assistant Attorney General representing a combination of higher education institutions and K-12 clients. This full-time or part-time, temporary position will be located in the Olympia section of the Education Division. Some travel is required for client meetings and other responsibilities. The work of the Education Division is wide ranging and varied and there are ample opportunities for learning, challenges, and fun. The Education Division serves more than 50 education-related clients, including higher education institutions and K-12 clients. The Olympia section of the Education Division is located in the Highways-Licenses Building in Olympia, on the east capitol campus with excellent access to downtown Olympia and the beautiful State Capitol grounds. This position can be full-time or part-time and will provide legal advice and representation to one or more institutions of higher education and other State education agencies (K-12). The Education Division provides legal services to a broad array of agency clients including the State’s education governance and oversight agencies and 38 institutions of higher education (excluding the University of Washington and Washington State University). The Olympia section of the division serves as the headquarters for education legal work performed around the State. The clients its seven attorneys advise and represent include: the Superintendent of Public Instruction, The Evergreen State College, Central Washington University, seven community or technical colleges, and eleven other education-related agencies. The position involves a mixture of client advice, transactional work, and litigation. The clients are mission-driven and sophisticated. They highly value responsiveness and clear communication. This assignment is challenging, varied, with an opportunity to work on a wide range of topics, including but not limited to labor and employment, student activities and conduct, social media, First Amendment, due process, administrative law, anti-discrimination, land use and public works, contracts and procurement/business transactions, data security, intellectual property, institutional governance, public records, and open public meetings. The subject matter is broad and interesting. The attorney is expected to be able to work collaboratively and coordinate with attorneys for other education-related agencies and keep abreast of education issues both statewide and nationally. This position also represents the client agencies in all non-tort litigation, which may include administrative hearings, labor arbitrations, and original proceedings in state and federal courts. Experience and interest in litigation is desirable. The Education Division fosters a collegial, team environment, supports many clients and covers a broad array of subject matters. Collaborative staffing of legal issues is an important part of the division culture. Typical duties for this position include frequent contact with agency representatives to understand legal issues and needs, timely research and synthesis of relevant law, providing options-based legal advice, providing training, reviewing contracts, negotiating on the clients’ behalf, appearing in administrative proceedings and courts to defend agency decisions and actions, drafting briefs and motions, and working with discovery. Duties also include travel to client agencies for meetings of governing boards, and travel to courthouses, and administrative forums throughout the state; occasionally requiring multi-day/overnight stays.

Requirements

Practiced for a minimum of 5 years.
Interested in a diverse and intellectually stimulating practice.
Comfortable juggling multiple client assignments.
Experience in one or more of the practice areas described above and/or serving education clients or other public sector entities.
A strong interest in education law.
Superior interpersonal skills, including the ability to nurture positive working relationships with sophisticated clients and colleagues.
Ability to engage in clear, high-quality oral and written communication.
Diplomacy and outstanding judgment.
Independent thinking and practical problem-solving skills, and the ability to quickly learn new areas of law.
High caliber research and analytical skills.
Experience interviewing and preparing witnesses for testimony, responding to discovery, and conducting hearings or oral arguments before arbitrators, administrative tribunals, or the state or federal courts.
Ability to successfully handle competing time-sensitive matters and multiple priorities under pressure.
Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively with coworkers and clients.
Highest degree of ethics and professionalism.
Respect and collegiality toward professional staff and attorneys, and the ability to foster teamwork and contribute to our highly-valued positive work environment.
Graduated from a law school accredited by the ABA or completed the WSBA's Rule 6 Law Clerk Program.
Licensed to practice law in Washington state.
Applicants who meet the other stated qualifications and are actively pursuing admission by motion will also be considered.
Committed to public service as demonstrated by an applicant's background, talents, attitude, and enthusiasm for public law practice.

Nice To Haves

Experience in litigation is desirable.

Responsibilities

Provide legal advice and representation to one or more institutions of higher education and other State education agencies (K-12).
Represent client agencies in all non-tort litigation, which may include administrative hearings, labor arbitrations, and original proceedings in state and federal courts.
Frequent contact with agency representatives to understand legal issues and needs.
Timely research and synthesis of relevant law.
Providing options-based legal advice.
Providing training.
Reviewing contracts.
Negotiating on the clients’ behalf.
Appearing in administrative proceedings and courts to defend agency decisions and actions.
Drafting briefs and motions.
Working with discovery.
Travel to client agencies for meetings of governing boards.
Travel to courthouses, and administrative forums throughout the state; occasionally requiring multi-day/overnight stays.