Paralegal 2 | Government Compliance and Enforcement Division | Olympia

State of Washington•Thurston County – Olympia, WA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Attorney General’s Office is recruiting for a permanent full time Paralegal 2 in the Government Compliance and Enforcement Division. This position is located in Olympia, Washington, and is represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE). 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. GCE’s 60 attorneys and professional staff are located on the Capitol Campus with direct access to downtown Olympia and the beautiful State Capitol grounds. GCE provides legal services to nearly 40 state agencies, boards, and commissions, including those that protect citizens by regulating a variety of professions and industries. We offer a professional and inclusive work environment where teamwork, high quality legal service, and work-life balance are highly valued. This position supports the mission, vision, and values of the AGO by performing journey level paralegal work in support of cases assigned to Assistant Attorneys General in litigation of matters in the EDU division as well as administrative support of AAGs. This position provides support to EDU AAGs located in Olympia and Seattle. Work is performed in support of higher education clients may include Eastern Washington University, Central Washington University, Western Washington University, The Evergreen State College and 34 community and technical colleges and state higher education boards. This also includes the K-12 system whose clients include, among others, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education. This position supports AGO’s mission by providing advanced paralegal assistance which, absent the paralegal, would be performed by an assistant attorney general. These services support the attorneys in the practice of law. This position will primarily support attorneys litigating matters on behalf of the Washington State Patrol (WSP). GCE supports a variety of WSP programs, including Speed Camera, Vehicle Impound, Towing and Wrecking, Asset Forfeiture, Ignition Interlock, Emergency Vehicle, Terminal Audit, and the State Fire Marshal. The position will also provide backup support to attorneys litigating matters on behalf of other division clients such as the Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB), the Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC), and the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI).

Requirements

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 One year experience as a Paralegal 1 in Washington State Service.
You may have gained applicable paraprofessional experience through previous Paralegal or Legal Assistant work.
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

Responsibilities

Preparing or reviewing client charging documents : analyzing case fact situations for identification of legal issues and determination of statutory violations in administrative cases; and making recommendations to attorneys.
Discovery : analyzing investigative or client files for identification of attorney-client privilege and work product documents; drafting interrogatories, requests for production, and requests for admissions.
Independently contacting client agencies to obtain documents necessary to complete answers to discovery; and reviewing answers to discovery for completeness, evasiveness and propriety of objections.
Working with clients and witnesses : preparing and coordinating the production of documents for experts; interviewing and reviewing testimony of expert and lay witnesses and prepare summaries of such conversations for the attorney; preparing questions for depositions and summarize deposition transcripts; and keeping clients and witnesses informed of case status.
Trial/Hearing Preparation : drafting witness/exhibit lists and prehearing statements by identifying legal issues, potential witnesses, and exhibits to be used at hearing; drafting declarations and affidavits for clients and witnesses; organizing key documents for use at hearing or trial; and coordinating witness testimony and the management of witnesses at the hearing or trial.
Databases : using databases to track documents, exhibits, depositions, and records; and analyzing, coding, and entering document information into databases.

Benefits

Medical/Dental/Vision for employees & dependent(s)
Vacation, Sick, and Other Leave
11 Paid Holidays per year
Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) plans
Life Insurance
Dependent Care Assistance
Flexible Spending Accounts
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Tuition Waiver
Deferred Compensation
Employee Recognition Leave
Flexible schedules
part-time/hybrid telework options
A Wellness Program
an Infants in the Workplace Program
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.