Paralegal 2 | Corrections Division | Olympia

State of Washington • Thurston County – Tumwater, WA

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Attorney General’s Office is recruiting for a permanent full time Paralegal 2 in the Corrections Division. This position is located in Tumwater, Washington, and is represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE). The Corrections Division is looking for a professional who thrives in a fast-paced, collegial environment to join our team. The Corrections Division consists of legal assistants, paralegals and attorneys who are located in the Olympia and Spokane Offices. The mission of the Corrections Division is to work with and support its partners in the criminal justice community to create and maintain safe communities. Corrections Division staff represent and advise the Department of Corrections, Indeterminate Sentence Review Board, Governor’s Clemency and Pardons Board, and Governor’s Office on extraditions and detainers. Pursuant to RCW 9.94A.880, the division provides administrative staff for the operation of the Clemency and Pardons Board. The professional staff and AAGs in the Corrections Division are a collaborative and collegial team, and work closely with client agency staff. Professional staff within the Corrections Division are engaged in challenging and interesting work. Opportunities to learn and achieve professional growth through experience, mentorship and training are encouraged and supported.

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.
• 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
• Knowledge of SharePoint and other various electronic database programs
• Records management
• Workload management
• Organizational skills

Responsibilities

• Provides direct support to the Governor’s Office Clemency and Pardons Board (CPB or Board) and works with the other CPB team members providing support services to help the Board fulfill its statutory responsibilities.
• Ensures the Board has the support needed to fulfill its statutory responsibility to receive and consider petitions for commutations, pardons, and restoration of civil rights.
• Builds and maintains relationships with petitioners, counsel for petitioners, prosecutors, and others involved in the clemency process.
• Serves as one of the primary liaisons with the Governor’s Office for Board matters.
• Timely and efficiently reviews new petitions for completeness, sends acknowledgment of receipt of petitions, prepares and transmits electronic petition files for the Board’s preliminary review via SharePoint, communicates Board decisions to grant/deny hearings, closes files for which petitioners are denied hearings, prepares files/matters for petitioners granted hearings, and sends transcripts and results of hearings to the Governor’s Office for final action.
• Provides timely communication to petitioners when the Board acts on petitions.
• Utilizes template letters used to communicate relevant information to petitioners and others involved in the clemency process.
• Follows the implemented system for promptly acknowledging initial receipt of petitions and notifying petitioners when the Board acts on their petitions.
• Facilitates quarterly live public hearings either via Zoom or in-person, securing a location for in-person hearings as needed.
• Communicates with prosecuting attorney offices, victims, and advocates to schedule and arrange their testimony at hearings.
• Creates hearing agendas, files with the Code Reviser’s Office, and posts the schedule on the Governor’s Office public website.
• Provides required notice to prosecutors, arranges for interpreters and court reporters for hearing transcription and TVW broadcast, and processes requests for reimbursement of expenses.
• Assists with public records requests directed to the Board.
• Thoroughly searches for potentially responsive CPB records held by the AGO, documents the search, and timely provides identified records to the Governor’s Office once identified, and with appropriate redactions.
• Provides backup to other paralegals in the Corrections Division on various tasks, including litigation and administrative support of the Division’s work.

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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree