Paralegal 3, Environmental Protection Division, Seattle

State of Washington•King County - Seattle - Downtown Business, WA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Attorney General’s Office is recruiting for a permanent full time Paralegal 3 in the Environmental Protection Division. This position is located in Seattle, Washington, and is represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE). The Attorney General’s Environmental Protection Division works to protect Washingtonians and our environment by bringing affirmative civil and criminal litigation targeting activities that place human health and the environment at risk. That work includes cases related to water and air quality, toxic chemicals, climate change, worker safety, public lands, fish and wildlife, and environmental justice. The Division brings both civil lawsuits and criminal prosecutions for serious violations of state environmental law. The Environmental Protection Division consists of eighteen attorneys, two investigators, and nine professional staff. The Division works closely with the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, and with the state Department of Ecology and Department of Fish and Wildlife. The primary purpose of this position is to supervise legal professional staff and to perform expert level legal support to EPD AAGs enforcing environmental laws in both criminal and civil actions. Professional staff in EPD 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 key decisions are being made. The Division’s management strives to have engaging, interesting, and fulfilling work that is well suited to the experience level and interests of the individual staff members. The Division works to balance the staffing needs of investigations and cases with finding teams who work well together, fostering a collaborative work environment. The Division’s management also makes professional growth a priority. Professional staff are encouraged to take on more responsibility as their careers progress. Training, leadership, and professional development are all opportunities this position will provide. 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 paralegals assigned to a variety of criminal and civil matters 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 and assignments. 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.

Requirements

This position is open to current permanent employees of the Washington State Office of the Attorney General only.
Combination of six 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 Two years’ experience as a Paralegal 2 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.
Experience in various state and federal courts or ability to apply court rules for the successful submission of legal filings.
Skilled in use of databases designed to manage cases and document review.
Experience in all phases of case management from pre-filing discovery through discovery and at trial.
A valid driver’s license is required to lawfully operate state vehicles.
This position requires the use of a vehicle on occasion.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience in high volume litigation environments preferred.
High level of familiarity and experience with all aspects of the discovery process.

Responsibilities

Supervise legal professional staff and perform expert level legal support to EPD AAGs enforcing environmental laws in both criminal and civil actions.
Lead a team of paralegals assigned to a variety of criminal and civil matters.
Supervise, train, and coach legal professional staff in the performance of all assignments, projects and job duties.
Ensure quality, timeliness, and continuous process improvements of litigation support services by monitoring workload of direct reports.
Act as a resource to division staff for questions and concerns regarding legal support services and assignments.
Provide performance evaluation of staff and provide ongoing feedback.
Manage case documents, files and exhibits.
Track and organize discovery documents.
Research legal issues and verify legal citations and references for accuracy.
Manage matters with voluminous documents.
Work with experts and track communication and contracts with experts.
Manage all aspects of the discovery process.

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
Wellness Program
Infants in the Workplace Program
Employee Assistance Program (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.