Paralegal 3 | Worker Rights Unit | Seattle

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

13d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Attorney General’s Office is recruiting for a permanent full time Paralegal 3 in the Worker Rights Unit. This position is located in Seattle, Washington, and is represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE). The Washington Attorney General’s Office seeks a proficient and passionate paralegal to serve as a founding member of our newly established Worker Rights Unit (WRK). The Unit will focus on high-profile investigations and litigations in industries such as agriculture, the gig economy, construction and domestic service. The Worker Rights Unit will work closely with the Civil Rights Division, the Consumer Protection Division, the Antitrust Division, and the Labor and Industries Divisions of the AG’s Office, to enforce Washington laws in state and federal courts. Specifically, the Unit will enforce Washington’s nation-leading worker protections, including the minimum wage act, the equal pay and opportunity act, paid family and sick leave, the immigrant worker protection act (if enacted), and others. The team will have particular emphasis on cases involving serious or persistent violations of laws as well as violations impacting low- and moderate-income workers who would otherwise struggle to obtain legal recourse. Some of the types of cases the Unit will bring include challenges to paying immigrants $1 per day for work performed in private detention, abusing temporary farmworker programs, subjecting workers to noncompete agreements, and retaliating against workers for organizing and asserting their rights. The position preferably will be located in Seattle but may be located in Olympia or Tacoma. Travel around the state may be necessary and may include litigation duties throughout the 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. This position provides essential administrative support to the work of the Worker Rights Unit (WRK) through supervising and developing paralegal staff, acting as office manager, and providing paralegal support to attorneys as needed. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, highly organized, adaptable to complex legal demands, and committed to the AGO’s values of integrity, professionalism, and public service. This is an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the defense of the State of Washington while mentoring staff and supporting high-quality legal work in cases of statewide importance.

Requirements

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
Managing case documents, files and exhibits
Tracking and organizing discovery documents
Researching legal issues and verifying legal citations and references for accuracy

Nice To Haves

Supervisory experience is preferred but not required, as a Paralegal 3 or Lead.
Adapts easily to changing business needs, conditions and work responsibilities, using methods to achieve successful solutions.
Convey clear, timely, persuasive messages, verbally or written, that impact the thoughts and actions of others; giving and receiving information; use appropriate language for the knowledge and understanding of audience or reader; maintain appropriate confidentiality; use tact and diplomacy in all interactions; use of written communication using adequate and accurate grammar, punctuation, and spelling in written correspondence, including e-mail.
Build and maintain strong, courteous relationships with peers, managers and customers; provides assistance, information or other support to others to build or maintain relationships with them.
Takes personal responsibility for the quality and timeliness of work, and achieves results with little oversight.
Effectively handles and organizes multiple assignments and competing priorities and urgent situations, making sound decisions to produce accurate work product thoroughly and on time.
Makes timely, informed decisions that take into account the facts, goals, constraints, and risks.
Diligently attends to details and pursues quality in accomplishing tasks.
Use data and information in a clear and rational thought process to assess and understand issues, evaluate evidence, form accurate conclusions, and make appropriate decisions.
Maintains composure in highly stressful or adverse situations.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary administrative support responsible for day-to-day operations of the unit.
Assist the Unit Chief in developing office procedures and manuals to maximize office efficiency.
Coordinating and overseeing recruitments and interviews as a hiring manager for unit candidates.
Connecting with other divisions to ensure clear communication among all involved parties.
Serve as Workers’ Rights Unit’s Public Records Coordinator.
Plan, assign, prioritize, and review the work of assigned staff.
Balance workloads to meet shifting priorities and operational needs.
Provide ongoing feedback, training, and coaching to support employee performance, skill development, and professional growth.
Organize case files for attorneys.
Oversee the drafting and filing of pleadings to ensure compliance with AGO timelines for filing and citations.
Assist attorneys with analysis of case facts for legal issues and identification.
Identify and develop legal strategies.
Obtain, organize, and analyze legal documents, and other information in order to identify and process relevant evidence for use at trial.
Identify potential exhibits and witnesses.
Assist attorneys with all aspects of pretrial discovery, including investigations, gathering relevant information and documents, and recommending follow-up or other action to the AAG.
Coordinate client correspondence and conduct preliminary interviews.

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.