Team Leader - Labor & Industries Division, Olympia

State of Washington•Thurston County – Olympia, WA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Labor and Industries (LNI) Division of the WA State Attorney General's Office has an opening for an attorney to serve as a Team Leader, Managing Assistant Attorney General 1 (MAAG1). The LNI Division is a dynamic, diverse, inclusive, and collegial division with over 100 staff members who are respected for their individual contributions and share a commitment to serving the public by providing excellent legal services. This position is located in the Olympia section of the LNI Division and directly supervises approximately 4-5 attorneys handling a high-paced litigation caseload. The attorneys manage motions, discovery, and proceedings before various boards and courts, and may also provide significant client advice for LNI programs. The division strives to prioritize professional growth, allowing staff to develop their practice areas while meeting business needs. The hired attorney will need to be flexible, adaptive, organized, and able to work with technical and professional staff, handling technically challenging subject matter. The LNI Division offers strong mentorship, a team atmosphere, and supports flexibility and creativity.

Requirements

Must have graduated from a law school accredited by the ABA or completed the WSBA's Rule 6 Law Clerk Program.
Must be licensed to practice law in Washington State (Applicants actively pursuing admission will also be considered).
Demonstrated ability to foster teamwork and collaboration and promote a positive work environment that recognizes and respects all employees.
Ability to maintain productive working relationships with attorneys and professional staff across the division, section, and with the client.
Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.
Demonstrated leadership ability.
Experience developing practical solutions, exhibiting proactive and creative problem-solving skills and maintaining perspective.
Ability to handle cases electronically, including utilizing electronic files, participating in all-remote or hybrid hearings and trials, and effectively using other electronic case management tools.
Ability to contribute positively to a team and interact successfully with interested groups and members of the public.
Desire to participate in a growth-oriented culture that encourages learning and giving and receiving feedback.
Commitment to maintaining the highest ethical standards.
Willingness to ask for and offer help in a supportive and collegial environment.
Ability to manage an active caseload, identify and prioritize tasks, and meet short deadlines.
Commitment to working in an inclusive, creative, and collaborative work environment.
Commitment to public service as demonstrated by an applicant's background, talents, attitude, and enthusiasm for public law practice.

Nice To Haves

Interest in or experience with civil litigation, including engaging in discovery, drafting motions and briefs, negotiating with other parties and presenting oral arguments before various courts and tribunals.
Experience providing independent, sound, and ethical options-based legal advice for clients.
Prior experience in efficiently managing the resources, workload issues and organization of a work group or team.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure.

Responsibilities

Leading and mentoring a group of attorneys with varied years of experience.
Performing administrative tasks such as reviewing and approving attorney travel, timekeeping, and leave.
Collaborating with team members to create yearly goals and engage in actively giving and receiving feedback.
Providing input into performance evaluations of team attorneys.
Regularly checking in with team members, coaching and mentoring.
Listening actively to team members regarding resource needs, workload balance, client needs, and professional development interests.
Recognizing and encouraging appreciation for team members and LNI colleagues.
Assisting with attorney and professional staff recruitment.
Facilitating meetings.
Collaborating with other members of the Olympia Management Team on shared responsibilities and goals.
Leading and supporting process improvement and other projects within the Division.
Handling their own caseload in Industrial Insurance and/or other programs and/or providing significant client advice.
Assigning cases and balancing workloads.
Reviewing and approving settlements negotiated by team attorneys and paralegals.
Reviewing proposed decisions to determine if petitions for review should be filed.
Backing up the Section Chief as needed.