Paralegal II

Summary

The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is looking for a highly motivated individual to join our team as a Paralegal II. The paralegal in this position will join an active unit of three Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys (DPA), a current Paralegal, and a Victim Advocate. This position tracks all felony cases that raise competency issues from arraignment to sentencing. This is a complex and nuanced process that requires careful oversight from the time the first evaluation is ordered until a defendant is either found competent or the case is dismissed. The felony competency practice spans across all three of the adult criminal practice divisions. This position provides support during testimonial motions and occasional trials to the assigned DPAs. This position also handles all Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI) cases post acquittal. This includes providing specialized administrative support for complex cases; assisting prosecutors with extensive medical records complex discovery, legal documents, database searches, expert witness communication and coordination; trial testimony, defense interviews, depositions and tracking NGRI review and NGRI contested hearings. As the majority of NGRI cases are class A felonies, most of which are homicides, the level of detail required, and complexity of the cases and discovery are high.

About the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office

Our mission is to do Justice:

• We exercise the power given to us by the people with fairness and humility.
• We serve our diverse community, support victims and families, and hold individuals accountable.
• We develop innovative and collaborative solutions for King County and the State of Washington.

We are guided by our core values of Integrity, Compassion, Professionalism, and Leadership. Our office is comprised of six divisions that are further organized into specialized units: To learn more about the Prosecuting Attorney's Office (PAO), please visit our website.

We value diversity and strive to hire a workforce that reflects the community that we serve. It is essential to our mission that we create and maintain an office that is diverse and inclusive. All PAO employees are expected to participate in PAO equity work and attend equity trainings and discussions. PAO employees are expected to comply with race, equity, and social justice principles, and to work with PAO colleagues and management to identify opportunities for improvement.

Who May Apply: This position is open to all qualified applicants.

Work Location: King County Courthouse (KCCH) 5th floor; as determined by the Unit, the paralegal may be asked to occasionally work at the Maleng Regional Justice Center (MRJC).

Work Schedule:This position works a 40-hour work week schedule, normally Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This position is eligible for King County's generous benefits package. This position is eligible for King County's generous benefits package. Employees assigned to this position enjoy a hybrid work schedule that allows telecommuting, with a minimum of 2-days in office per week, subject to business needs and a telecommuting agreement. If a successful candidate is new to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, they will be required to work in office three days a week for the first six months of employment.

Salary:Range 51 - $39.81 (step one) - $50.47 (step ten) hourly*[2026 rates]

Union Membership:Positions in this classification are represented by Teamsters Local No. 117.

Application Process:

Interested individuals must complete the three application components:

1) Submit a resume and cover letter

2) Respond to the supplemental questions

3) Fully complete King County application. **

**Applications and/or supplemental questionnaires that state "see my resume" or are blank, are considered incomplete and will not be considered competitive.

Selection Process:

Materials will be reviewed for qualifications, and the most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in a panel interview process. Current PAO employees who are represented by Teamsters Local No. 117 will receive priority consideration.

For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact:

Karla Avila Vargas (She/Her)

Human Resource Analyst

Special Requirements:

Finalists must successfully submit to a criminal background check, reference check, and be fingerprinted.

• In addition to the benefits listed on the benefits tab, employees with less than 2 years of service will receive .25 per hour less than the hourly salary table due to a mandatory contribution toward the Teamsters Pension Trust that was voted by members of the collective bargaining agreement between our office and Teamsters Local No. 117. This contribution is made by the employee and after two years it is paid by the employer.

Job Duties

This position requires the adaptability to meet short deadlines in addition to long-term case tracking. The FCFMH requires specialized knowledge of the complex NGRI system and review processes (court, PSRP, RRB, treatment team) so that the individuals in these positions can coordinate with all of the necessary state partners including DSHS and DOC. The two paralegals in this unit will share duties and support one another during prescheduled and unexpected leave.

• Receive and process requests for competency, restoration, and civil commitments.
• Request, review, process, and disseminate discovery related to the competency process including complex medical and forensic health records.
• Discretion in reviewing and understanding which progress reports need to be elevated to the DPAs immediate attention.
• Transition civil commitment case supervision to the Attorney General's Office and provide/request certified documents.
• Communicate and serve as a liaison with doctors and administrative professionals at the Department of Social, Health Services (DSHS), contracted treatment facilities and Attorney General's Office.
• Electronically file court documents (e.g., Briefs, Notes for Criminal Motion, Continuance Orders, etc.).
• Ensure materials before calendars are prepared and distributed to all parties.
• Subpoena and coordinate schedule availabilities of experts and other witnesses for motion hearings, trials and defense interviews. To include subpoenas duces tecum, and subpoenas for testimony.
• Maintain communication and coordinate availability with prosecutors, defense attorneys, expert witnesses, and victims.
• Support prosecutors with trial and testimonial hearing preparation for both Competency and NGRI cases; to include contested competency, forced meds hearings, jury trials on unconditional release and contested conditional release hearings. Each contested NGRI hearing is like a short bench trial (briefing, multiple witness testimonial coordination and exhibits) and unconditional releases are entitled to a jury trial
• Maintain, update, and search case management systems, which include, county, state, and federal databases. Support DPAs with requests for additional medical records, police reports, and/or out-of-state records.
• Manage competency correspondence through assigned distribution lists and inboxes.
• Track NGRI cases from acquittal through hospitalization including review by the Public Safety Review Panel, requests for increased privileges and transitions into the community; including requesting reports from DSHS and DOC as needed during NGRI supervision.
• Ensure DPAs have all reports, requests, and information needed to complete the competency hearings before the calendars begin.
• Closely monitor transport lists from the King County Jail to treatment facilities.
• Closely track dismissed cases for refiling.
• Attend weekly staffing meetings and case review discussions
• Support the Race, Equity, and Social Justice policy and principles, working with PAO colleagues and management to identify opportunities for improvement and growth. Incorporate race, equity and social justice principles in regular job duties and decision-making.
• Additional responsibilities and/or tasks may be incorporated, or existing ones modified as business needs evolve.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

• Prior felony trial experience is a plus.
• Ability to perform a variety of tasks that require the exercise of initiative and independent judgment, and the ability to anticipate needs and appropriately respond.
• Possession of excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work independently, as well as in a team environment.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to interact with and respond, in a positive, experienced, and helpful manner with diverse individuals.
• The ability to analyze and think critically to initiate action and support decision making.
• Proven time management in effectively and accurately handling multiple tasks with short deadlines.
• Considerable knowledge of current civil and criminal law; including identification of legal problems, knowledge of legal terminology, interpretation and application of laws, rules, and regulations is preferred. Clear understanding of felony case flow in Superior Court is important in this role.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and discretion involving highly critical matters.
• Flexibility under pressure and willingness to assume unscheduled and unexpected responsibilities.
• Skill in using computers and a variety of software such as Prosecutor by Karpel (PbK), Word, Adobe Pro, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and additional Court focused databases.
• Desire to learn a wide variety of new skills and the willingness to adapt comfortably to a fast-paced and every-changing work environment.
• Receptive to instructions, feedback, and coaching.
• Must have demonstrated predictable and reliable attendance.

Supplemental Information

The Prosecuting Attorney's Officeis dedicated to making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles-we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ , people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions, please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.

Salary : $40 - $51