Paralegal 2 | Agriculture & Health Division | Olympia

Description

Persons requiring reasonable accommodation in the application process or requiring information in an alternative format may contact the recruitment team at HREmployment@atg.wa.gov. Those with a hearing impairment in need of accommodation are encouraged to contact the Washington Relay Service at 1-800-676-3777 or www.washingtonrelay.com.

The AGO provides a workplace that is understanding of work-life balance and promotes advancement by offering a wide variety of professional development and growth opportunities.

Excellent benefits
Washington State offers one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation, including Medical/Dental/Vision for employees & dependent(s); Vacation, Sick, and Other Leave; 11 Paid Holidays per year; Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) plans; and Life Insurance. Beyond these traditional benefits, we offer Dependent Care Assistance, Flexible Spending Accounts, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Tuition Waiver, Deferred Compensation, Employee Recognition Leave, and more. With the goal of employee health and wellness, we also offer:

• Flexible schedules and part-time/hybrid telework options;
• A Wellness Program, an Infants in the Workplace Program, and 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. The AGO is a place to belong and make a difference!

About the Agriculture and Health Division

The Agriculture and Health Division is a team of 16 Assistant Attorneys General and 9 professional staff located at the AGO’s main Capitol Campus location in Olympia, WA. We have a wide range of backgrounds, value diversity, and work in a collegial, collaborative, and flexible environment.

Duties and Essential Functions of a Paralegal 2

As a member of the AHD Professional Staff team, you will work side-by-side with Assistant Attorneys General litigating cases promoting the rights and health of Washingtonians in cases in administrative tribunals and state and federal courts.

You will work with collaborative colleagues who put mentorship into practice by helping you develop your legal skills and knowledge and challenging you to expand your comfort zone. If you are a self-starter and eager to learn more in the paralegal space while making a difference in your community, this is the position for you.

This role is a legal support role and is responsible for carrying a caseload and managing the division’s litigation discovery matters. Litigation and legal support duties may include but are not limited to:

• Litigation Support: This position independently composes formal discovery requests upon assignment. The Paralegal 2 is responsible for reviewing and preparing responses to formal discovery requests, including interrogatories, requests for production, and requests for admission; drafting and preparing motions pertaining to discovery and motions for default; reviewing opposing parties’ answers to discovery requests for completeness, evasiveness, and propriety of objections and follow-up on non-responsive answers and additional sources of information; and interviewing client personnel to obtain facts and information for discovery.

• Legal Document Management: This position carries out the following legal document management duties:
  • Review legal documents for proper format and ensure court rules are followed;
  • Draft and prepare pleadings, discovery, and case information including case analysis, as needed;
  • Initiate correspondence and pleadings for attorneys' signatures;
  • Proofread, format, cite check, and finalize letters, memos, reports and pleadings at attorney's request; and
  • Compile exhibits and attachments, maintains service lists, and ensure that legal documents are prepared and processed to meet legal requirements and all filing deadlines.
• Court Rules: This position maintains a working knowledge of the procedures, rules, and policies, for electronic and hard copy filings in administrative, state, federal, and appellate courts.
• Independence: This position, in the absence of attorney, judge, or equivalent, independently takes appropriate action on urgent items.
• Collaborative Environment: This position works with positive mentors and supportive co-workers who encourage you to pursue growth opportunities while doing work that benefits and protects the people of Washington.

This recruitment announcement may be used to fill multiple positions for the same classification, in addition to the position(s) listed in this announcement.

Qualifications

Research suggests that women and people of color are less likely to apply unless they are confident they meet 100% of the listed qualifications. We strongly encourage all interested individuals to apply, and allow us to evaluate your combination of knowledge, skills, and abilities demonstrated using an intentional equity lens.

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.

• You may have gained applicable paraprofessional experience through previous Paralegal or Legal Assistant work.

Examples of paraprofessional experience in support of an attorney:

• 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

Preferred Qualifications

The most successful candidate will have Litigation experience.

About the Washington State Office of the Attorney General
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.

Commitment to Diversity
Diversity is critical to the success of the mission of the AGO. This means recognizing, respecting, and appreciating all cultures and backgrounds- and fostering the inclusion of differences between people. Appreciating, valuing and implementing principles of diversity permits AGO employees to achieve their fullest potential in an inclusive, respectful environment.

One recent measure of the AGO's commitment to diversity can be found in its nomination for Rainbow Alliance and Inclusion Network's "Outstanding Agency Award" in 2019. Our commitment to employee wellness is reflected in earning the 2024 Zo8 Washington Wellness Award.

Application Instructions

In addition to completing the online application, applicants must attach the following documents to their profile in order to be considered for this position:

• A letter of interest, describing your specific qualifications for the position;
• A current resume detailing experience and education.

Read the Following Instructions Completely:

• Carefully review your application for accuracy, spelling and grammar before submitting.
• You may not reapply to this posting for 30 days.
• The initial screening of applications will be solely based on the contents and completeness of the “work experience” and “education” sections of your application in www.careers.wa.gov, completeness of the application material submitted, and responses to the supplemental questionnaire.
• A resume will not substitute for completing the “work experience” section of the application.
• All information may be verified and documentation may be required.
• The Washington State Office of the Attorney General does not use the E-Verify system; therefore, we are not eligible to extend STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT). For more information, please visit www.uscis.gov.

Equal Employment Opportunity and Accommodations Requests

Honoring diversity, equity and inclusion means that as an agency, and as individuals, we are committed to ensuring that all employees and volunteers enjoy a respectful, safe and supportive working environment. Only by fostering the inclusion of people from all backgrounds, cultures and attributes, can AGO employees and volunteers achieve their fullest potential and best advance the goals and mission of the AGO.

The AGO is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation/gender identity, age, disability, honorably discharged veteran or military status, retaliation or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. Persons requiring reasonable accommodation in the application process or requiring information in an alternative format may contact the recruitment team at HREmployment@atg.wa.gov. Those with a hearing impairment in need of accommodation are encouraged to contact the Washington Relay Service at 1-800-676-3777 or www.washingtonrelay.com.

For questions regarding this recruitment or assistance with the application process, please contact the recruitment team at HREmployment@atg.wa.gov. If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing or completing your application, please call NEOGOV toll-free at (855) 524-5627 or support@neogov.com.