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.

Join an agency whose work impacts the lives of every Washington resident

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 and Anti-Racism
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. We are also an agency that strives to be anti-racist with the goal of identifying, discussing, and challenging racial inequity in the workplace and the impact it has on our employees, and, within our authority, combat racism that impacts the people of Washington State.

The Opportunity:

The Attorney General’s Office is recruiting for a permanent full time Legal Assistant 3 in the Social and Health Services Section of the Christine O. Gregoire Spokane Division, located in Spokane, WA. This position is represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).

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.

The Christine O. Gregoire Spokane Division provides legal services in Eastern Washington to many agencies and institutions of state government. The Social and Health Services Section is fast-paced, complex, and litigation intensive.

Salary

The salary listed above is for the Legal Assistant 3 level. Applicants qualifying at the Legal Assistant 2 level will start at a salary range 40 ($38,952 - $50,592 annually) and after successful completion of the in-training will move to the Legal Assistant 3 range.

Duties

What does a Legal Assistant do?

A Legal Assistant is the backbone of our legal support staff.

Our Legal Assistants enable their assigned attorneys to focus on the clients’ needs. They perform complex legal support functions that may include:

• 
  Applying specialized knowledge of various court rules related to legal practice subject matter and court filing procedures
• Independently composing correspondence for attorney's signature
• Conducting legal research on specific issues
• Serving as a division’s critical events reader applying court rules
• Providing assistance to attorneys during trial
• And so much more!

We wouldn't be the best public law office in the nation without you!

What is an in-training?

An in-training is on-the-job instruction for employees. You’ll gain the competencies and skills needed to successfully perform your duties while being supported by your supervisor, manager, and co?workers. As you become successful at one level, you will be promoted into the next higher level until you reach the goal: Legal Assistant 3!

Salary Ranges

Legal Assistant 2 (Salary Range 40): $3,246 - $4.216 monthly
Legal Assistant 3 (Salary Range 44): $3,558 - $4,656 monthly

Qualifications

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

To enter at the Legal Assistant 2 level:
Education/Experience:

• 
  High School diploma or equivalent and two years of experience in a legal environment in support of an attorney(s), judge(s), or equivalent;

AND

• Experience formatting and filing pleadings in a superior court or higher.

Skills/Competencies:

• Intermediate Microsoft Office Suite skills:
  • Word: Edit documents and templates. Format margins, spacing, and headings.
  • Outlook: Draft and reply to emails. Basic calendar management.
  • Excel: Edit spreadsheets with basic formulas.

To enter at the Legal Assistant 3 level:
Education/Experience:

• High School diploma or equivalent and four years of experience in a legal environment in support of an attorney(s), judge(s), or equivalent;

AND

• Experience filing pleadings, researching court rules, and calculating critical dates in two or more court venues.

Skills/Competencies:

• Proficiency using Microsoft Office Suite:
  • Word: Use spellcheck and grammar check. Format margins, spacing, and headings. Create and edit documents, templates, and tables. Mark, generate, and format Tables of Contents and Tables of Authorities.
  • Outlook: Draft and reply to emails; utilize email filters. Calendar management and scheduling. Use task and reminder functions.
  • Excel: Create detailed spreadsheets with formulas, tables, and charts.

Conditions of Employment

Per AGO Policy, employees and volunteers of the AGO must be fully vaccinated as a condition of employment. Being fully vaccinated means that an individual is at least two weeks past their final dose of an authorized COVID-19 vaccine regimen. Effective March 14, 2022, the AGO announced pursuant to its policy, that employees and volunteers must also receive a booster shot as a condition of employment. Employees or volunteers who are not eligible to receive the booster before their start date, due to required waiting times after receiving their initial vaccine(s), must provide confirmation of the vaccine type and date received so the AGO can calculate the date by which they must receive the booster. If you are selected to serve within the AGO as an employee or volunteer, you will be required to provide proof of vaccination and booster (if already received) before you are able to begin work. You may request an accommodation if you are unable to meet the requirement due to a medical or religious necessity.

Applicants or candidates being considered for employment shall not share their vaccination status with hiring managers or interview panels.

Supplemental Information

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 Information Completely:

• Carefully review your application for accuracy, spelling and grammar before submitting.
• You may not reapply to this posting for 60 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.

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 Judith Vandergeest @ (360) 586-7691 or Judith.Vandergeest@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.