Legal Assistant 1, Children, Youth, and Families (CYF) Division, Olympia

Full Job 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.

Position and Salary
The Attorney General’s Office is recruiting for a permanent full time Legal Assistant 1 in the Children, Youth, and Families (CYF) Division. This position is located in Olympia, Washington, and is represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).

Legal Assistant 1 (Range 42) salary range: $45,024 - $60,132 annually
The base pay offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the preferred candidate’s job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

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 benefitsWashington 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 Children, Youth, and Families Division:

The Children, Youth, and Families Division (CYF) is comprised of 30 attorneys and 28 professional staff who together provide advice and representation to the Department of Children, Youth, and Families.

Staff in each Attorney General’s Office location handle litigation for DCYF, and the CYF Division have the responsibility for doing so locally, as well as coordinating this work for the AGO statewide and advising DCYF leadership.

Duties and Essential Functions of a Legal Assistant 1

This position works in a highly collaborative, fast-paced team environment in the Juvenile Litigation (JUV) Section of the Children, Youth, and Families (CYF) Division to support the mission of the Attorney General’s Office and the division’s client agency, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families.

The legal assistant works to provide litigation support for AAGs and Paralegals by:

• Being primarily responsible for managing all legal publications in support of juvenile dependencies, terminations and guardianships by working with appropriate courts, clients, and news outlets to prepare, file, and track service by publication.

Processing ICWA Tribal legal notices which includes: obtaining information from appropriate personnel to prepare and send the tribal notices to all involved tribes and parties, ensuring court locations and hearing times are correct for each specific court docket; tracking proof of service documents and responses from tribes in our case management system.

File notices with the appropriate county court and calendar and docket hearing dates in Law Manager and on the AAGs' calendar. Prepare necessary documents for court hearing.

Providing backup support to the division’s Legal Office Assistant by:

• Printing, mailing, and filing legal documents as directed.
• Answering and screening telephone calls from the public, other state agencies, courts, clients, and attorneys, exercising discretion in referring calls to the appropriate attorney or professional staff and taking messages as needed.
• Processing invoices for various goods and services.
• Receiving, scanning, distributing, and docketing incoming mail and legal deliveries.
• Maintaining and tracking inventory, photocopying and scanning documents.

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.




Required Qualifications

Option 1: High School diploma or equivalent and two years of clerical experience including a minimum of one year of experience in a legal environment;

Option 2: Two years of legal office experience;

Option 3: A combination of three years of college education and/or relevant experience;

Option 4: A two year degree in Legal Secretary Studies, Paralegal studies or related field of study.

Skills & Abilities

Effective written and verbal communication, attention to detail, multi-tasking, and working in a fast-paced environment, ability to track short and long-term projects, and be an effective team player.





About the Washington State Office of the Attorney GeneralThe 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 Information 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.

The AGO complies with employment eligibility verification requirements of the federal employment eligibility verification form, I-9, and the selected candidate for these roles, on the first day of employment, must be able to provide proof of identity and eligibility to work in the Unities States consistent with the requirements of form I-9.

In order to proceed in the consideration process at AGO, you will need to provide work authorization that would not require the AGO to sign a cooperative education agreement with a school.




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.