Paralegal 3, Social & Health Services Division, Seattle

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 Paralegal 3 in the Social & Health Services Division. This position is located in Seattle, Washington, and is represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).

Paralegal 3 Salary Range 59: $67,992 - $91,464

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 following stipends may apply based on position requirements:

• Incumbents assigned to our Seattle office location receive an additional 5% King County Location Pay stipend.
• Incumbents assigned to a position designated as requiring dual language skills will receive a 5% Dual Language Requirement Pay stipend.

Note: Effective July 1, 2025, Paralegal 3s assigned to work within King County receive Group C Assignment Pay in addition to their base pay.

The Group C pay percentage received at this classification is a limited premium and applies at the Paralegal 2 classification.King County Paralegal 3s – 5% Group C Assignment Pay

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 Social & Health Services Division

The Social and Health Services Division provides legal support to the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).

Our division handles a variety of work including child abuse, neglect, and termination of parental rights proceedings; vulnerable adult protection and guardianship proceedings; foster care, child care, and adult family home administrative proceedings; and appeals involving all of these cases.

This is fast-paced, high-volume litigation.

It requires excellent communication and time-management skills, as well as the ability to juggle competing priorities, think on your feet, and work effectively with a variety of people.

Experience with litigation case-preparation and a commitment to child advocacy are preferred.

This is a great opportunity to handle interesting and meaningful work in a supportive, team-oriented environment in beautiful downtown Seattle.

Duties and Essential Functions of a Paralegal 3

Supervisory Duties: In coordination with division management (Division Chief, Administrative Operations Manager, Managing Attorney Team Leaders, and Paralegal 3) the selected candidate will plan/lead the litigation support work performed by paralegal 2 employees, and consults with division management to make recommendations regarding distribution of workload, litigation support, and public records production resources.

Assist with interviewing and discipline actions concerning paralegal 2 employees, manage staff schedules, oversee paralegal 2 yearly development plans, plan and implement paralegal training, and conduct regular paralegal meetings.

Paralegal Duties: Work closely with the Adult Protective Services (APS) team leader to monitor case flow, draft pleadings required for obtaining vulnerable adult protective orders, and for establishing guardianships for vulnerable adults, and respond to case status inquiries from the client agency or others.

Serve as the division’s Public Records Coordinator, coordinating and tracking document collection, provide public records training for the division, and provides guidance to division staff with questions about Public Records Requests (PRR) processing and record review.

Provide juvenile litigation support backup to review Juvenile case files to critically analyze and summarize complex legal and factual issues, may assist the AAG in the formal discovery process; and track and manage AAGs’ trial schedule.

Perform trial preparation such as: Summarize complete case history; identify legal issues; identify and interview potential witnesses; investigate complete criminal histories and paternity issues; identify documents for and prepare trial and exhibit notebooks; draft pleadings and correspondence; perform legal research; review files to determine if due diligence has been accomplished, and other duties as required.

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

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 six 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

• Two years’ experience as a Paralegal 2 in Washington State Service.

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

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 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.