AAG – Children, Youth, and Families Division, PAL Section, Tumwater

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.  

All employees and volunteers of the Washington State Attorney General's Office serve a crucial role in the protection of the state, its people and resources, thereby providing an incomparable degree of job satisfaction. The AGO is composed of diverse, collegial and supremely talented legal professionals who are resolute in their commitment to public service and share the common goal of advancing the public interest. For more information about the AGO, we encourage you to review the Office's Annual Report which can be found HERE.

The Office appreciates the benefits of a healthy life-work balance as well as a respectful, inclusive and diverse workplace. Successful candidates will join an Office in which every person is committed to providing exceptional legal services and where individual professional development is encouraged and supported. The exceptional benefits of joining the AGO include: 

• A competitive benefit package that includes affordable medical plan options, dental benefits and retirement plans
• Vacation Leave, Sick Leave, Military and Civil Leave and Paid Holidays
• Transparent salary schedule - AAG salaries are set between $82,212 and $153,996. The exact amount is set in accordance with Appendix B of the AWAAG CBA
• The AGO will pay the general bar dues of someone who begins their assignment on or before January 31st per Article 10.8 of the AWAAG CBA
• Flex schedules and telecommuting options
• A formal AAG mentoring program that complements the AGO's inherently collegial and supportive environment
• Health and wellness program
• Training and career development program that is recognized for its excellence and efficacy by AGOs nationwide 

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The Children, Youth, and Families Division (CYF) of the WA State Attorney General's Office has an opening for an Assistant Attorney General (AAG) in the 16-attorney Program Advice and Litigation (PAL) Section. 

The AAG will work in a dynamic legal field involving juvenile rehabilitation, child welfare, early learning, and licensing systems that provide critical support to children and families. Depending on the section’s needs, this position’s work may consist of advice to and representation of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families’ (DCYF’s) contracts and public disclosure units, and juvenile rehabilitation, early learning or child welfare programs, and litigation related to the operation of these programs. This litigation is likely to include state and federal cases that involve programmatic challenges (including class action lawsuits), are complex in subject matter, and frequently involve discovery issues. The types of cases can vary and include contract, public records, civil rights, and system reform lawsuits. The work and responsibility of this division are of critical importance and have a significant impact on the families and children of our state. The satisfaction that comes from doing this work is profoundly rewarding.

Duties

The Section’s Work:

The PAL Section has several major areas of responsibility, which include: DCYF headquarters advice and representation; statewide juvenile litigation and appellate coordination; coordination of training for juvenile litigation AAGs; and policy support to the AGO when needed on juvenile rehabilitation, child welfare, and early learning issues. Legal advice to DCYF covers a wide range of topics, including: juvenile rehabilitation, juvenile and adult sentencing, civil rights and racial equity, community release, education, requirements of the state and federal Indian Child Welfare Acts, foster care and child care licensing, early learning, and others. Litigation can include lawsuits arising from contracts or disclosure claims, administrative appeals, and class action litigation related to DCYF programs. The section also handles appeals of termination of parental rights and dependency orders, and consults on and edits appellate briefs for division colleagues and other divisions that represent DCYF. 

A typical workweek can vary, but it may include: preparing litigation documents for court, providing written and verbal client advice, appearing for court, coordinating discovery, negotiating with opposing counsel, preparing for and attending a colleague’s moot court, writing an appellate brief, conducting oral argument, and advising DCYF on the potential legal impacts of legislation. 

The AAG will join a division and section with staff who are talented, compassionate, highly collegial, and dedicated to serving in an essential role in the protection of the State’s most vulnerable people. Members of the division and section are uniformly committed to creating a workplace that is cooperative, inclusive, and supportive of personal and professional growth. This full-time position is located in Tumwater, and may involve occasional travel within the state.

Qualifications

In addition to meeting the requirements to serve as an Assistant Attorney General, qualifications include:

Experience in child welfare or adjudication of juvenile offenses is preferred but not required.

Supplemental Information

This Assistant Attorney General position is represented by the Association of Washington Assistant Attorneys General (AWAAG) / Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) AFSCME Council 28, AFL-CIO. AAG salaries are set between $82,212 and $153,996. The exact amount is set in accordance with Appendix B of the AWAAG CBA. A competitive state benefits package is also offered which includes a choice of medical/dental insurance plans, retirement, life and basic long-term disability insurance. In addition, there are non-financial benefits that include working in a collaborative and supportive work environment where professional development and work-life balance are highly valued. The health, safety and professional satisfaction of all AGO staff and volunteers is critical to fulfilling the mission of the AGO to provide exceptional legal services. Complementing and fostering this goal is a long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship, as evidenced in the AGO's environmental policies.

Interested applicants must apply by hitting the "apply" button above.  In addition to the on-line application, one must upload, via the system, preferably as PDFs:

• A letter of interest;
• Resume;
• Law school transcript (unofficial copy is acceptable)showing date law degree was conferred; and
• A Writing sample (10 pages or less).

If you have questions about this position and/or want to learn more about it before applying, you are welcome and encouraged to contact Section Chief Carissa Greenberg at 360-586-6506 or Carissa.Greenberg@atg.wa.gov, or Division Chief Carrie Wayno at 360-586-6498 or Carrie.Wayno@atg.wa.gov. 

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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.

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 age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability 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.