Assistant Attorney General (Section Chief) - Regional Services Division
Agency Name: Washington Attorney General's Office
Position / Job Title : Assistant Attorney General (Section Chief) - Regional Services Division
Location: Port Angeles
Category : Attorney
Job Description: If you love the mountains and the sea, if you love to hike, bike, fish, run, or recreate in other ways, Port Angeles is the place to be. Located in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, Port Angeles is the gateway to the Olympic National Park. The Port Angeles Office of the Attorney General sits on the Strait of Juan de Fuca where it is not unusual to see all types of sea life from your office window – even the occasional Orca has made a majestic appearance. A new performing arts center has nearly been completed just a few blocks from the office. Antique shops are plentiful, there are delightful bookstores to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon, Native American heritage celebrations to attend and even a once-a-year crab festival with fresh Dungeness crab to enjoy.
Duties:
The Washington State Attorney General's Office is looking for an attorney to serve as the Section Chief in its Regional Services Division (RSD) in Port Angeles, WA. The Section Chief is the manager primarily responsible for overseeing the legal work performed in the Port Angeles Section. Port Angeles is a five attorney office with five professional support staff members. As Section Chief, the incumbent directly supervises 4 Assistant Attorneys General (AAGs) and 2 professional staff. In addition, this position serves as a member of the Regional Services Management Team.
As the Port Angeles Section Chief, the person in this position carries out a variety of management duties, including hiring employees, providing feedback, evaluating employees, assigning cases, tracking caseloads, ensuring critical event deadlines are met, addressing performance and interpersonal problems, implementing management plans and policies, overseeing various administrative tasks, regularly coordinating with the Regional Services Division Chief, and meeting at least monthly with office employees, and meeting quarterly with the Division Chief and other Section Chiefs.
To be successful in this assignment, one must demonstrate legal competency, good organizational skills, the ability to delegate, courage to make difficult decisions, flexibility, open communication, good judgment and an appreciation of and respect for people’s diverse experiences, skills, and areas for professional growth. The AAGs in this section work mainly in a high volume litigation practice entailing frequent state court docket and trial appearances and administrative hearings. This office represents the Department of Children, Youth and Families in juvenile court and licensing matters in Clallam and Jefferson counties, the Department of Labor and Industries, the Department of Social and Health Services in Adult Protective Services and licensing matters, the Department of Licensing, the Department of Employment Security, and Peninsula College.
Qualifications:
Because juvenile litigation cases are the largest volume of work done in Port Angeles, familiarity with this work and experience in the area are strongly preferred in addition to meeting the requirements to serve as an Assistant Attorney General.
Candidates with experience in high volume litigation practices and a demonstrated ability to quickly learn new areas of the law will be considered. Handling some aspect of juvenile litigation as part of the Section Chief’s active practice should be considered an expectation for this position at this time. Juvenile litigation cases involve factual and legal issues regarding the physical and mental health and safety of children in situations where DCYF initiates dependency, guardianship and termination of parental rights actions under RCW Title 13. The attorneys in these positions advise and represent DCYF in litigation and on appeal, requiring familiarity with applicable rules and procedures. Also, all attorneys in this division may be assigned to a wide variety of clients according to the needs of the client agencies and the office, as well as the skills, experiences, and professional development needs of attorneys.
Experience in one or more of the areas that RSD AAGs provide representation in is preferred, as is experience managing personnel. Any other high volume litigation experience will also be considered a “plus.” The Port Angeles office offers opportunities to practice in counties where the size of the bench and bar allows knowing most of the players in the system. Applicants must have graduated from a law school accredited by the ABA or completed the WSBA's Rule 6 Law Clerk Program and be licensed to practice law in Washington state. (Applicants who meet the other stated qualifications and are actively pursuing admission by motion will also be considered.)
The AGO seeks applicants who are committed to public service as demonstrated by an applicant's background, talents, attitude, and enthusiasm for public law practice. The AGO greatly encourages, celebrates and values diversity, appreciating that a workforce composed of those from different backgrounds and experiences creates an inclusive environment, strengthens positive relationships with the local community and brings new perspectives and approaches to fulfill its mission of providing excellent, independent and ethical legal services to the State of Washington and protecting the rights of its people.
* * * * * * * * * * * * 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.
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. Managing AAG salaries are set between $72,864 and 136,476. Ultimately, Managing AAG salaries are 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.
In addition to the on-line application, one must upload, via the system and preferably as PDFs: -A letter of interest; -Resume; -Law school transcript (unofficial copy is acceptable); and -Writing sample. If you have questions about this position and/or want to learn more about it before applying, we welcome and encourage you to contact Division Chief Karen Dinan at KarenM.Dinan@atg.wa.gov. The deadline for receipt of all application material is July 11, 2022.
Application Deadline: 7/11/2022