INTERNAL ONLY Legal Liaison (WMS2) - Spokane

State of Washington; Spokane (WA); On-site; USD 84,000 - 106,000; Full time

Job summary

State of Washington is seeking an Internal Only - Legal Liaison (WMS2) in Spokane, hybrid work with statewide travel. The role supports DCYF Child Welfare Field Operations, strengthening dependency court practice, legal sufficiency, and risk management.

You will guide staff from petition development through court testimony and collaborate with AGO, CASA, GAL, and court partners across the state. The position requires deep knowledge of dependency processes, Washington child welfare law, and

Qualifications

• Equivalent education and experience totaling nine (9) years in child welfare, criminal justice, or related fields.
• Experience supporting dependency litigation, court preparation, and testimony.
• Ability to learn and grow and to meet the needs of others.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert consultation on dependency and risk management to Child Welfare staff and leadership.
• Coordinate consistent support from the AGO and agency legal officers.
• Serve as the regional CR 30(b)(6) representative for TORT testimony when needed.
• Develop legal strategy with AGO and agency counsel; prepare testimony and evaluate risk.
• Conduct in-depth case research and provide expert-level testimony in contentious court proceedings.
• Interview leadership and program staff to accurately represent agency knowledge.
• Recommend operational and policy improvements to reduce legal exposure and improve statewide practice.
• Develop training curricula to address deficiencies and mitigate risk.
• Assist staff in drafting legally defensible court petitions and prep for testimony.

Skills

Dependency court processes

Risk management

Testimony expert

Court strategy

Education

Masters degree in public administration, social work, social science, or criminal justice

Job description

Job Title

Internal Only - Legal Liaison (WMS2)

Location

Spokane, WA. Work is performed in a hybrid setting. This position involves statewide travel to engage in training efforts.

Closes

09/07/2026

Salary

$84,490 – $105-612. Annually.

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is seeking an experienced and strategic Legal Liaison to support Child Welfare Field Operations in strengthening dependency court practice, legal sufficiency, court readiness, and risk management. This position serves as the regional subject matter expert for the dependency process and TORT testimony and guides direct service staff from petition development through preparation for court testimony. The Legal Liaison works closely with the Attorney General’s Office (AGO), agency legal officers, court partners, and Child Welfare leadership to develop legal strategies, identify and mitigate risk, improve staff competence, and advance court improvement efforts that support safe permanency and wellbeing outcomes for children, youth, and families.

The Opportunity

As the Legal Liaison for an assigned regional catchment, you will provide expert consultation and support across the dependency court process. The position was established to help DCYF address concerning trends related to the HPSO crisis and to strengthen the ability of Child Welfare staff to navigate court proceedings and prepare legally defensible dependency petitions and testimony. In this role, you will serve as a strategic partner to regional and statewide Child Welfare leadership. You will assess dependency-process trends, identify training and capacity gaps, recommend risk-mitigation strategies, and help develop approaches to improve court outcomes. You will also represent DCYF in court improvement efforts and work with system partners including AGO, OPD, CASA, GAL, FJCIP, court officers, judges, and other partners. This position requires independent judgment in matters that may involve novel legal issues, conflicting operational information, evolving child welfare practices, and limited precedent. Recommendations may influence litigation strategy, policy implementation, organizational credibility, financial liability, workforce confidence, and outcomes for children and families. This position reports to the newly established Child Welfare Dependency Administrator, who reports to the Child Welfare Deputy Assistant Secretary.

Some of what you will get to do

• Provide guidance and consultation to Child Welfare staff and leadership on dependency and risk management matters arising from court work performed by direct service staff.
• Facilitate and coordinate consistent and timely support from the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) and agency legal officers.
• Serve as the regional CR 30(b)(6) representative and expert witness for TORT testimony when centrally located litigation consultants are not available.
• Help develop legal strategy in collaboration with the AGO and agency legal officers; identify responsive information, prepare testimony, evaluate legal risk, and support discovery in TORT litigation.
• Conduct in-depth research into cases and prior authorizing environments and provide expert-level testimony in highly contentious court proceedings.
• Interview executive leadership, administrators, subject matter experts, and program staff to accurately represent agency knowledge and operational practices.
• Recommend operational, policy, and procedural improvements based on litigation findings to reduce legal exposure and improve statewide practice.
• Assess staff competencies in the dependency court process and develop/deliver training curriculum to address deficiencies and mitigate risk.
• Assist staff in drafting legally defensible court petitions in complex cases and prepare staff for court testimony.
• Provide strategic consultation to Child Welfare leadership around dependency court improvement efforts and lead collaborative work with system partners.
• Assess regional trends related to the dependency process and identify training, capacity, FTE resourcing, and risk-mitigation needs.
• Support additional dependency-process work within the assigned catchment, which may include tracking permanency timeframes and targeted training related to child safety, wellbeing, and disproportionality.

What we are looking for (Required Qualifications)

• Equivalent education and experience totaling nine (9) yearsof progressively responsible, paid, professional experience in child welfare, criminal justice, or related fields.

OR

• Master’s degree in public administration, social work, social science, or criminal justice or a closely allied field AND five (5) years of progressively responsible, paid, professional experience in delivery of public child welfare, social service, or related fields.

AND

• The ability to take action to learn and grow.
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

In addition to those required qualifications, our ideal applicant will also have some or all of the following:

• Advanced knowledge of dependency court processes and Washington State child welfare laws.
• Experience supporting dependency litigation, court preparation, and testimony.
• Experience coordinating dependency process support and litigation support with agency counsel and the Attorney General’s Office.
• Experience developing or delivering training related to court practice, legal sufficiency, testimony, and risk management.
• Experience conducting research and translating complex facts into operational, policy, or procedural recommendations.
• Experience building productive relationships with court and child welfare system partners, including judges, AGO, OPD, CASA, GAL, and FJCIP.
• Experience identifying practice, training, capacity, or risk gaps and developing strategies to address them.

Supplemental Information

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is committed to Washington’s children and youth growing up safe, healthy, and thriving. We invite all candidates to join us in our goal to create a diverse and equitable workplace that reflects the communities we serve. If you are excited about this role but you believe that your education and/or experience might not align perfectly with every qualification in the job posting, we encourage you to apply anyway.

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) 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 service animal by a person with a disability.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies.

Degrees must be obtained from an accredited college or university whose accreditation is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or a foreign equivalent verified by a NACES-approved organization at naces.org. Foreign Equivalency certification must be attached to the application for degrees obtained outside the U.S.

Benefits eligibility for this position may be different than what’s listed in the benefits tab of this recruitment announcement. For more information on employee benefits eligibility, visit: Public Employee Benefits Board (PEBB)

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications and wish to claim Veteran's Preference MUST attach a copy of their DD214, NGB Form 22, or Predischarge Certification (issued not more than 120 days prior to End of Term of Service (ETS) by date of submission). If claiming preference based on Predischarge Certification, the individual will be required to provide their official discharge documentation, such as a DD Form 214, NGB Form 22, or equivalent, within 30 days after the date of discharge. Please black out (redact) the Social Security number before attaching any documents. For additional information on Veterans’ Preference and guidance on how to determine if you are eligible.

DCYF participates in the federal E-Verify program. The selected candidate must provide proof of identity and authorization to work in the United States, consistent with E-Verify requirements, on their first day of employment.

2026-04646