Paralegal 4 | Labor and Industries Division | Multiple Locations Statewide

State of Washington; Olympia (WA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent benefits package

Hybrid telework options

PERS retirement plans

Job summary

The Attorney General's Office is recruiting for two permanent full-time Paralegal 4s in the Labor and Industries Division, located in Tumwater, Tacoma, Seattle, or Spokane, WA, and represented by WFSE.

The Paralegal 4s will supervise Paralegal 3s statewide, develop and implement strategic goals, processes, and trainings for mediation, and help find early resolutions in appeals. The AGO offers strong benefits and opportunities for professional growth.

Responsibilities

• Mediation Paralegal 4s will be responsible for supervising a team of Paralegal 3s, across the state.
• They are also responsible for developing and implementing strategic goals, processes, and trainings for mediation for the LNI statewide team.
• Mediation paralegals use knowledge and analysis to identify, craft, and recommend solutions for the Department and clients.

Job description

Persons requiring reasonable accommodation in the application process or requiring information in an alternative format may contact the recruitment team at [e-mail]. 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 two permanent full time Paralegal4s in the Labor and Industries Division. These positions may be located in Tumwater, Tacoma, Seattle, or Spokane, Washington, and are represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).

Paralegal4Salary Range (Range 62): $74,748 - $100,488/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 following stipends may apply based on position requirements:

• Incumbents assigned to our Seattle office location receive an additional 5% King County Location Pay stipend.

• 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

• Incumbents assigned to a position designated as requiring dual language skills will receive a 5% Dual Language Requirement Pay stipend.

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 Benefits

Washington 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 Labor and Industries Division

The LNI Division is a dynamic, diverse, inclusive, and collegial division. All of the LNI Division's 120+ staff are respected for their individual contributions and attributes, and all share the same commitment to serving the public by providing excellent legal services in support of their client's mission to protect workers, preserve the industrial insurance accident fund, and help injured workers heal and return to work. The LNI Division works with partner divisions across the state to handle all aspects of workers’ compensation litigation and appeals, starting with the foundational work of our team of mediation paralegals. Mediation paralegals appear as representatives of the Division and Department of Labor and Industries (Department) to seek early, effective, ethical, creative, and practical resolutions to workers’ compensation appeals before the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals, helping the Division and Department serve their mission to keep Washington safe and working.

About the Washington State Office of the Attorney General

Join an agency whose work impacts the lives of every resident of Washington State. 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.

Duties and Essential Functions of a Paralegal 4

Mediation Paralegal 4s will be responsible for supervising a team of Paralegal 3s, both mediation paralegals and supervisors, across the state. They are also responsible for developing and implementing strategic goals, processes, and trainings for mediation for the LNI statewide team.

What do mediation paralegals do?

LNI’s mediation paralegals are an invaluable resource in finding early resolutions to cases that would otherwise go through the mediation process. When parties appeal Department orders, mediation paralegals may be assigned to preliminarily assess the case, suggest or review resolution options, and represent the Department in both mediation conferences and in direct negotiations, before a case moves on to formal litigation. They are responsible for assessing the legal and factual strengths of cases and understanding the laws, policies, and goals of the client Department in order to craft and assess possible resolutions. Mediation paralegals use knowledge, creativity, and an understanding of the Department’s priorities to identify, craft, and recommend novel solutions and strategies to the Department. If cases do not resolve, they also provide their assessments and any other strategically useful information they have prepared to the later-assigned Assistant Attorneys General, who rely on the mediation paralegals’ reports to prepare for the later phases of strategy and litigation in appeals.

What will the mediation P4s do?

In addition to supervising mediation paralegals, the mediation P4s are charged with developing overarching statewide strategy for mediation practices, including assignment, training, organization, and interaction with litigation and litigation support. This position is expected to set statewide strategy to balance the highest quality outcomes for the client and customers with maximizing mediation effectiveness and resolution rates.

Duties include:

• Strategic management of paralegal-led