Legal Assistant 4, Torts Division, WA State Office of the Attorney General

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 Legal Assistant 4 in the Torts. This position is located in Tumwater, Washington, and is represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).
 
 Legal Assistant 4 (Range 48) salary range: $46,980 – $63,216
 The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the preferred candidate’s job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
 
If a position is designated as requiring dual language skills, incumbents will also receive a 5% Dual Language Requirement Pay stipend.  
 
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 telework options for most positions, a Wellness Program, the Employee Assistance Program, and numerous affinity groups to foster community and connection.


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.  
 
 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 2021 Zo8 Washington Wellness Award.

Division Information

The Torts Division, investigates claims against and defends state agencies and state employees in personal injury, employment and civil rights actions. The majority of cases are based on actions brought under theories of liability for state actions like highway design, community supervision of offenders, injuries on state property, medical malpractice, employment, child welfare activities, auto accidents, maritime injuries, false arrests and excessive force.

 What does a Legal Assistant 4 do?

Independently performs intake of new tort claims, related correspondence, and claim documents in AGO’s Case Management System (CMS) in accordance with Division policies and procedures; independently enters required agency information for all claims in the Department of Enterprise Services’ case management system (Origami); uses computerized systems and databases such as CourtTrax, PACER, SCOMIS, WATCH, OMNI, FAMLINK and other client agency databases to identify key documents and records related to tort claims. Uses other internal database systems to determine if there are related matters or possible conflicts with assignment of claims, provides pertinent information, including liability codes for placement in CMS.    Assists with assignment of new claims.  Review claims and attachments to identify agencies and individuals involved in the tort claim. Applies specialized knowledge of government tort liability issues to assist in the coding of claims into CMS.   Corresponds with investigators, lawyers, other support staff in Torts, client agencies. Manages email and hard copy correspondence per retention schedules and established procedures. Calculate critical due dates and enter in databases (CMS and others) and on tracking calendar on assigned claims and other matters.
 
Supervises, trains, and assists investigative team support staff in the performance of all duties.  Provides new staff with orientation and mentoring.  Determines the distribution of work and resolves workload conflicts to meet deadlines and minimize overtime.  Interviews prospective professional staff and makes hiring recommendations to administrative office manager.  Approves professional staff leave and training requests.   Drafts/prepares correspondence on confidential personnel matters and maintains confidential supervisory personnel files.   Performs and supervises professional staff work product for completeness and compliance with claims processes including but not limited to the following: Initial claim set up, investigator assistance, as well as claim document management.
Conducts professional staff performance plans and assessments.  In addition to timely completing PDFs, PDPs, check-ins, and final review evaluations of any direct reports, will set up a list of accomplishments file of own choosing (either electronic or hard copy) to be used to bring accomplishments, commendations, and successes to the attention of supervisor.
 
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.




Option 1: High School diploma or equivalent and five years of experience in a legal environment in support of an attorney, administrative law judge(s), review judge(s) or equivalent including at least two years of supervising, leading, mentoring, coaching or training experience;
 
Option 2: One year as a Legal Assistant 3;
 
Option 3: A combination of six years of college education and/or relevant experience including at least two years of supervising, leading, mentoring, coaching or training experience.

Conditions of Employment
 
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.
 
Applicants or candidates being considered for employment shall not share their vaccination status with hiring managers or interview panels.

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 60 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.

 
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 Judith Vandergeest @ (360) 586-7691 or Judith.Vandergeest@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.

Salary : $3,915 - $5,268