Paralegal 3, Torts Division, Washington State Office of the Attorney General

Position and Salary

The Attorney General’s Office is recruiting for a permanent full-time Paralegal 3 in the Torts. This position is located in Tumwater, Washington, and is represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).

Paralegal 3 Salary Range 59, $66,023 - $88,800

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

About the Torts:

The Torts Division defends tort claims and lawsuits against all state agencies, officers, and employees. The majority of cases are based on actions brought under theories of liability for state actions such as highway design, release of inmates, injuries on state property, medical malpractice, employment, childcare and custody, auto accidents, maritime injuries, false arrests, and unreasonable force. Tort attorneys also provide legal and risk management advice to the Office of Financial Management and state agencies on tort matters.

Duties and Essential Functions of a Paralegal 3

This position provides high-level paralegal assistance to Torts Division Assistant Attorneys General in order to provide defense of claims and lawsuits against the State of Washington, its agencies, and employees, supervising team paralegals and legal assistant support staff. The paralegal initiates and continues the discovery process to retrieve and analyze the documentation and evidence necessary to support and defend the State's case and continues that assistance to the conclusion of the claim, lawsuit, and/or appeal.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

Paralegal duties:

• Independently conduct legal, medical, and other technical research utilizing Westlaw, library resources, available databases, and the internet on assigned multi-issue tort claims with high dollar exposure. Prepare research reports. Review, organize, and evaluate damage information, calculate damages (medical costs, wage loss, property damage) and prepare, maintain, and update damages.
• Recommend strategic options to Assistant Attorneys General during claim and lawsuit investigation, including analysis of legal issues, based on available agency and claimant/plaintiff evidence.
• Design, develop, and implement methods for gathering client records for utilization in support of settlement or legal defense.
• Compile, analyze, and/or present case and claim data for reporting to Division and AGO leadership, client agency representatives, Department of Enterprise Service liaisons, and other stakeholders.

Supervisory duties:

• Supervise paralegal and legal support staff assigned to the Early Resolution and Torts Appellate Programs of the Torts Division. Responsible for work assignments and workload distribution. Assist in the development of systems and procedures to assure effective and efficient paralegal case management and work methods in coordination with the Litigation Support Section. Oversee and monitor work methods and systems used by paralegal staff. Formulate and implement policies and procedures for improvement of services to include paralegal and legal support staff training in all available technologies. Responsible for professional development of paralegal and legal support staff. This includes researching, developing, and providing trainings.
• Conduct regular meetings to review workloads, legal issues, training needs, equipment needs, and personnel issues. Conduct regular supervisory meetings to discuss team and division needs and determine how to meet those needs.
• Evaluate work performance and timely complete the Professional Development Plan for supervised staff. Approve or deny leave and training requests for assigned staff. Review and approve monthly timesheets for assigned staff.
• Participate in interviewing and selection of assigned staff candidates and handle personnel matters.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Combination of five years of experience through paralegal certification, two-year paralegal degree, and/or paraprofessional experience in support of an attorney.

OR

Three years’ experience as a Paralegal 2 in Washington State Service.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Experience in the following items is desired:
• supervising and training employees;
• legal case management and analysis;
• electronic document management, redaction, and production;
• working with a high volume of sensitive information;
• appellate practice; and
• settlement negotiations and mediation presentation.

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.

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