Assistant Attorney General - Environmental Protection Division, Seattle

at  State of Washington Attorney Generals Office

DESCRIPTION

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.
All employees and volunteers of the Washington State Attorney General’s Office serve a crucial role in the protection of the state, its people and resources, thereby providing an incomparable degree of job satisfaction. The AGO is composed of diverse, collegial and supremely talented legal professionals who are resolute in their commitment to public service and share the common goal of advancing the public interest. For more information about the AGO, we encourage you to review the Office’s Annual Report which can be found HERE (Download PDF reader) and view THIS VIDEO.

The Office appreciates the benefits of a healthy life-work balance as well as a respectful, inclusive and diverse workplace. Successful candidates will join an Office in which every person is committed to providing exceptional legal services and where individual professional development is encouraged and supported. The exceptional benefits of joining the AGO include:

• A competitive benefit package that includes affordable medical plan options, dental benefits and retirement plans
• Vacation Leave, Sick Leave, Military and Civil Leave and Paid Holidays
• Transparent salary schedule - AAG salaries are set between $76,752 and $149,508. The exact amount is set in accordance with Appendix B of the AWAAG CBA
• The AGO will pay the general bar dues of someone who begins their assignment on or before January 31st per Article 10.8 of the AWAAG CBA
• Flex schedules and telecommuting options
• A formal AAG mentoring program that complements the AGO’s inherently collegial and supportive environment
• Health and wellness program
• Training and career development program that is recognized for its excellence and efficacy by AGOs nationwide

The Environmental Protection Division of the WA State Attorney General’s Office is looking to hire an attorney to develop and litigate significant environmental lawsuits in an exciting, creative, fast-paced environment.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS INCLUDE:

• Five or more years of civil litigation experience as a practicing attorney;
• Demonstrated ability to foster teamwork and collaboration and promote a positive work environment that recognizes and respects all employees;
• Ability to maintain productive working relationships across the division and with stakeholders, helping to identify and resolve problems;
• Experience in a full range of discovery and motions practice;
• Strong analytical, research, and writing skills;
• Excellent judgment;
• Experience successfully handling multiple time-sensitive assignments; and
• Commitment to help create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce and culture that encourages and celebrates difference.

DUTIES

This position will undertake affirmative investigation and litigation to protect Washingtonians and our environment. The Environmental Protection Division has led high-impact, innovative environmental enforcement matters, including the state’s suit against manufacturers of PFAS-laden firefighting foam products; against Monsanto for PCB damages; against a gold mining company for thousands of violations of the Clean Water Act; and against the Hanford nuclear facility for worker exposure to tank vapors. EPD has also led high-profile litigation against the federal government to defend environmental protections against regulatory rollbacks, including suits to stop oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; challenging the rollback of regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act, and to stop the resumption of coal mining on federal lands without sufficient environmental study.

DUTIES TYPICAL OF ATTORNEYS WITHIN THE DIVISION INCLUDE:

• Directing and assisting in investigations and case development;
• Developing creative litigation strategies to address complex legal issues;
• Drafting pleadings, motions and memoranda from initial filing through post-judgment proceedings;
• Developing federal administrative matters, including by drafting comments on federal rulemakings and other actions and filing challenges to federal decisions.
• Representing the AGO in public settings on matters that may be of a sensitive or high-profile nature;
• Conducting all aspects of discovery; and
• Motions practice, trials, and participating in post-trial proceedings including any appeals.