Attorney - Unified Family Court

Salary : $101,465.00 - $128,947.00 Annually

Location : Kent, WA

Job Type : Regular, Full time, 35 hrs / week

Job Number : 2025-23912

Department : KCSC - Superior Court

Division : Family Court Ops

Opening Date : 02 / 10 / 2025

Closing Date : 2 / 24 / 2025 11 : 59 PM Pacific

FLSA : Exempt

Bargaining Unit : Z5 : Superior Ct Guidelines

Full- or Part-Time : Full Time

Hours / Week : 35 hours / week

Summary

King County Superior Court is seeking qualified applicants for a full-time Attorney in Unified Family Court. The Court is one of the nation's largest trial courts, serving the country's 12th most populous county. Located in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, King County Superior Court is nationally recognized for innovation. The court's mission is to serve the public by ensuring justice through accessible and effective forums for the fair, understandable, and timely resolution of legal matters.

This position is responsible for providing pro se parties with assistance and direction throughout the court process. The incumbent is responsible for appraising, improving, developing, and implementing the mechanisms used to move clients through domestic cases and make recommendations on improving program access and process. The incumbent is responsible for conducting mandatory training for pro se parties; planning and conducting judicial officer training; attending status conferences and pretrial calendars to identify cases in need of assistance; conducting mediation / settlement conferences and drafting pleadings to facilitate resolution of cases.

Who may apply : This position is open to all qualified applicants.

Work location : This position is primarily located at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, Washington. The incumbent may be required to work at any of the King County Superior Court facilities (King County Courthouse in downtown Seattle, and the Patricia Clark Children and Family Justice Center in Seattle).

This position may be eligible for a hybrid work schedule with a mix of onsite and remote work. Employees must reside in Washington State and within a reasonable distance of their King County Superior Court worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

Work schedule and terms : This a full-time position. The Court's core business hours are Monday through Friday, 8 : 30 a.m. to 4 : 30 p.m. Work hours for this position may vary, including early mornings, evenings, and weekends as needed. This position is exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not overtime eligible.

Additional materials required : Please include a resume and cover letter describing how you meet or exceed the requirements for this position. These materials are supplemental to your application. You must still completely fill out the on-line application with your relevant education and work experience. Y our application may be rejected as incomplete if you include relevant information only on the resume or cover letter. Applications that state "see my resume" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted.

Please note that you can attach multiple documents to your application. Your options are :

1) Copy and paste one or more documents into the text resume section of the application; or

2) Attach multiple documents / files in the attachment section.

Job Duties

Primary job functions include, but are not limited to, the following :

Establish guidelines for processing pro se cases in Family Law. Review, streamline and simplify processes used to better serve the public with particular emphasis on clients with low to moderate income. Evaluate and create uniform standards, forms, and templates.

Work with judicial officers, members of the family law bar section, and others to establish guidelines, templates, checklists, and other resources to increase standardization and efficiencies in creating court documents such as parenting plans, child support orders, findings, conclusions, and decrees in family law and guardianship actions. Make recommendations and implement final processes.

Assess and recommend processes to best facilitate a resolution to pro se litigants, focusing on resolution early in the process.

Ensure ongoing development and presentation of the Family Law Orientation, a mandatory seminar for pro se parties in Title 26.09 actions.

Draft pleadings and write agreements independently or at the direction of judicial officers. Review legal documents for the content. Complete legal research, synthesize legal issues and information and report to judicial officers.

Create, review, update and present training materials on family law and Unified Family Court procedures and programs as assigned.

Provide legal research and tutorials to judicial officers.

Train and supervise volunteer attorneys.

Provide neutral assistance to one or both parties in dispute, including conducting mediation / settlement conferences as necessary.

Prepare pro se parties for representing themselves at hearings and trials.

Provide training to program staff on issues of family law.

Participate in various projects and court committees.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

Three to five years' experience as a practicing attorney and active membership in good standing in the Washington State Bar Association. Three to five years of relevant experience in family law or dependency preferred (specifically experience in the areas of domestic violence, substance abuse, child abuse / neglect, and mental health issues).

Knowledge of current case law, statutes, federal and state laws, court rules and rules of professional conduct applicable to family law matters.

Able to independently draft family law pleadings. Skill in interpreting and explaining policy and law to both program staff and lay persons. Able to establish and maintain effective working relationships with program staff, volunteers, attorneys, parties, judges, court staff and diverse professionals in a highly charged emotional setting.

Skill in presenting to groups and committees. Skill in working with diverse populations with cultural sensitivity.

Mediation, negotiation skills, and experience training adult learners is highly desired.

Supplemental Information

Special requirements : The ability to reliably travel throughout the county is required. Finalists must successfully pass a criminal background investigation and reference check. Criminal background records are not automatically disqualifying.

King County Superior Court is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer.

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay, or other forms of compensation.

Selection process : Application materials will be screened for qualifications and the most competitive candidates will be invited for interviews.

Union membership : Positions in this classification are not represented by a union.

If you have questions regarding this position, please call King County Superior Court Human Resources at 206-477-1529,

King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs :

• Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage options : King County provides eligible employees with options, so they can decide what's best for themselves and their eligible dependents

Life and disability insurance : employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents

Retirement : eligible King County employees may participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan

Transportation program and ORCA transit pass

12 paid holidays each year plus two personal holidays

Generous vacation and paid sick leave

Paid parental, family and medical, and volunteer leaves

Flexible Spending Account

Wellness programs

Onsite activity centers

Employee Giving Program

Employee assistance programs

Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position

Training and career development programs

For additional information about employee benefits, visit our

This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails.

NOTE : Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and / or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position. Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.

For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.

This application requires a separate resume and cover letter, in addition to completing the "work history" section of the application. Your application will be considered incomplete without a separate resume and cover letter. Have you attached a separate resume and cover letter?

What is the highest level of education that you have completed?

Are you a current member in good standing of the Washington State Bar Association?

How many years of professional experience do you have working in the field of Family Law?

How many years of professional experience do you have working in the field of Dependency?

Please indicate whether you have professional experience providing advice to individuals experiencing the following issues : (Check all that apply)

Please indicate whether you have professional experience providing or participating in the mediation of litigated disputes. Please provide details.

Required Question

Salary : $101,465 - $128,947