What are the responsibilities and job description for the Division Chief - WA State University Division, Pullman position at State of Washington Attorney General's 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.
More Information About the Attorney General’s Office
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 and view THIS VIDEO.
Benefit and Compensation Details
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:
- Competitive salary, within the given salary range ($164,846 - $170,316 ).
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A competitive benefit package that includes:
- Affordable medical plan options, including vision benefits,
- Dental benefits covered 100%
- Retirement plan (employee/employer contribution)
- Deferred Compensation Plan
- 11 paid holidays and 1 personal holiday
- 8 hours sick leave accrual per month
- 9.33 hours to start, then up to 16.67 hours of annual leave accrual per month (based on years of state service)
- Flex schedules and telecommuting options
- The AGO will pay the general bar dues of someone who begins their assignment on or before January 31st
- Qualifying Employer for Public Loan Forgiveness Program
- 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 provides CLE credits and is recognized for its excellence and efficacy by AGOs nationwide
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The Washington State University (WSU) Division of the Washington State Attorney General's Office (AGO) seeks an experienced attorney and leader with significant management and education law experience to fill the position of its Division Chief.
Housed on the WSU Pullman campus, the WSU Division provides a full range of legal services to the state’s land grant university system, which includes campuses in Spokane, Vancouver, Tri-Cities, and Everett, in addition to a Global (online) Campus and statewide research and Extension offices. The Division includes six attorneys and three professional staff. The wide variety of legal issues presented on a day-to-day basis makes for a challenging and rewarding practice. The practice involves primarily client advice with some litigation (under the Administrative Procedure Act and in state courts). Practice areas include, but are not limited to, student affairs, employment, employee benefits, open public meetings, public records, public agency law, risk management, civil rights, academic programs and clinical placements, health care, intercollegiate athletics, research compliance, technology transfer, copyright and intellectual property, data privacy, land use, real estate, construction, data security, records management, public finance and bonding, gifts and trusts, constitutional law, police matters, procurement, and contracts.
Duties
The Division Chief oversees all aspects of the Division, including litigation, employee hiring and supervision, budget, and contracts with outside counsel (special assistant attorneys general), while also serving as the university’s chief legal counsel, providing legal advice and representation to WSU’s Board of Regents and to its President, Provost, Chancellors, and other university senior leaders and officials. Overall, the Division Chief is responsible for ensuring the delivery of excellent legal services to WSU. The WSU Division Chief also is a member of the AGO Leadership Team and responsible for contributing to and supporting the overall mission of the AGO.
Qualifications
The talented and dedicated team of attorneys and professional staff in the WSU Division prides itself on producing excellent legal work and supporting each other. The work culture is respectful, inclusive, collaborative, and professional. The Division Chief must embrace and model these values.
The Division Chief also must be able to build and maintain strong relationships and coordinate effectively with clients and members of the WSU Division and other AGO divisions, including the University of Washington and Education divisions. The Division Chief must have superior interpersonal skills and strong oral and written communication skills. The chief is expected to foster teamwork, provide growth opportunities for a diverse group of people, and promote and maintain an equitable, inclusive, and welcoming work environment. The successful candidate will be an outstanding leader and team player. Occasional travel to other WSU campuses and AGO locations throughout the state is required.
In addition to meet the qualifications to serve as an Assistant Attorney General, the successful candidate will also have demonstrated abilities and experience in the following areas:
At least 8 years of legal experience;- Experience in substantive areas of law relevant to the division’s areas of practice;
- A strong interest in education law;
- Experience in client advice, civil litigation, administrative law, appellate practice, and/or other areas of law relevant to government practice and operations;
- Excellent judgment and leadership as well as management skills;
- Exceptional communication skills (verbal and in writing);
- High caliber analytical and research skills with an affinity for quickly learning new areas of law;
- The ability to build and maintain strong client relationships, including with client agency leadership;
- The ability to coordinate and manage multiple issues and priorities of a diverse legal nature and differing complexity;
- Outstanding interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability to collaborate and foster teamwork as well as establish and maintain positive working relationships with coworkers while promoting a working environment that is collaborative, diverse, inclusive, and innovative;
- Strong time management and organizational skills and a demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure;
- Experience providing independent, sound legal advice on a wide variety of complex issues to knowledgeable high-level clients;
- Effective problem-solving skills with experience providing proactive, practical, and creative solutions relating to legal, business, and operational strategy and/or to law office management, while maintaining perspective and resilience; and
- Demonstrated ability to facilitate issue resolution in a highly visible environment.
The strongest candidates also will possess:
- Significant experience advising a higher education institution or a large public or governmental entity;
- Substantial experience serving in effective leadership and management roles as an attorney;
- Demonstrated leadership skills and competence in mentoring and supervising attorneys and professional staff, including the ability to build respect and trust as well as provide timely recognition and constructive feedback
- Significant and demonstrated understanding of state government;
- The ability to develop and carry out systemic approaches to litigation matters as well as organizational and budget issues;
- Considerable civil litigation experience; and
- At least 5 years of experience with open public meetings and public records laws and in one or more practice areas listed in the division description above.
Finally, the AGO seeks applicants who are committed to public service as demonstrated by background, talents, attitude, and enthusiasm for public law practice.
Applicants must have graduated from a law school accredited by the ABA or completed the WSBA's Rule 6 Law Clerk Program; and be licensed to practice law in Washington state. (Applicants who meet the other stated qualifications and are actively pursuing admission by motion will also be considered.) The AGO seeks applicants who are committed to public service as demonstrated by an applicant's background, talents, attitude, and enthusiasm for public law practice. The AGO greatly encourages, celebrates and values diversity, appreciating that a workforce composed of those from different backgrounds and experiences creates an inclusive environment, strengthens positive relationships with the local community and brings new perspectives and approaches to fulfill its mission of providing excellent, independent and ethical legal services to the State of Washington and protecting the rights of its people.
Supplemental Information
Salary range for this position is $164,846 - $170,316. Division Chief salaries are based on experience, qualifications and are commensurate with comparable positions in the AGO. This position is exempt from representation by the Association of Washington Assistant Attorneys General/Washington Federation of State Employees AFSCME Council28, AFL-CIO. A competitive state benefits package is also offered which includes a choice of medical/dental insurance plans, retirement, life and basic long-term disability insurance. In addition, there are non-financial benefits that include working in a collaborative and supportive work environment where professional development and work-life balance are highly valued. The health, safety and professional satisfaction of all AGO staff and volunteers is critical to fulfilling the mission of the AGO to provide exceptional legal services. Complementing and fostering this goal is a long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship, as evidenced in the AGO's environmental policies.
Interested applicants must apply by hitting the "apply" button above. In addition to the on-line application, one must upload, via the system and preferably as PDFs:
- A letter of interest;
- Resume;
- Law school transcript (unofficial copy is acceptable); and
- Writing sample (maximum 10 pages).
If you have questions about this position or wish to learn more about it before applying, you are welcome to contact Deputy Attorney General Aileen Huang at (206) 389-2050 or aileen.huang@atg.wa.gov.
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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 age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, honorably discharged veteran or military status or the presence of any sensory, metal, or physical disability or the use of a trained 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.
Salary : $164,846 - $170,316
