Staff Attorney - Supreme Court Commissioner's Office

Salary: $95,652.00 - $125,520.00 Annually

Location : Olympia, WA

Job Type: .REGULAR: Full-Time

Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid

Job Number: 2024-47

Division: Supreme Court

Opening Date: 06/07/2024

Closing Date: Continuous

Position Profile

The Supreme Court Commissioner seeks a hard-working, innovative, and detail-oriented attorney to work independently on complex legal research, record review, and writing projects that address both settled legal principles and areas where the law is not well-settled because lower court opinions conflict, the United States Supreme Court has announced new constitutional rules, or there are other emerging legal developments. The Staff Attorney's written product must provide an objective and comprehensive basis for each justice to independently decide whether to vote to hear a case and, if necessary, outline the procedural steps recommended for disposition of the matter. The Staff Attorney will engage in numerous other tasks, working with a close-knit, dedicated, and collaborative group of professionals.

Washington State

SUPREME COURT

Employment Opportunity

STAFF ATTORNEY

SUPREME COURT COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE

POSITION DETAILS

Job #: 2024-47

Status: Regular, Full-Time*

Location: Olympia, Washington

Salary: Range 74: $ 95,652- $125,520 per year (DOQ)

Opens: June 07, 2024

Closes: Open until filled; review of applications for this opportunity will begin on July 1, 2024. This recruitment will close when enough qualified applications are received. If you are interested in this opportunity, your prompt application submission is encouraged.

Duties and Responsibilities

Some of the duties you will perform are:

• Provides the Justices with legal memoranda recommending whether the Court should grant, deny, or take some other appropriate action on petitions for review and motions, and whether the Court should retain appeals filed directly in the Court or transfer them for decision by the Court of Appeals in the first instance.
• Prepares draft opinions and orders for the Court and draft rulings for the Commissioner as requested.
• Prepares, for internal office use, summaries of proposed opinions circulating among the Supreme Court Justices.
• Prepares, for posting on the Court's website, issue statements for cases to be heard by the Court.
• Assists the Commissioner's Office in making recommendations for changes to court rules and internal procedures.
• Serves as a resource for the Court's judicial law clerks and law student externs on legal and procedural questions and assists in the orientation, training, and mentoring of law clerks and externs.
• Assists in the development and presentation of continuing legal education programs sponsored by the Commissioner's Office.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Credentials

• Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited school of law.
• Member in good standing in the Washington State Bar Association (attorneys licensed in other states will be considered, provided they are committed to timely licensure in Washington).
• Four (4) years of attorney experience working in an appellate court or equivalent experience (we are broad minded about this: show us what you've got).
• Excellent legal research and writing skills,
• Ability to learn and help implement new technology,
• Willingness to work in hybrid remote/on-site environment,
• Skills for building and maintaining a positive team environment

AND

• A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including an understanding and commitment to ending systemic racism as expressed in the Washington Supreme Court's open letter to the public dated June 4, 2020.

THE IDEAL APPLICANT WILL ALSO HAVE SOME OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Knowledge, Skills and Ability:

• Ability to establish and maintain professional working relationships with the Supreme Court Justices, Court personnel, the legal community, and others.
• Ability to prioritize and effectively manage time and resources in order to meet deadlines and high productivity and work quality standards.
• Ability to earn the trust, respect and confidence of Justices, coworkers at all levels, and the public through consistent honesty, integrity, and professionalism in all interactions.
• Ability to respect diversity of viewpoints and backgrounds.
• Ability to analyze issues effectively and exercise good judgment and objectivity in evaluating matters and recommending decisions.
• Accepts personal responsibility for quality and timeliness of work; devotes attention to detail
• Ability to identify, analyze, and resolve problems in a consultative process bringing problems and recommendations forward for solutions.
• Ability to effectively work on multiple projects simultaneously.
• Knowledge of Washington State law, substantive criminal and civil law, judicial system, criminal and civil procedures and the appellate process.
• Ability to interpret and apply court rules.
• Knowledge of significant legal issues, problems and trends.
• Knowledge of legal research techniques and resources.
• Ability to apply technology used by the courts or the Commissioner's Office, and innovate in use of technology to achieve efficiency and consistency.
• Ability to understand, analyze, and formulate complex legal issues.
• Ability to draw conclusions based on points of law.
• Advanced written communication skills; ability to write in a clear, concise, and coherent style; skill in preparation and proper citation form in memoranda, opinions and other types of legal writing.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Consults with and keeps appropriate staff informed on specific work assignments.

Supplemental Information

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION CAREFULLY TO ENSURE YOU HAVE SUBMITTED THE REQUIRED MATERIALS TO BE CONSIDERED.

IMPORTANT: To be considered for this position, you MUST include the following, failure to do so will result in your application being disqualified:

Completed online application.

Current Resume.

Letter of Interest addressing your qualifications for the position.

Three (3) to five (5) professional references to include a current or recent supervisor with email addresses and phone numbers.

Two (2) legal writing samples (preferably 5 to 10 pages each) representing your own work;

To view the job description, please click here: Detailed Job Description - Insight (neogov.com)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• The workweek may fluctuate depending on workload or agency needs.
• Overnight travel may be required based on business needs.
• This position is NOT covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The AOC is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on gender, pregnancy, race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, creed, physical, mental or sensory disability (actual or perceived), use of a service animal, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, age, HIV or Hepatitis C status, or any other basis protected by federal or state law. Persons of disability needing assistance in the application process, or those needing this announcement in an alternative format, please contact the AOC Human Resource Office, at ([redacted], or fax ([redacted], or via email to R[redacted].

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

We are a team-oriented culture, and a balance of family and work-life in a wonderful community. We offer a family-friendly package of pay, benefits, paid time off, and workplace opportunities to help you get the most out of your career and life.

Our compensation plan includes:

• Health, Dental, and Vision Plans
• Retirement Plan Options
• Deferred Compensation Plan
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick Leave and Holidays)
• Paid Basic Life Insurance Policy and Long Term Disability Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Account and Dependent Care Assistance Program
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Part-time employees will receive benefits on a pro-rated basis.

To learn more details about all we have to offer, visit the benefits page at

01

Do you possess a Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited school of law?

• Yes
• No

02

Do you possess a Membership in good standing with the Washington State Bar Association?

• Yes
• No

03

Do you possess at least four (4) years' attorney experience working in an appellate court or equivalent?

• Yes
• No

04

Have you submitted two (2) legal writing samples (preferably 5 to 10 pages each) representing your own work?

• Yes
• No

Required Question