Description:
The Wing Luke Civil Rights Division (https://www.atg.wa.gov/wing-luke-civil-rights-division) of the Washington State Attorney General's Office has a management opportunity for an attorney with a demonstrated commitment to civil rights and public service. The Civil Rights Division is adding a new Managing Assistant Attorney General to join the group of managing attorneys who supervise case teams, manage staff and operations, and develop and litigate cases to advance civil rights and social justice for all Washingtonians.This position, located in downtown Seattle, WA, is a leadership position with the Civil Rights Division and reports to the Division Chief.
Duties:
The Managing AAG will lead and manage teams, lawyers, and staff working on fast-paced, high-profile, affirmative enforcement matters. This position supervises the day-to-day work of other attorneys and staff, including reviewing work product, mentoring, and conducting performance reviews. The Managing AAG will also take on significant division-wide management and leadership responsibilities, including assisting with the development of Division enforcement priorities and case strategy. The Managing AAG should expect regularly to advise senior AGO leadership on sensitive, urgent, and high-profile legal issues that carry elevated media interest.
In addition to management duties, the Managing AAG will personally handle their own caseload, including developing, filing, and litigating enforcement matters. The Division's cases are litigated in state and federal courts, both trial and appellate, throughout the state and country. The Managing AAG's casework will include all phases of investigation and litigation, including fact development, case filing, discovery, motions practice, trial, and appeal. The Managing AAG is expected not only to meet—but to model—the Division's expectation that attorneys work with a sense of urgency and initiative to advance their assigned matters toward resolution.
Another core part of the Managing AAG's work will be public outreach and engagement, intra-agency and intra-governmental coordination, and community education on matters affecting the public interest. Like all Division lawyers and staff, the Managing AAG will contribute to the Division's work to promote vibrant, anti-racist, and inclusive community and governmental partnerships.
The Wing Luke Civil Rights Division is located in Seattle and consists of sixteen attorneys, four investigators, and seven professional staff members. Each member of our team is committed to the highest-quality work. We value collaboration, diversity, creativity, and collegiality.
This position requires statewide travel, including overnight trips. Out-of-state travel may also be required.
The Civil Rights Division has led some of the most visible and cutting-edge enforcement matters the Attorney General's Office undertakes, including Washington's challenges to the federal government's Muslim Travel Ban (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-fergusons-lawsuit-forces-president-capitulate-travel-ban), Transgender Military Service Ban (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-fergusons-lawsuit-forces-president-capitulate-travel-ban), and repeal of DACA (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/judge-rejects-federal-government-s-motion-dismiss-ag-ferguson-s-challenge-trump). We have successfully challenged labor practices at the Northwest Detention Center (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-jury-finds-geo-profit-operator-tacoma-ice-detention-center-must-pay) and in industries ranging from aerospace (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/electroimpact-pay-485k-over-anti-muslim-harassment-retaliation-claims) to agriculture. (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/electroimpact-pay-485k-over-anti-muslim-harassment-retaliation-claims)
The team protects the rights of Washingtonians to live and participate in our communities without discrimination on the bases of protected characteristics including: race (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-takes-discriminatory-blanket-housing-bans-renters-criminal-histories), national origin (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-announces-used-car-dealer-will-pay-250000-over-discrimination), citizenship or immigration status (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/sunnyside-mushroom-farm-will-pay-34-million-violating-civil-rights-its-workers), religion (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/electroimpact-pay-485k-over-anti-muslim-harassment-retaliation-claims), sex (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-spokane-car-dealership-admits-sexual-harassment-will-pay-280k), sexual orientation (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-files-lawsuit-challenging-trump-administration-move-limit-anti), gender identity (https://agportal-s3bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/uploadedfiles/Another/News/Press_Releases/16-273%20bsac%20States%20%28CORRECTED%29.pdf) (Download PDF reader) (https://get.adobe.com/reader/), veteran or military status (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-s-sweep-uncovers-illegal-housing-discrimination-against-veterans), disability (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-insurance-company-must-repay-every-penny-washingtonians-it-denied), or use of a service animal by a person with a disability. We take on unconstitutional police practices (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/attorney-general-ferguson-files-federal-civil-rights-lawsuit-against-city) and challenge discrimination by nationwide companies like Motel 6 (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-motel-6-will-pay-12m-violating-privacy-tens-thousands-washingtonians), Greyhound (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/greyhound-must-stop-allowing-warrantless-and-suspicionless-immigration-sweeps-pay), Facebook (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-investigation-leads-facebook-making-nationwide-changes-prohibit), and O'Reilly Auto Parts. (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-files-lawsuit-against-o-reilly-auto-parts-discrimination-and)
We work closely with the Solicitor General's Office, Consumer Protection Division, and other AGO divisions and state agencies to enforce Washington laws in state and federal courts. For example, we recently partnered to lead a multi-state lawsuit to protect reproductive choice (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/federal-judge-agrees-ag-ferguson-preserves-access-medication-abortion-drug) by removing excessively burdensome regulations for a medication abortion drug; and, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we enforced Governor Inslee's emergency moratorium on evictions, ensuring compliance by housing developers (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/first-lawsuit-enforcing-governor-s-emergency-proclamation-results-property), affordable housing providers (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-low-income-housing-provider-pay-50000-resolve-lawsuit-over-illegal), and a national sorority. (https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-sorority-must-provide-more-500k-relief-housing-fees-it-unlawfully)
Interested candidates are encouraged to review the Division's full list of cases (https://www.atg.wa.gov/cases) and amicus briefs. (https://www.atg.wa.gov/amicus-briefs)
Qualifications:
In addition to meeting the requirement to serve as an Assistant Attorney General, the Managing AAG position requires the following qualifications:
- Seven or more years of civil litigation experience in courts that follow the rules of evidence and civil procedure;
- Strong analytical, research, and writing skills and the ability consistently to produce high-quality work;
- Strong organizational skills and the ability successfully to handle competing, time-sensitive assignments;
- Exceptional and positive interpersonal and communication skills, including demonstrated cultural competence and experience working with individuals from diverse cultural, language, educational, and geographic backgrounds;
- A high level of motivation with the ability to work independently, be a team player, and devote whatever time is necessary to complete our work; and
- Demonstrated discretion, excellent judgment, and the ability to work well as a member of a larger team that is often working under pressure.
- Experience advising government leaders or government clients;
- Experience litigating civil rights matters;
- Experience managing legal teams; and
- The ability to read, write, and/or speak a language in addition to English.
To serve as an Assistant Attorney General, one 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.