Closing Date: 14th January, 2026

Description:

The Washington State Attorney General's Office (AGO) is currently seeking law students who are also veterans as defined by RCW 41.04.007 to apply to serve as a paid law clerk or legal extern for academic credit beginning Summer 2026! This position will be located in our downtown Seattle office.

The Attorney General's Office (AGO) serves more than 230 state agencies, boards, commissions, colleges and universities, as well as the Legislature and the Governor. The mission of the Office is to deliver the highest quality professional legal services to officials, agencies, and citizens of the state of Washington. The Office is comprised of over 800 attorneys and over 700 professional staff.

For more information about the AGO, we encourage you to review the Office's Annual Report which can be found HERE.

Duties:
The selected candidate will support the AGO's Office of Military and Veteran Legal Assistance (OMVLA) within the Policy Division.

Duties of the Selected Candidate Include, But Are Not Limited To:

Assisting veterans, service members, and their families seeking civil legal assistance. This may include conducting intake interviews with individuals requesting help, identifying appropriate resources for community members, or drafting plain-language emails and letters to inform individuals about resources available to them. OMVLA does not provide legal advice to community members.
Researching and drafting memoranda on legal issues affecting service members, veterans, and their families,
Contributing to the AG's outreach efforts to Washington's military and veteran community, including attending events such as Stand Downs for veterans experiencing homelessness, and
Identifying and developing training topics for community partners, including attorneys, service providers, and other stakeholders.

Qualifications:
We Are Looking for a Law Student Who:

Served or is currently serving in any branch of the Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reserves and either fulfilled their initial military service obligation or, as a member of the armed forces reserves, national guard, or coast guard, was called into federal services by a presidential select reserve call up for at least one hundred eighty cumulative days, and
Received a qualifying discharge under RCW 73.04.005.

Candidates must also be currently enrolled in an ABA accredited law school and must maintain that status during the duration of the clerkship. The AGO seeks applicants who are committed to public service and who possess a diverse background in education, previous work experience, law school activities, extracurricular activities, community service and areas of interest that enhance our office. Candidates must be able to work in WA State for the duration of the clerkship.

Supplemental Information:
Salary for those who have completed one year of law school will be $23.00/hr. Salary for those who have completed two years of law school will be $24.00/hr. Positions located in King County are eligible for 5% King County Assignment Pay.

Required Application Materials/Deadline:
Qualified first and second-year students interested in serving as a law clerk during Summer 2026 must apply to this posting by clicking the "apply" button and submitting a profile and uploading the following documents by January 14, 2026:

Letter of Interest
Resume
Law School Transcript (official/unofficial)
One letter of recommendation (2L only)
List of 3 professional references (1L only)
Writing sample (no more than 10 pages)
Second-year law students are required to submit one letter of recommendation by the application deadline. The letter of recommendation is the only document that will be accepted separately. The letter of recommendation can be submitted by the recommender directly to the recruitment office by e-mail to HRemployment@atg.wa.gov. First-year law students must submit a list of three professional references with their application materials.

For questions about this opportunity, please contact Office of Military and Veteran Legal Assistance Manager Mariah Hanley at Mariah.hanley@atg.wa.gov or (206) 342-6407.

Additional information (e.g., additional writing samples, additional letters of recommendation) will be accepted, but are not required. Incomplete applications will not be accepted or considered.

Recruitment Process:
The division will determine who to interview and will directly contact students to set up interviews. Any qualified candidate not selected can apply for and participate in the AGO's spring process for law clerks (culminates in offers of summer clerkships), the process for which will immediately follow this recruitment.

The Washington State Office of the Attorney General does not use the E-Verify system; therefore, we are not eligible to extend STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT). For more information, please visit www.uscis.gov.

Honoring diversity, equity and inclusion means that 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, mental or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability or the use of a trained dog guide or 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 at1-800-676-3777 or www.washingtonrelay.com.