This recruitment will be used to establish an eligibility pool for Career Service (CS) and Term-Limited Temporary (TLT)/Special Duty Assignment (SDA) Public Defense Paralegal positions that may become available within the next six months. TLT/SDA assignments typically last between 6 and 24 months and may be extended or concluded earlier depending on business needs. Positions may be assigned to any division and located in either Seattle or Kent.
King County’s Department of Public Defense is looking to create an eligibility pool for Public Defense Paralegalpositions.Paralegals work in a fast-paced environment as part of a client-centered defense team advocating for the client’s objectives. Paralegals work independently under general supervision and provide a variety of investigative and paraprofessional legal support functions under the legal and technical guidance of an attorney. The work involves considerable liaison with other agencies, jurisdictions, clients/victims/witnesses, and the public. The Paralegal is responsible for investigating facts and underlying issues and performing complex legal research.
The successful candidate is dedicated to our collective mission to defend the most vulnerable and marginalized members of our community. We value diversity and aim for our team to reflect the communities that our clients call home.
WHY JOIN DPD?The King County Department of Public Defense (DPD) provides high quality legal representation to indigent clients in felonies, misdemeanors, juvenile defense, family defense (dependency cases), involuntary commitment (mental illness), and sex offender commitment, and inquests.
We also advocate to reduce the harm and reach of the criminal legal system and civil legal systems that restrict our clients’ liberties and to address systemic racism. We strive to create a flexible workplace culture that is inclusive, respectful, and supportive, premised on a shared anti-oppression framework. To learn more about DPD, visit ourwebsite. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES include but are not limited to the following:
Administrative Support
- Performs a wide range of advanced administrative duties, both in the office and remotely, and word processing of complex and/or confidential materials, requiring independent judgment, initiative, and timeliness on assignments that are sensitive in nature in accordance with department procedures.
- Perform legal research on statutes and cases; gather facts, analyze data and review cases; conduct preliminary conflict of interest checks in cases assigned.
- Draft correspondence, pleadings, and motions.
- Preparehearingexhibits;preparecasefiles and assemble trial binders.
- Process and serve legal documents/subpoenas.
- Obtaindocumentsbysubpoenaandother investigation and discovery methods.
- Develop and maintain caseload and case assignment tracking systems and databases.
- Update case files in our computerized case-management system.
- Support attorney time record-keeping and assist in the submission of hours.
- Monitor progress of cases.
Customer Service and Communication
- Provide excellent customer service, both in the office and remotely.
- Demonstrates the ability to be onsite at the work locations at least three days a week in any of DPD’s office locations (Seattle and Kent). Location assignments are changeable; work location may include more than one office location over the course of a week and may change over the course of employment.
- Demonstrates and practices cultural sensitivity when engaging a diverse population.
- Uses professional communication skills and demonstrates empathy with DPD’s clients many of whom suffer from trauma and/or mental illness, via the phone and in-person.
- Reliably answers and returns calls, providing the DPD community authentic support and demonstrating a willingness to assist them.
- Serve as a liaison with clients, prosecutors, probation officers, bailiffs, judges, and criminal legal agencies.
Other Functions:
The department reserves the right to close this posting and/or make updates to the position description as deemed necessary in support of DPD's mission.
*Detailed specifics of job duties are assigned by case type and division.*REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or a certification from an accredited paralegal training institution and three years of related experience, or any combination of experience/education/training that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the work.
- Be at least 21 years of age.
- Have the ability to travel throughout the county in a timely manner.
- Must be able to lift/move up to 20-pounds.
KNOWLEDGE OF:
- GuidelinesforCriminalDefense adopted by the Washington State Bar Association.
- Role of the attorney-client relationship and the requirement to adhere to the Washington State Bar Association Rules of Professional Conduct.
- Civil and criminal law and terminology, court rules, and procedures.
- Legal research methods and practices.
- Interviewing techniques.
- General office procedures, equipment, and administration.
ABILITY TO:
- Provide excellent customer service, including communicating with people of diverse backgrounds, who may be experiencing stress, trauma, and/or suffering from mental illness.
- Learn new and/or increasing complex duties.
- Adapt to ever changing work needs and requirements.
- Use office productivity tools such as Microsoft Office 365 (Excel, Word, and Outlook), case management systems, and internet search engines.
- Provide support in the building of a strong attorney/client relationship.
- Ensureworkperformedconformswithprevailingprofessionalstandardsand applicable statutes and county policy.
- Work in a fast-paced, and multifaceted environment with high attention to detail, and function well under pressure.
- Work both independently and as a team member.
- Handlemultiplecompetingpriorities,sensitive, andcrisissituations.
- Interpret complex legal documents, instruments, regulations, and laws.
- Use advanced writing skills to draft pleadings, motions, and briefs.
The following qualifications are a plus:
- Have lived experience involving the criminal legal system.
At King County, our work is guided by our True North and values. Our True North is what we aspire to: Making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive.
King County offers great benefits, to include a pension plan, holidays, transit pass, plus training and education opportunities to promote growth and development.Our focus is to provide our employees with work life balance.
ARE YOU READY TO APPLY?
This opportunity to join DPD is open to all qualified applicants. Please apply atwww.kingcounty.gov/careers.
To be considered for this role submit the following items:
- Completed King County application.
- A current resume.
- Cover letter detailing your background and what you can bring to the Department of Public Defense.
This recruitment will be used to establish an eligibility pool for Career Service (CS) and Term-Limited Temporary (TLT)/Special Duty Assignment (SDA) Public Defense Paralegal positions that may become available within the next six months. TLT/SDA assignments typically last between 6 and 24 months and may be extended or concluded earlier depending on business needs. Positions may be assigned to any division and located in either Seattle or Kent.
Note:Special Duty opportunities are only open to current King County career service employees that have completed their initial probation. Special Duty applicants must have approval from their current supervisor to accept an assignment.
Pay Upon Special Duty Placement:Current employees selected for special duty will be compensated based upon the provisions of the King County Code/Personnel Guidelines or applicable CLA for their base position.
The selection process may include evaluation of application materials and supplemental questions, interviewing, references, a personnel file review going back the last three (3) years, and if applicable a background check. You must completely fill out the application with your relevant education and work experience and attach the required documents to your application.
If you have questions, please contact our Talent Advisors, atdpd-hr@kingcounty.gov.
Work Schedule and Location
The Paralegal team works in a hybrid model, with days in the office as well as telecommuting. The ratio of remote to onsite work will be dependent on business needs and is subject to change. The primary onsite location for this position may be Seattle or Kent.
Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.
King County has a robust collection oftools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will join an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment. Employees will be provided with a County-issued laptop and must maintain a home workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.
DPD maintains physical offices in the following locations:
- Dexter Horton Building,710 Second Avenue, Seattle
- Jefferson Street Building, 1401 East Jefferson, Seattle
- Meeker Street Building, 420 West Harrison Street, Kent
Rotations of work location andpractice areaand/or workflow are an essential function and can occur based on business need.
The typical workweek is 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This position is non-exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is eligible for overtime.
DPD Policies
DPD Ethical Walls Policies and Procedureswill apply to employees, such that if you work or have worked for one of DPD's divisions, you may be ineligible to work in another division.
Outside Work Policy for Administrative Staffwill apply to employees, such that you must receive approval from your supervisor and Managing Attorney before being permitted to engage in outside employment for compensation or volunteer.
Union Membership
Positions in this classification are recognized by Service Employees International Union, Local 925.
Forbes recently named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.
Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference?Comejointheteamdedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.
Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles--we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.
King County 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.
