Salary: $82,212.00 - $153,996.00 Annually
Location : Thurston County - Tumwater, WA
Job Type: Exempt
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number:
Department: Attorney General's Office
Opening Date: 06/01/2026
Closing Date: Continuous

Description

The Children, Youth, and Families Division (CYF) of the WA State Attorney General's Office has an immediate opening for an Assistant Attorney General (AAG) in its Juvenile Litigation Section.
The CYF Division is made up of two sections, the Juvenile Litigation (JUV) Section and the Program Advice and Litigation (PAL) Section. The JUV Section has an exciting opportunity for an AAG to represent the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) in juvenile litigation cases. This position will have a fast-paced litigation assignment that involves appearing in court frequently to represent DCYF in contested shelter care hearings, dependency fact-findings, and termination of parent rights trials. If you are an energetic attorney who wants a challenging and rewarding position, enjoys being in the court, are committed to protecting vulnerable children, and is looking for an extremely collaborative and collegial work environment, this would be an excellent fit for you. The satisfaction that comes from doing this work and supporting the professional development of other attorneys and staff is profoundly rewarding.

Duties
The Section's Work:

The JUV Section provides legal representation to the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) to protect abused and neglected children in dependency, guardianship, and termination of parental rights cases. This position involves a fast-paced litigation workload, with weekly in person court appearances and frequent trials. The subject matter can be difficult, but the work is remarkably rewarding. These cases directly influence the lives of children in our state in a very meaningful way.

The seventeen-attorney JUV Section represents DCYF in child welfare cases in Thurston, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, and Pacific Counties' juvenile and superior courts and in appellate courts, as well as foster care and child care licensing cases before the Office of Administrative Hearings. This team spends significant time appearing and litigating in superior court, advising clients, identifying and developing legal strategy, and achieving resolution of cases through settlement and trial. Section attorneys also provide ongoing training to DCYF social workers and colleagues in the AGO.

The AAG will join a division and section with staff who are talented, compassionate, highly collegial, and dedicated to serving in an essential role in the protection of the State's most vulnerable people. Members of the division and section are uniformly committed to creating a workplace that is cooperative, inclusive, and supportive of personal and professional growth. This full-time position is located in Tumwater, and involves travel to other nearby counties.

Qualifications
In addition to meeting the requirements to serve as an Assistant Attorney General,desirable qualifications include:

• The ability to juggle competing priorities and emergent issues,
• The ability to work well with a variety of people,
• Strong desire to litigate and be in the courtroom,
• A passion for child welfare, and
• Due to the challenging subject matter, flexibility and empathy are also desirable qualities.

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 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
This AAG position is represented by the Association of Washington Assistant Attorneys General (AWAAG) / Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) AFSCME Council 28, AFL-CIO. AAG salaries are set between $82,212 and $153,996. The exact amount is set in accordance with Appendix B of the AWAAG CBA. 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) with date law degree was conferred; and
• Writing sample (10 pages or less).

If you have questions about this position and/or want to learn more about it before applying, you are welcome and encouraged to contact Section Chief Margaret MacRae at 360-999-7748 or by email at or Division Chief Carrie Wayno at 360-586-6498 or by email at . This position is open until filled with a first review date of June 15, 2026.The Washington State Office of the Attorney General reserves the right to close this announcement at any time without notice. Interviews will be scheduled throughout the duration of the recruitment, thus you are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

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.