Legal Assistant 3 (Judicial Appeals Analyst)

Description

• Industrial insurance (workers' compensation).
• Safety citations under the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act (WISHA).
• Employer Premiums (Tax Assessment and Classification).

The BIIA is a great place to work!  You can read employee testimonials on our website at http://www.biia.wa.gov/Jobs.html.

Duties

Reporting to a Legal Assistant 4, serve as one of nine Judicial Appeals Analysts within the New Appeals unit.  Assist Industrial Appeals Judges by identifying and retrieving facts in orders, letters, and other documents found in the Department of Labor & Industries' (L&I) record to establish the BIIA's jurisdiction to grant and hear cases.  Duties include:

• Receiving and analyzing incoming appeals, assigning docket numbers, and entering docketing and party information into a database.
• Creating a jurisdictional history of the appeal by retrieving information from ORION (an L&I database), analyzing documents to determine their potential legal impact, and extracting information from ORION to determine which copies of orders are necessary for use by judges in resolving appeals. 
• Reviewing and analyzing the L&I record in ORION and determining whether the appeal should be granted or denied by the Board pursuant to RCW 51.52.060; determining whether there are timeliness or other relevant issues.
• Drafting and proofing Orders, analyzing the content of documents to determine their potential legal impact, denying appeal for the review/approval of a BIIA Judge or Assistant Chief Judge; drafting Orders Regarding Jurisdiction, Orders Directing Amendment, and Orders Granting Relief on the Record.  
• Writing memoranda (researching agency significant decisions and other court decisions regarding workers' compensation law to do so).
• Enters information into the BIIA's case management system.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Option 1:  High school diploma or equivalent and four (4) years of experience in a legal environment in support of an attorney, administrative law judge(s), industrial insurance appeals judges(s), review judges(s), or equivalent.

Option 2:  One year as a Legal Assistant 2 (formerly Legal Secretary 1) in WA State Government.

Option 3:  A two-year degree in Legal Secretary Studies, Paralegal Studies, or related field and two (2) years of legal office experience.

Option 4:  A bachelor's degree and two (2) years of legal office experience.

• Experience dealing with L&I claims management or workers' compensation law.
• Experience using LIINIS and ORION.

• Accountability - Takes responsibility for own actions and can be relied upon to achieve excellent results with little oversight.
• Adaptability to Changing Needs/Flexibility - Embraces changing business needs and adapts approach, goals, and methods to achieve success.
• Customer Focus - Builds and maintains internal and external customer satisfaction with the services offered by the organization.
• Diversity and Inclusion - Recognizes the value of cultural, ethnic, gender and other individual differences.  Understands differences in and responds appropriately to others.
• Effective Respectful Communications - In a respectful manner, conveys clear messages that are effective in communicating information and ideas with others.
• Ethics and Integrity - Earns trust, respect, and confidence of coworkers and customers through honesty, candor, and professionalism in all interactions.
• Relationship Building - Builds constructive working relationships characterized by a high level of teamwork, cooperation, and mutual regard.
• Safety Focus - Adhere to all workplace safety laws, regulations, standards and practices.

• Exceptional proofreading, editing, and typing skills.  Ability to proofread for accuracy and content.
• Proficiency with Salesforce, Docusign, Microsoft Word, and Outlook.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to prepare legal pleadings and correspondence.
• Ability to analyze situations accurately and take effective action.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to use litigation software and case management systems.
• Ability to assist customers regarding inquiries, complaints, or problems.
• Ability to multitask, prioritize workload, and effectively manage time.
• Knowledge of the following:  workers' compensation, basic legal research; legal terminology; local, state, and federal court rules and their application; court procedures; legal forms and documents and their processing; sources for checking legal citations; proper citation of case law, regulations, and statutes; current legal office practices, methods and procedures; law office communications; correct punctuation, spelling, grammar, and vocabulary; database/index systems, and discovery procedures.

• The ability to take action to learn and grow:  Takes responsibility for knowing their own strengths and weaknesses and uses their learning to make government programs and processes more efficient and effective to serve all in Washington.
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others:  Flexible, adaptable, customer-service focused, and willing and able to empathetically respond to the unique needs of the people they work with and serve.

Supplemental Information

Benefits
This position includes medical, dental, life insurance, long-term disability, retirement, deferred compensation, flexible spending account, dependent care assistance, paid time off (sick leave, vacation leave, personal holiday, personal leave day), 11 paid holidays, and an Employee Assistance Program. Tuition Reimbursement is available for eligible employees subject to guidelines and funding. You can find more information about benefits at Benefits - careers.wa.gov.

Notes:

• The official duty station is the Olympia Office however, remote work is an option.  The successful candidates must reside in Washington state upon hire.
• This position is included in the bargaining unit represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees.
• The selection process may include performance tests (i.e., typing, proofreading, etc.).
• This recruitment may be used to fill any additional vacancies that occur within 60 days of this position being filled.

• A cover letter addressing the qualifications for this position.
• A current resume
• A list of at least three professional references

The cover letter and resume must be included using the Add Attachment(s) field (please do not use the text resume within the online application). **If you do not include all of the required information by the closing date, your application will not be considered.**  If you need assistance, please contact the BIIA Human Resources Office (360) 753-9639 or at HROffice@biia.wa.gov. 
 

The Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, disabled and Vietnam-era veterans, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply. Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may contact the Human Resources Office at 360-753-9639 or HROffice@biia.wa.gov.