Attorney - Involuntary Treatment Act

⁠​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌⁠

The Civil Division of the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is seeking a highly motivated attorney with a commitment to justice, integrity, compassion, leadership, and professionalism to join our office as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in the Involuntary Treatment Act Section. This is an excellent opportunity to develop expertise and gain negotiation and courtroom experience, particularly for attorneys passionate about behavioral health. If you seek enriching, meaningful work and a chance to serve your community while working as part of a dynamic team, this opportunity maybe for you.

About the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office Guided by our core values of Integrity, Compassion, Professionalism, and Leadership, our mission is to do Justice:

• We exercise the power given to us by the people with fairness and humility.
• We serve our diverse community, support victims and families, and hold individuals accountable.
• We develop innovative and collaborative solutions for King County and the State of Washington.

We value diversity and strive to hire a workforce that reflects the community that we serve. It is essential to our mission that we create and maintain an office that is diverse and inclusive. All PAO employees are expected to participate in PAO equity work and attend equity trainings and discussions. PAO employees are expected to comply with race, equity, and social justice principles, and to work with PAO colleagues and management to identify opportunities for improvement.

To learn more about the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (PAO), please visit our website.

ITA DPAs represent local behavioral health facilities where patients are civilly committed. The DPA assigned to this position will work closely with behavioral health professionals from the hospitals, out-patient mental health providers, and civilian witnesses. The DPA will handle civil commitment behavioral health trials, hearings, and appeals under RCW 71.05 and RCW 71.34. By working in this area, the assigned DPA will develop a strong understanding of how behavioral health illnesses affect behavior and a thorough knowledge of behavioral health treatment options. The assigned DPA will also have opportunities to train behavioral health professionals and patients' families about the ITA process.

Currently, ITA DPAs work under a hybrid model spending 50% of their time conducting in-person bench trials and 50% of their time working remotely on case preparation, negotiations, court orders, and responding to appeals. ITA cases that proceed to jury trial are commonly conducted virtually. However, ITA DPAs should be prepared to appear in person for jury trials if ordered by the court. ITA Court and PAO ITA offices are located at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. ITA DPAs also have office space located in the Columbia Tower in downtown Seattle.

• Previous litigation experience in criminal or civil cases.

• Potential for continued growth.
• Outstanding client relations and negotiation skills.
• Demonstrable enthusiasm, initiative, and an ability to successfully lead a team on complex matters.
• Outstanding analytical abilities.
• Excellent legal research, writing, and communication skills.
• Ability to translate complex legal concepts into easily understandable language.
• Must have a strong commitment to RESJ, including ongoing development of personal cultural competency.

Salary: $92,770 - $153,722 annually commensurate with 0 - 10 years of experience.

Application Process:

1. Fully complete King County application*
2. Attach Resume & Cover Letter addressed to the Hiring Committee
3. Answer supplemental questions

*Applications or supplemental questionnaires that state "see my resume" or that are blank are considered incomplete and will not be considered competitive.

For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact:

Selene Poulsen (she/her)

Sr. Human Resources Analyst

[email protected]

Forbes 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 Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is dedicated to 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.

To Apply
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.