Associate General Counsel

Position Announcement – Associate General Counsel

The Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) is the voice of the residential construction industry in the state of Washington, representing nearly 8,000 home builders, remodelers and their associates.

We’re looking for an experienced new Associate General Counsel with a passion for service who wants to help more people access the benefits of home ownership in Washington. This position offers the opportunity to work with a highly skilled team at Washington’s largest trade association. This is your chance to make a difference while having fun, to mentor others and to work for the best home builders and remodelers in Washington! Come join us! 

Job title: Associate General Counsel

Reports to: VP—General Counsel 

Office Location: Tumwater, WA

FLSA status: Full-time Exempt

Salary Range: $90,000.00 to $110,000.00

Benefits: Health insurance, dental and vision (100% employer paid) are provided starting the 1st day of the month following hire. Employer matching 401K retirement plan, Paid Time Off (PTO) and holidays provided.

Job purpose

As a staff attorney, the BIAW Associate General Counsel provides counsel to and advocates for the Association under the direction of the VP—General Counsel. The BIAW Associate General Counsel’s in-house practice focuses primarily on land use, employment, construction, corporate, and administrative law. 

Duties and responsibilities

• Serve as one of two staff attorneys to the Association. 
• Independently conduct legal research and draft legal briefs and memorandums. 
• Advance BIAW’s legal advocacy by litigating matters of significance to the building industry. 
• Coordinate requests for, draft, and file amicus briefs. 
• Write blogs and articles on new case law, changes in the law, and other legal matters relevant to members. 
• Present on a variety of legal topics including liens, employment law, and contracts to members, staff, and other third parties. 
• Respond to member inquiries on a variety of legal subjects (liens, contracts, employment issues, etc.); provide members with answers to general legal questions. 
• Support BIAW Government Affairs Department staff assigned to monitor state agency rulemaking by reviewing proposed and final rules that may impact members, and by drafting new proposed rules or amendments and comments for consideration. For example, the State Building Code Council, the Department of Labor & Industries, the Department of Ecology, and the Utilities and Transportation Commission. The Associate General Counsel works closely with the BIAW Codes & Policy Manager. 
• Draft and review bill language and attend meetings during the legislative session, including BIAW’s weekly session update Zoom call.   
• Attend BIAW board meetings. Meetings are held three times per year in locations around the state. 
• Staff the BIAW Legal Committee. Staffing includes communication with the Committee co-chairs, arranging CLE presentations, drafting agendas, and submitting credentials to the WSBA. 
• Occasionally attend BIAW local building association events and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) events. 

Key Competencies

• Ability to rapidly develop sufficient subject-matter knowledge to provide accurate, useful, and understandable information and reliable legal advice.  
• Ability to quickly process and distill information in order to provide advice to Association staff and management.
• Ability to work independently and with others; use good judgment in evaluating situations; maintain confidentiality; perform legal research thoroughly and efficiently. 
• Highly developed ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with colleagues and Association members.

This job description does not cover every requirement of the job and is subject to change at any time by BIAW.

BIAW complies with all federal, state, and local employment laws. To that end, the Board of Directors and Executive Vice President of BIAW will not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sex, color, marital status, military status, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by law. 

Minimum Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
• Admitted to practice law in Washington as a member of the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA).
• Minimum 3 years’ legal experience, or a combination of legal and nonlegal relevant work experience. 
• Experience and interest in litigation. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Political background and/or knowledge of the Washington State Legislature. 
• Prior practice in land use, employment, construction, corporate, and/or administrative law. 

Working conditions

• This position may require occasional travel and attendance at evening or weekend events.
• This job description is not exhaustive and may be subjective to change as organizational needs evolve. 
• This job is hybrid, but requires a certain number of in-office work days to be determined by the VP—General Counsel. 
• Physical requirements include occasional lifting of 25 pounds or less, and motions that may include wrists, hands, or fingers. 

Direct Reports:

• None

Qualified and interested parties should apply with a cover letter, resume and any supporting documents.  

This job description does not cover every requirement of the job and is subject to change at any time by BIAW.

BIAW complies with all federal, state, and local employment laws. To that end, the Board of Directors and Executive Vice President of BIAW will not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sex, color, marital status, military status, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by law.