Agribusiness Attorney Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Salary: $83,856.00 - $157,080.00 Annually
Location : Thurston County - Olympia, WA
Job Type: Exempt
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number: 2026-06263
Department: Attorney General's Office
Opening Date: 07/28/2026
Closing Date: 8/11/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
Description
Persons requiring reasonable accommodation in the application process or requiring information in an alternative format may contact the recruitment team at HREmployment@atg.wa.gov. Those with a hearing impairment in need of accommodation are encouraged to contact the Washington Relay Service at 1-800-676-3777 or www.washingtonrelay.com.
All employees and volunteers of the Washington State Attorney General's Office serve a crucial role in the protection of the state, its people and resources, thereby providing an incomparable degree of job satisfaction. The AGO is composed of diverse, collegial and supremely talented legal professionals who are resolute in their commitment to public service and share the common goal of advancing the public interest. For more information about the AGO, we encourage you to review the Office's Annual Report which can be found HERE
The Office appreciates the benefits of a healthy life-work balance as well as a respectful, inclusive and diverse workplace. Successful candidates will join an Office in which every person is committed to providing exceptional legal services and where individual professional development is encouraged and supported. The exceptional benefits of joining the AGO include:

• A competitive benefit package that includes affordable medical plan options, dental benefits and retirement plans
• Vacation Leave, Sick Leave, Military and Civil Leave and Paid Holidays
• Transparent salary schedule - AAG salaries are set between $83,856 and $157,080. The exact amount is set in accordance with Appendix B of the AWAAG CBA
• The AGO will pay the general bar dues of someone who begins their assignment on or before January 31st per Article 10.8 of the AWAAG CBA
• Flex schedules and telecommuting options
• A formal AAG mentoring program that complements the AGO's inherently collegial and supportive environment
• Health and wellness program
• Training and career development program that is recognized for its excellence and efficacy by AGOs nationwide

The Agriculture and Health Division (AHD) of the Washington State Attorney General's Office seeks to fill an Assistant Attorney General (AAG) position.
The Agriculture and Health Division is a team of 16 Assistant Attorneys General and 9 professional staff located at the AGO's main Capitol Campus location in Olympia, WA. We have a wide range of backgrounds, value diversity, and work in a collegial, collaborative, and flexible environment.
Our work touches most aspects of Washingtonians' lives by helping to protect and promote public health and our state's economic, cultural, and environmental resources. Our primary client agencies are the Department of Health, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, and we advise numerous related boards and commissions. We provide client advice and litigate cases in a wide array of areas with real world impacts, including environmental and public health; licensing and oversight of health care providers and facilities; disease prevention and control; affordable housing and housing development; homelessness prevention and response; broadband expansion; renewable energy, climate change, and environmental justice; community and economic development; historic and archaeological resource preservation; and animal, commodity, food, and plant safety.
Duties
This position is for an attorney who will provide client advice and administrative and civil litigation services to various client agencies and programs. The mix of client programs for this position will depend on the division's and clients' needs and the successful candidate's experience and interests. This AAG will represent health care provider and facility licensing programs administered by the Department of Health and related boards and commissions and may provide counsel to programs within the Department of Agriculture. The AAG in this position may also represent programs within the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, with the potential for the right candidate to eventually take on a lead counsel role for the agency.
AHD has a wide variety of client programs, and there are regular opportunities to change assignments to explore new areas and develop new skills. The successful candidate will work directly with their agency clients from the start, with extensive support from their supervisors and colleagues.
The position will advise clients on common agency issues related to statutory and regulatory authority, legislation, rulemaking, public records, Open Public Meetings Act, and other matters. Examples of client advice issues include:

• Drafting agency request legislation to provide the Secretary of Health authority to issue prescriptions and recommendations for vaccines.
• Drafting and advising on implementation of rules requiring hospitals to provide charity care to indigent patients.
• Advising a health care profession commission on what care their licensees may provide via telehealth.
• Establishing a safe medication return program to ensure responsible disposal of potentially harmful prescription drugs.
• Implementing a newly created Compost Reimbursement Program.
• Advising on an agency's authority to enter private property for the control of harmful pests.

The position will engage in administrative litigation primarily before the Department of Health's Adjudicative Services Unit, with occasional appeals to state courts, and, less commonly, defend agencies against original actions in state and federal courts. Litigation examples include:

• Taking enforcement action to revoke the license of a mental health counselor who subjects a patient to sexual misconduct.
• Defending against a challenge to the Department of Health's guidance interpreting the law to require hospitals to provide charity care regardless of a patient's state of residence.
• Filing an action in superior court to enforce the Department of Health's order revoking a hotel's transient accommodation license for unsanitary conditions.
• Filing an administrative action to revoke a pesticide applicator's license for spraying harmful pesticides on farmworkers.
• Initiating enforcement action to halt unpermitted development on a protected archaeological site.

Qualifications
In addition to meeting the requirements to serve as an Assistant Attorney General, the successful candidate will have the following qualifications and characteristics:

• Skills: Strong analytical, research, and writing skills;
• Effective Communicator: Ability to communicate well both verbally and in writing in a manner that is respectful of a variety of audiences and views, and demonstrates good listening skills;
• Working Relationships: Ability to maintain productive working relationships within the division and with clients and stakeholders, helping to identify and resolve problems;
• Well-organized: Ability to balance and prioritize a mixed workload to provide timely client services and meet deadlines; and
• Intellectual curiosity: Willingness to learn complex concepts, capacity to thrive in an environment of highly varied work where colleagues expect to share issues, strategies, and legal theories.

See Position Description section for qualifications that are desired but not required.
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 by motion 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 Assistant Attorney General position is represented by the Association of Washington Assistant Attorneys General (AWAAG) / Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) AFSCME Council 28, AFL-CIO. The AAG salary for these positions will be set between $83,856 and $157,080. 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, 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 these positions and/or want to learn more about it before applying, please contact Division Chief Eric Sonju at Eric.Sonju@atg.wa.gov or 360-664-2475.
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.
Honoring diversity, equity and inclusion means that as an agency, and as individuals, we are committed to ensuring that all employees and volunteers enjoy a respectful, safe and supportive working environment. Only by fostering the inclusion of people from all backgrounds, cultures and attributes, can AGO employees and volunteers achieve their fullest potential and best advance the goals and mission of the AGO.
The AGO is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. Persons requiring reasonable accommodation in the application process or requiring information in an alternative format may contact the recruitment team at HREmployment@atg.wa.gov. Those with a hearing impairment in need of accommodation are encouraged to contact the Washington Relay Service at1-800-676-3777 or www.washingtonrelay.com.
For questions regarding the application process, please contact the recruitment team atHREmployment@atg.wa.gov. If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing or completing your application, please call NEOGOV toll-free at (855) 524-5627 or support@neogov.com.
More than Just a Paycheck!
Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Washington State offers one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation.
We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career. Like everyone, your first priority is ensuring that you and your family will maintain health and financial security. That's why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of health and retirement plans, paid leave, staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.
Read about our benefits:
The following information describes typical benefits available for full-time employees who are expected to work more than six months. Actual benefits may vary by appointment type or be prorated for other than full-time work (e.g. part-time); view the job posting for benefits details for job types other than full-time.
Note: If the position offers benefits which differ from the following, the job posting should include the specific benefits.
Insurance Benefits
Employees and their families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout the state.
Staff are eligible to enroll each year in a medical flexible spending account which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care expenses. Employees are also covered by basic life and long-term disability insurance, with the option to purchase additional coverage amounts.
To view premium rates, coverage choice in your area and how to enroll, please visit the Public Employees