Description

Step into a role of enduring significance within Washington’s judicial system!

The Washington State Supreme Court invites applications for the esteemed position of Reporter of Decisions - a constitutional office entrusted with preserving the voice of the appellate courts.

This role demands intellectual rigor, editorial mastery, and a deep respect for the rule of law. As Reporter of Decisions, you will oversee the meticulous editing and publication of opinions from both the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals, ensuring their clarity, precision, and accessibility in official reports and digital archives. Your work will shape the legal record and serve as a vital resource for practitioners, scholars, and the public.

This isn’t just a job—it’s a cornerstone of Washington’s legal system. If you’re detail-oriented, passionate about law and language, and ready to take on a role with constitutional significance, this could be your next great chapter.

Washington State

SUPREME COURT

Employment Opportunity

Supreme Court

Reporter of Decisions

POSITION DETAILS
 

Job #:            2025-80

Status:          Regular, Full-Time 

Location:      Olympia, Washington

Salary:           $144,00 - $154,000 per year (DOQ) 

Opens:          October 22, 2025

Closes:          November 2, 2025. This recruitment will close when enough qualified applications are received. If you are interested in this opportunity, your prompt application submission is encouraged.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
 

Some of the duties you will perform are:

Supervision and administration

        Supervises day-to-day activities of reporter’s office staff and monitors many duties of the contracting private publisher’s staff assigned to publishing Washington official reports.

        Creates a budget, monitors expenditures, drafts and implements office personnel policies, attends meetings as the court’s representative, etc.

        Establishes and monitors publication timetables and schedules.

Legal analysis

        Reviews and revises headnotes for the opinions of 31 Washington appellate court judges.

        Coordinates editing of judicial opinions by the reporter’s office, judicial chambers, and the contract publisher, and resolves editorial issues.

        Makes final decisions for the most difficult legal style and citation issues.

        Drafts change orders and change memoranda amending Washington Supreme Court opinions.

        Answers case caption questions raised by judicial administrative assistants and the contract publisher's staff.

        Assembles and reviews all materials required for publication of official reports bound volumes.

        Proofreads and edits newly adopted and revised Washington Court Rules.

Services to other agencies and the public

        Answers a wide variety of questions from the contract publisher's staff, judicial administrative assistants, law clerks, attorneys, and the public.

        Publishes and revises the Style Sheet and extensive legal citation and style materials in the Opinion Citation and Style Guide on the AOC extranet, making them available to every judicial employee in Washington.

        Creates and periodically updates lengthy internal procedure manuals.

        Assists in organizing and conducting meetings of the Washington Court Reports Commission.

        Assists in organizing and conducting training sessions for judicial staff.

Publishing contract

        Drafts periodic requests for proposals (RFPs) for publishing Washington official reports.

        Oversees evaluation of proposals submitted in response to RFPs.

        Negotiates a publishing contract with the successful proposer.

        Administers the publishing contract and monitors the contract publisher's compliance with the contract.

Electronic publishing

        Coordinates publication of Washington appellate court opinions on the Internet.

        Uploads newly filed Washington Supreme Court opinions to the Internet.

Requirements

        Law degree and membership in good standing with the Washington State Bar Association or another state bar association.

        Experience and high proficiency in editing legal publications, such as appellate court reports, treatises, or law reviews.

        Supervisory experience in a law-related environment.

 
 
Knowledge of electronic publishing technology.

THE IDEAL APPLICANT WILL ALSO HAVE SOME OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
Knowledge of: legal publishing, including electronic and hard copy publishing; English grammar, syntax, and usage; the Washington judicial system, including court procedures, the appellate process, and judicial administration; editing standards for legal publications; The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation and the Chicago Manual of Style; management techniques; Microsoft Word, electronic file management, and e-mail programs.

Ability to: supervise and manage people; coordinate with a wide variety of people and organizations; analyze, evaluate, and organize complex data; thrive in a very detail-oriented environment; communicate effectively orally and in writing; recognize and convey the importance of in-depth opinion editing and the need for maintaining a single, official, authoritative source for Washington case law while adapting to evolving expectations of the bench, bar and public.