To be considered for permanent appointment, candidates must be reachable on the current Civil Service eligible list or be eligible for reassignment or transfer in accordance with Civil Service Law.
If a viable eligible list does not exist, a provisional appointment may be made in accordance with Civil Service Law. Candidates who accept a provisional appointment must take the next competitive examination and be reachable on the resultant eligible list in order to be considered for permanent appointment to the position.
The minimum requirements for taking the examination are:
Promotional Exam:
You must be a qualified employee of New York State and have had three months of permanent competitive or 55-b/55-c service as a Legal Assistant 1, Legal Assistant Trainee 2, or Legal Assistant Trainee 1.
Only the title or titles listed are qualifying.
Open Competitive Exam:
Either 1: a bachelor's degree (or higher) in a paralegal/legal assistant program from a regionally accredited college or university, or college or university accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) or one approved by the American Bar Association (ABA); AND one year of subsequent full-time experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant (see definition below).
Or 2: an associate's degree (or higher) in a paralegal/legal assistant program OR a certificate in a paralegal/legal assistant program where either the degree or certificate was granted from a regionally accredited college or university accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) or one approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) AND two years of subsequent full-time experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant (see definition below).
Definition: For the purposes of this examination, a Paralegal/Legal Assistant is someone who applies knowledge of the law and legal procedures in rendering direct assistance to lawyers, clients, and courts; prepares and interprets legal documents and forms; researches, compiles and uses information from legal materials to provide both written and verbal comments on their findings; and analyzes and handles routine procedural problems independently with minimal attorney oversight.
Substitution: Graduation from an accredited (ABA approved) law school with a degree required by New York State Bar admittance will be accepted as meeting the educational requirements for either examination.
Non-qualifying degrees: Non-qualifying degrees include but are not limited to degrees in Criminal Justice, Legal Studies, Liberal Arts, Political Science, Business Administration and Business Management.
Non-qualifying experience: Non-qualifying experience includes but is not limited to experience which is limited solely to general clerical or secretarial duties performed in a law office.
Important: Non-degree certificates of completion or diplomas awarded by a training institution or company not regionally accredited or accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) or approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) are not qualifying.
Preferred Qualifications: The preferred qualifications are: experience with litigation discovery or records access. Demonstrated ability to conduct thorough investigations. Demonstrated patience and customer service skills. Experience in collaborative work environment. Ability to work independently and appropriately prioritize multiple tasks.

The Legal Assistant will be assigned priority FOIL requests that involve sensitive legal issues, high volume records, or unique and novel requests. The Legal Assistant will review the request, seek and request records from the appropriate program area, review records, make redactions, and prepare a response for final attorney review. The Legal Assistant will perform investigations into what types of records may be available (particularly unique or novel requests), obtain records, and review for proposed redactions. Legal Assistants may draft or review responses for attorneys as needed. : The Legal Assistant will perform legal research to assist attorneys with responding to FOIL requests, appeals, or litigation. Legal research will include West Law research for New York state of persuasive jurisdictions, as well as legislative history, or reviewing advisory opinions. The Legal Assistant will provide their findings in meetings, briefs, or formal memos. The Legal Assistant will prepare memos, affidavits, spreadsheets, and other legal documents for appeals, and litigation. Materials will be prepared in conjunction directly with Division of Legal Affairs and/or Office of the Attorney General, with RAO attorney input as necessary. The Legal Assistant will assist with legal projects as needed, such as development of public-facing guidance on records, public posting of records by program areas in conjunction with RAO and other programs, and developing and providing training to DOH staff on FOIL.