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: Superior organizational skills, must be able to prioritize a high volume of tasks to meet deadlines. Ability to work as a member of a team and possess good decision-making skills. Highly motivated and has an interest in working in an active legal team environment on a wide variety of administrative matters. Work experience in an office that handles litigation matters.

The incumbent will handle simple research and writing tasks, compile, organize, and update litigation and subpoena files, prepare referral letters to the Attorney General's Office, handle the information subpoenas, responds as needed to bankruptcies and levies, assist with electronic discovery searches as needed, organize exhibits for affidavits, and prepare voluminous documents for production in response to subpoenas or discovery requests.