Senior Attorney, Assistant Attorney 1, 2, 3 (NY HELPS)

Duties Description

Provide legal guidance to the agency with respect to employment matters; Support the agency’s mission to prevent discrimination and harassment in the workplace; Represent the agency in all phases of the administrative proceedings for matters involving complaints of workplace discrimination before the State Division of Human Rights and related venues; Assist the Attorney General’s Office with litigation before state and federal courts; Perform attendant litigation tasks such as preparing pleadings, compiling discovery, preparing for hearings and trials, negotiating with opposing counsel, preparing settlement documents, drafting briefs, and conducting hearings and trials; Handle additional general litigation matters involving representation of the agency before various courts and administrative venues; Assist in the investigation of internal workplace discrimination complaints; Review and approve draft investigation reports and legal recommendations with respect to internal discrimination complaints, and request supplemental investigation when necessary; Analyze legal issues and research relevant legal principles and laws; Monitor the progress of protected class matters; Collaborate with the agency’s Labor Relations Department (LR) in determining disciplinary charges, drafting notices of discipline, and determining the course of discipline to be taken and the parameters of settlement, if any; Assist LR in preparing for disciplinary arbitration and, in some instances, by conducting the arbitration in either a first or second chair capacity; Participate on agency committees related to employment law issues, including reasonable accommodation, workplace violence, and criminal history review.

Minimum Qualifications

Transfer: One year of permanent competitive or 55b/c service in this title or in a title eligible for 70.1 or 52.6 transfer.

For transfers, a list of approved titles is available through Civil Service GOT-IT at https://careermobilityoffice.cs.ny.gov/cmo/gotit/. The GOT-IT site will inform you if your title is transferable.

Open to the Public: This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide program (NY HELPS).*

The Minimum Qualifications Through NY HELPS Are

Assistant Attorney 1 (Grade 18): Law school graduation and/or eligibility for NYS Bar Admission.

Assistant Attorney 2 (Grade 20): Admission to NYS Bar

Assistant Attorney 3 (Grade 22): 12 months as an Assistant Attorney 2, or Admission to the NYS Bar and 12 months of subsequent satisfactory legal experience

Senior Attorney (Grade 25): 12 months as an Assistant Attorney 3, or Admission to the NYS Bar and 24 months of subsequent satisfactory legal experience

NOTE: Admission to the New York State Bar and current registration to practice law in New York State is required for continued employment. Disbarment or loss of registration shall result in termination or suspension of employment.

This position may be designated 55 b/c and is subject to verification of applicant eligibility. This position may be designated 55 b/c and is subject to verification of applicant eligibility.

Additional Comments

• For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a non-competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply. At a future date, it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded with all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified. Candidates who took and passed the Legal Specialties Examination are encouraged to apply.
  
  

Please specify in your cover letter and/or resume how you meet the minimum qualifications (as described above) when responding to this posting. Vagueness will not be interpreted in your favor and may disqualify you from further consideration if the information you provide does not meet the minimum qualifications.

Background Investigation Requirements

• All prospective employees will be investigated through a Criminal Background Check (CBC), which includes State and federal Criminal History Record Checks. All convictions must be reported; conviction of a felony or misdemeanor, or any falsified or omitted information on the prospective appointee’s employment application, may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment. Each case will be determined on its own merits, consistent with the applicable provisions of State and federal laws, rules, and regulations. Prospective employees will be fingerprinted in order to obtain a record of their criminal history information, and may be required to pay any necessary fees.
• All prospective employees will be screened against the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR). Prospective employees will be required to pay any necessary fees.
• For Division of Juvenile Justice and Opportunities for Youth (DJJOY) prospective appointees will be checked against the Staff Exclusion List (SEL) maintained by the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs. Prospective employees whose names appear on the SEL as having been found responsible for serious or repeated acts of abuse or neglect will be barred from appointment and may have their names removed from the eligible list(s) for the title(s) if applicable.
  
  

The Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) is an equal opportunity employer. OCFS does not discriminate based upon age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, military or veteran status, sex, disability (including pregnancy-related conditions), predisposing genetic characteristics, familial status, marital status, or status as a victim of domestic violence, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We devote special attention to dismantling racial injustice and recognize that diversity in our workforce is critical to fulfilling our mission. We are committed to the diversity of our staff and encourage applicants from marginalized communities to apply. In furtherance of Executive Order 31 and OCFS’s mission to have a diverse workforce, all people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. All applicants must be dedicated to working in and sustaining an environment of inclusion that affirms and celebrates the backgrounds, learned, and lived expertise, whole identities, and individual perspectives of our staff. Applicants of all backgrounds and experiences are encouraged to self-identify during the application process.