Senior Attorney/Assistant Attorney 1/2/3 - Syracuse (NY HELPS)

Description Duties Description Under the direction of an Associate Attorney, the Senior Attorney will represent the Department in all aspects of the administrative hearing process. Primary duties will include conducting pre-hearing conferences; negotiation of settlements; preparation of witnesses for direct testimony and cross-examination; and the preparation of Notices of Hearing, post-hearing briefs, answers to petitions, motions, supporting affidavits, bills of particulars and subpoenas.

Additionally, the Senior Attorney may research, prepare, and draft various legal documents, including regulatory and legislative analysis; prepare written legal opinions in response to inquiries received by the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioners, and staff; act as the liaison between the Department and the Attorney General’s Office in the defense and prosecution of litigation to which the Department is a party; and provide counsel and guidance to Department staff, including division directors.

The Senior Attorney will also be provided with opportunities to assist in other projects and matters handled by the Office of the General Counsel. Assignments will depend on both the needs of the office and the interests of the Senior Attorney. Other projects and matters may include, but are not limited to, assisting on litigation; assisting with record releases; assisting with procurement activities and contract negotiations; assisting with legislative or regulatory drafting; and conducting legal research to assist in advising Department staff.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work both independently and in a team environment.
• Ability to initiate and maintain relationships across a diverse set of stakeholders.
• Ability to handle multiple and shifting priorities.

Qualifications Minimum Qualifications This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide program (NY HELPS). For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a non-competitive appointment, if they meet the below NY HELPS minimum qualifications.

NY HELPS Non-Competitive Minimum Qualifications Admission to the NYS bar and two years of post-licensure professional legal experience.

Position may be filled at the Senior Attorney level or one within the Legal Traineeship appointment levels. Appointment title will be dependent upon qualifications of candidate selected.

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 two years of post-licensure professional legal experience.

Your degree must have been awarded by an educational institution accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the United States (U.S.) Department of Education/Secretary of Education. If awarded by an institution outside of the U.S. and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. A list of companies that provide these services (fees must be paid to the company you choose) can be found at: http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm. You will be required to provide this information to the hiring agency at the time of interview.

It is expected that employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status in the future, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded 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. If you are interested in the NY-HELPS program, or this position, you may reply to this vacancy posting, or you may visit the New York State Department of Civil Service website at https://www.cs.ny.gov/help/ (copy and paste in browser) to register today, in three easy steps.

Note: It is essential that you describe your qualifying education and/or experience a…