General Practice Unit Attorney, OGC

New York City Department of Education; New York (NY); On-site; USD 107,000 - 111,000; Full time

Job summary

New York City Department of Education seeks a General Practice Unit Attorney (OGC - 26710) in the Office of the General Counsel for Manhattan. The role entails complex legal work with significant financial and policy implications for NYCPS, reporting to the Deputy Counsel of the GPU.

Minimum: NYS Bar admission and 3 years' US legal experience; preferred: strong writing, research, and experience in litigation or administrative proceedings.

Qualifications

• Admission to the New York State Bar and three years of US legal experience after admission.
• Selected candidates must remain in good standing with the NYS Bar during employment.
• Strong written and oral communication skills and ability to conduct efficient legal research.

Responsibilities

• Represents NYCPS in administrative proceedings before agencies such as the City Commission on Human Rights, NYSDHR, EEOC, and OCR.
• Liaises with the City Law Department and assists with court papers, discovery, settlements, and trial prep in litigated cases.
• Conducts legal investigations including pre-litigation matters and recommends settlements or other resolutions.
• Analyzes legal issues across admissions, space planning, early childhood programs, charter schools, civil rights, and related policies.
• Provides education law advice to NYCPS program offices and consults with subject-matter experts.
• Conferences with attorneys within NYCPS and counsel for litigants to coordinate strategies.
• Analyzes the impact of federal, state, and city legislation and drafts related rules and regs.
• Performs in-depth legal research and briefing for the General Counsel.
• Supports with compliance issues and policy initiatives as needed.

Skills

Legal analysis

Statutory interpretation

Legal writing

Time management

Independent work

Education

Admission to New York State Bar

Job description

Position Type:

Administrative and Central Office

Office Title/Functional Title:

General Practice Unit Attorney, OGC - 26710

Civil Service Title:

Agency Attorney OJ/MBF

Level:

L3

Division/Office:

Office of the General Counsel

Borough:

Manhattan

Posting End Date:

12/31/2026

Description:

Position Summary: Under the direction of the Deputy Counsel of the General Practice Unit (GPU) in the New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) Office of the General Counsel (OGC), the GPU Attorney engages in difficult and complex legal work having significant financial, procedural, or policy consequences for the NYCPS. Performs related work.

Reports to:

Deputy Counsel, General Practice Unit

Direct Reports:

N/A

Responsibilities

General Practice Unit Responsibilities

Level 3

• Represents NYCPS in administrative proceedings before the City Commission on Human Rights, the State Division of Human Rights, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.
• Serves as agency liaison to the City Law Department and assists with court papers, discovery, settlement negotiations, and trial preparation in litigated cases, including those brought against NYCPS under federal, state, and city civil rights laws.
• Conducts legal investigations, including pre-litigation matters, examines witnesses, and recommends settlements and other resolutions.
• Analyzes and responds to legal issues handled by GPU, related to admissions, space planning, early childhood education programs, significant changes in school utilization, charter schools, civil rights statutes, reasonable accommodations, student suspensions, parent led groups, immunization, home schooling, Title VI, Title IX, local law compliance, and other matters.
• Provides advice on education law to program offices throughout NYCPS.
• Confers with subject matter specialists, attorneys in other NYCPS legal units, and counsel for litigants.
• Analyzes and reports on the impact of federal, state, and city legislation.
• Drafts and revises rules and regulations for NYCPS.
• Performs in-depth legal research and legal analyses on critical issues and policies for NYCPS.
• Assists with briefing the General Counsel on compliance issues and legal issues relating to NYCPS priorities, policy initiatives, and program office escalations.

Qualification Requirements:

Minimum

Admission to the New York State Bar AND three (3) years of progressively responsible United States legal experience subsequent to admission to any state bar.

Note: Selected candidates must remain members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of their employment.

Preferred

• Ability to interpret and communicate provisions of applicable law and regulations.
• Ability to write clearly and concisely.
• Ability to conduct legal research efficiently.
• Experience with litigation and/or administrative proceedings.
• Ability to manage time and workload independently.
• Ability to take initiative and be flexible.

Salary

$106,607 - $111,107

(Internal candidates who are selected for this position and who currently hold comparable or less senior positions within the DOE will not earn less than their current salary.)

NOTE: The filling of all positions is subject to budget availability and/or grant funding.

* New York City Residency is NOT Required *

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

DOE Non- Discrimination Policy

The Department of Education of the City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's actual or perceived sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or pregnancy. For more information, please refer to the DOE Non-Discrimination Policy.

REQUESTING AN ACCOMMODATION - APPLICANTS

Any prospective employee (applicant) who is a qualified individual with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation to assist in the application process. If an applicant for employment believes that they have a qualifying disability and are in need of a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application process on an equal basis as applicants who do not have a disability, they should request an accommodation with their interview team or contact ODA by emailing [e-mail]. The determination of the accommodation request will be communicated to the applicant in writing. https://infohub.nyced.org/docs/default-source/doe-employees-only/personnel-memorandum-6-2024-2025---accommodations.pdf

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education's website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.