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

New York State Department of Health; New York (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday & Paid Time Off

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

Job summary

The New York State Department of Health seeks an experienced attorney to review legal papers, respond to subpoenas, and coordinate with the Attorney General in a high-volume, deadline-driven environment.

Candidates must be admitted to the NYS Bar, possess strong legal writing and oral communication skills, and be able to work in Albany or New York City under the NYS HELPS program. This position may be designated 55-b/c and requires effective prioritization of tasks.

Qualifications

• Strong legal writing and oral communication skills required.
• Ability to work as part of a team and make sound decisions under pressure.
• Experience handling high-volume, deadline-driven litigation matters.

Responsibilities

• Review legal papers served or received to determine responsive action.
• Process requests for legal action from program staff.
• Handle subpoenas and litigation matters involving DOH.
• Prepare referral letters and assist Attorney General in case development.
• Liaise with Office of the Attorney General and DOH staff on lawsuits.
• Advise on litigation risk and agency position; develop litigation strategies.
• Prepare affidavits and other papers for proceedings.
• Assist with discovery responses and depositions.
• Interface with other government agencies for documents and information.
• Maintain and update tracking, calendaring, and filing systems.

Skills

Legal writing

Oral communication

Analytical skills

Teamwork

Decision making

Deadline-driven

Education

Law school graduation/eligibility for NYS Bar Admissions

Admission to NYS Bar

Job description

Description

• Review legal papers served or received (including subpoenas and levies) to determine appropriate responsive action.
• Review requests for legal action received from program staff to determine appropriate action.
• Handle cases and subpoenas that pertain to any subject matters that DOH regulates or has any involvement in.
• Prepare referral letters to the Attorney General and provide aid to the Attorney General in developing the agency’s case.
• Act as a liaison with the Office of the Attorney General and DOH staff in the defense and prosecution of lawsuits that involve DOH in a high-volume deadline-driven environment.
• Advise executive staff and program staff of litigation commenced, developments in existing litigation, and the ramifications of court orders and decisions.
• Respond to requests from program staff for opinions and information concerning litigated matters. Advise program staff and Legal Affairs staff of litigation risk. Determine the agency’s position on issues raised. Work with DOH program staff to develop litigation strategies. Convey the agency’s position to the Attorney General’s office, advocate the agency’s position, and ensure that the agency’s position is expressed persuasively by the Attorney General’s office.
• Prepare indicated affidavits and other papers for use in legal proceedings.
• Facilitate the response to discovery demands, including but not limited to conducting electronic discovery searches.
• Prepare DOH employees for depositions or testimony.
• Interface with other government agencies seeking DOH documents, testimony, or information and the appropriate DOH staff.
• Maintain and update multiple tracking, calendaring, and filing systems.

Qualifications

Reassignment: Current NYS Department of Health (DOH) employee with permanent or contingent permanent status as an Assistant Attorney 1, NS, Assistant Attorney 2, NS, Assistant Attorney 3, NS or Senior Attorney, G-25.

Transfer: Current NYS employee with one year of permanent or contingent permanent competitive service in a title eligible for transfer under Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law.

NY Helps

• Assistant Attorney 1, NS: Law school graduation and/or eligibility for NYS Bar Admission.
• Assistant Attorney 2, NS: Admission to NYS Bar.
• Assistant Attorney 3, NS: 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. Position may be filled at the Senior Attorney level or one of the Assistant Attorney traineeship appointment levels. Appointment title will be dependent upon qualifications of candidate selected. This position may be designated 55-b/c and is subject to verification of applicant eligibility.

Preferred Qualifications

The preferred candidate must have strong legal writing, oral communication, and analytical skills. The candidate must be able to work as a member of a team, possess good decision-making skills, and must have the ability to handle high-volume activities in a deadline-driven environment. The ability to organize and prioritize a high volume of tasks is critical. The preferred candidate should be a highly motivated individual who is interested in working in an active legal team environment on matters involving a wide variety of public health issues.

Additional Comments

• This position may be filled in Albany or New York City. New York City employees will receive a downstate adjustment of $4,150.

When reviewing qualifications, omissions and vagueness cannot be interpreted in the candidate’s favor. Candidates are responsible for providing accurate and clear descriptions of their experience demonstrating how they meet the minimum qualifications.

This position is part of the NYS HELPS program. No examination is required.

Benefits

We offer a work-life balance and a generous benefits package, worth 65% of salary, including:

• Holiday & Paid Time Off
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
• Pension from New York State Employees’ Retirement System
• Shift & Geographic pay differentials
• Affordable Health Care options
• Family dental and vision benefits at no additional cost
• NYS Deferred Compensation plan
• Access to NY 529 and NY ABLE College Savings Programs, and U.S. Savings Bonds
• And many more...

The NYS Department of Health is committed to making New York a safer, healthier, and more equitable place to live. Understanding health equity, social determinants of health and health disparities is critical to accomplish our goal of eliminating health disparities. For more information on the NYS Department of Health’s Mission, Vision, Values and Strategic Plan, please visit: https://health.ny.gov/commissioner/index.htm

If you require reasonable accommodation to complete a job application, a job interview or to otherwise participate in the hiring process, please contact by phone [phone] or email [e-mail] to make a request.

The NYS Department of Health does not participate in E-Verify and does not sponsor visa applications.

For new State employees appointed to graded positions, the annual salary is the hiring rate of the position (beginning of the salary range). Promotion salaries are calculated by the NYS Office of the State Comptroller in accordance with NYS Civil Service Law, OSC Payroll rules and regulations, and negotiated union contracts.