Deputy General Counsel

Overview:

The Public Advocate for the City of New York is a citywide elected official and first in line to succeed the mayor. The Public Advocate serves as a direct link between the electorate and City government, essentially acting as a “watchdog” for New Yorkers. The Public Advocate presides over New York City Council stated meetings and is a non-voting member of the City Council, with the right to introduce and co-sponsor legislation. The Office of the Public Advocate monitors public information and complaint systems, investigates citizens’ complaints about city services and administrative actions, and makes legislative or policy proposals to address the identified shortcomings of those services.

Description:

The Deputy General Counsel, whose function is to assist the General Counsel in carrying out the duties of the office, should have a demonstrable commitment to social justice and public interest work. The Deputy is expected to assist in identifying gaps in City services, outlining legal responses, and coordinating the provision of legal resources to constituents. The Deputy will work alongside the policy, legislative, and constituent services teams to address legislative and constituent concerns; ensure legal compliance; respond to staff legal questions; serve as Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) Appeals Officer; and supervise junior attorneys.

Responsibilities:

● Draft and review correspondence, legal papers, and letters for legal impact;

● Receive and review reports and records, including legal agreements, contracts, pleadings, resolutions, court cases, and new or proposed legislation;

● Draft analytical memoranda setting forth recommendations on legal and legislative matters reflective of the Public Advocate’s policy and legislative priorities;

● Advise on legislative requests and bills to the City Council;

● Monitor and analyze current legislation, regulations, administrative law and case law for impact on the public policy goals set forth by the Public Advocate;

● Research and draft public comments supporting or opposing rules changes;

● Coordinate office and staff compliance with laws, rules, and regulations governing conflicts of interest laws applicable to NYC public servants;

● Serve as FOIL Appeals Officer;

● Respond to legal inquiries from staff;

● Serve as Representative Member of the New York City Audit Committee; and

● Perform other related duties as required.

Qualifications:

● Graduate of an accredited law school;

● Admitted to the New York State bar and in good standing;

● At least 6 years of experience as an attorney;

● Outstanding written and verbal communication skills;

● Knowledge about New York City government and agencies;

● Familiarity with the New York City Charter, Administrative Code and Rules of New York City; and

● Familiarity with a wide variety of public law areas, such as constitutional law, local government law, housing and tenants’ rights laws and protections, criminal law and education law.

● Bilingual/multilingual proficiency a plus.

Salary: $100k - $115k annually

How to Apply/Additional Information:

Send resume, cover letter and legal writing sample to Teisha Stallings at [email protected] and Elizabeth Guzman at [email protected] with the name of the position in the subject line. Applications without a cover letter and legal writing sample will not be considered. Due to the high volume of applications received, we will only be able to contact those under consideration for this position.

All new hires must be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, unless granted a reasonable accommodation for exemption. If offered city employment, this requirement must be met by date of hire, unless a reasonable accommodation for exemption has been received and approved.

New York City residency is required within 90 days from hire date.

The Office of the New York City Public Advocate and The City of New York are inclusive equal opportunity employers committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.