Assistant General Counsel, Office of General Counsel

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) is one of the largest public health agencies in the world. Legal Affairs within the Office of General Counsel at the DOHMH provides legal support to the agency and its many public health programs that serve more than 8 million New Yorkers.

Under the direct supervision of the General Counsel, the Agency Attorney II will serve as special legal advisor to the General Counsel, providing support as needed on an array of public health legal and policy issues.

DUTIES WILL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:

• Conduct legal research and draft written analyses as needed, often on time-sensitive basis.

• Provide recommendations on questions of law and public health and/or administrative policy.

• Draft amendments to the NYC Health Code and Commissioner of Health regulations.

• Draft legal documents including Orders of the Commissioner, as well as varied types of agreements, contracts, and/or memoranda of understanding.

• Assist in preparations for Board of Health meetings.

• Address concerns related to (but not limited to) enforcement of NYC Health Code, Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests, privacy issues, and environmental health.

• Maintain sensitive and confidential information.

• Manage and distribute information accurately and appropriately.

• Assist in monitoring the workflow, ensuring compliance with deadlines, and preparing reports and summaries.

• Establish positive working relationships with co-workers and programs.

• Perform other additional duties, as needed.

Minimum Qual Requirements

1. Admission to the New York State Bar; and either “2” or “3” below.
2. One year of satisfactory United States legal experience subsequent to admission to any state bar; or
3. Six months of satisfactory service as an Agency Attorney Interne (30086). 
Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.
In addition to meeting the minimum Qualification Requirements:
To be assigned to Assignment Level (AL) II, candidates must have one year of experience at Assignment Level I or two years of comparable legal experience subsequent to admission to the bar, in the areas of law related to the assignment. To be assigned to AL III candidates must have two years of experience in Assignment Levels I and/or II or three years of comparable legal experience subsequent to admission to the bar, in the areas of law related to the assignment.

Preferred Skills

• Excellent research and writing skills.

• Highly detail-oriented with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects.

• Previous experience using online legal databases such as West Law, CLEAR, and Lexis Nexis.

• Current working knowledge of Health Department procedures, policies and practices is a plus.

• Current experience in or knowledge and interest in Freedom of Information Law requests, Privacy Issues, Day Care and Restaurant Enforcement and other public health matters is a plus.

Additional Information

**IMPORTANT NOTES TO ALL CANDIDATES:

Please note:  If you are called for an interview you will be required to bring to your interview copies of original documentation, such as:
• A document that establishes identity for employment eligibility, such as: A Valid U.S. Passport, Permanent Resident Card/Green Card, or Driver’s license.

• Proof of Education according to the education requirements of the civil service title.

• Current Resume

• Proof of Address/NYC Residency dated within the last 60 days, such as: Recent Utility Bill (i.e. Telephone, Cable, Mobile Phone)

Additional documentation may be required to evaluate your qualification as outlined in this posting’s “Minimum Qualification Requirements” section. Examples of additional documentation may be, but not limited to: college transcript, experience verification or professional trade licenses.

If after your interview you are the selected candidate you will be contacted to schedule an on-boarding appointment.   By the time of this appointment you will be asked to produce the originals of the above documents along with your original Social Security card.

**LOAN FORGIVENESS

The federal government provides student loan forgiveness through its Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) to all qualifying public service employees. Working with the DOHMH qualifies you as a public service employee and you may be able to take advantage of this program while working full-time and meeting the program’s other requirements.

Please visit the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program site to view the eligibility requirements:

https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service

“FINAL APPOINTMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT & BUDGET APPROVAL”

To Apply

Apply online with a cover letter to https://a127-jobs.nyc.gov/.  In the Job ID search bar, enter: job ID # 511458.

We appreciate the interest and thank all applicants who apply, but only those candidates under consideration will be contacted.

The NYC Health Department is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and culturally responsive workforce. We strongly encourage people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, women, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender and gender non-conforming persons to apply.

All applicants will be considered without regard to actual or perceived race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, age, prior record of arrest; or any other basis prohibited by law.

NOTE: This position is open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate in your resume that you would like to be considered for the position under the 55-a Program.

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.