Background Review Associate, Assigned Counsel Plan

About the Office : Pursuant to Article 18B of the County Law, the Assigned Counsel Plan (ACP), in consultation with the Presiding Justices of the Appellate Divisions in the First and Second Departments has been providing quality legal services to indigent persons since .

All services provided by the Office of the Assigned Counsel Plan are funded by the City of New York through the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice.

The ACP provides compensation to private attorneys for representing indigent clients charged with criminal offenses. Attorneys are assigned matters by the Court and the Administrator’s Office when a conflict exists prohibiting the institutional providers from providing representation.

About the Role : Under the supervision of the Administrators of the Assigned Counsel Plan (ACP) for the First and Second Judicial Departments, the job responsibilities of the Background Review Manger include, but are not limited to :

• Reviewing new applications for completeness and checking to make sure that experts have the necessary licensing and credentials for the category in which they seek to be qualified.
• Obtaining the verification of panel membership for Criminal and Family Court attorneys and OCA identification cards of court reporters.
• Contacting licensing authorities for information and searching public records and criminal histories of ACP experts, interpreters and investigators who apply for inclusion on the expert roster
• Updating expert profiles in the online expert directory which includes updating and keeping comprehensive files on experts, including copies of licenses and disciplinary records.
• Transmitting requests for criminal background checks to outside agencies,
• Assisting the Director in the drafting reports on background review findings and recommendations
• Working with Department of Finance staff to create and maintain vendor information in the NYC Controller’s Financial Management System (FMS)
• Respond to requests by panel attorneys about roster experts who can assist in supporting the defense of their indigent clients.

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR RESUME, COVER LETTER, AND REFERENCES

Minimum Qualifications

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties described above; or

2. High school graduation or equivalent and six years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties as described above; or

3. Education and / or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least one year of experience as described in "1" above.

Preferred Skills

Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice or related field and 2+ years experience in a relevant field (i.e. Public Administration, Criminal Justice, Business, Political Science, Research, Analytical Work, etc.

Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices associated with professional background checks-Proficiency in Word, Excel, Lexis-Nexis, Access or other database software and Internet research.

Excellent organizational, time-management and multi-tasking skills, including the ability to take initiative, prioritize duties, work independently and within a team environment, pay close attention to detail, meet deadlines, work well under pressure and maintain an enthusiastic work ethic-Strong organizational, analytical, writing and proofreading skills

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 class "jobad-residencyRequirement">

Residency RequirementNew 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.