ASSOCIATE GENERAL COUNSEL

The Department of Social Services' Office of Legal Affairs provides legal guidance, litigation support, and direct representation in state courts and administrative agencies to the Department of Social Services and all DSS program areas to ensure the delivery of social services consistent with federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

A high number of candidates may make applications for this position, so make sure to send your CV and application through as soon as possible.

The Office of the General Counsel / Office of Legal Affairs is recruiting for an Executive Agency Counsel M-II to function as an Associate General Counsel (AGC) M2 in the Homeless Litigation and Program Counseling Unit (HLPCU).

Under executive direction of the Senior Deputy General Counsel of the Homeless Litigation and Program Counseling Unit (HLPCU), with wide latitude for the exercise of independent initiative and decision-making, the Assistant General Counsel provides counseling and litigation support to the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) including legal review, interpretation and implementation of existing and new DHS policies and procedures, state and local law and regulations relating to temporary housing benefit administration, development of policies and procedures, and defensive litigation representation.

The Associate General Counsel manages the Enforcement Unit attorney and administrative staff in the daily unit operations including counseling and coverage of court and administrative proceedings.

Responsibilities

Direct supervisory responsibility for administrative enforcement litigation including Client Responsibility. Supervise unit and agency attorneys representing DHS in Fair Hearings discontinuing temporary housing assistance benefits, Article 78 proceedings and appeals of upheld determinations.

Review cases with staff attorneys, consult on strategy and timelines, review draft pleadings, motion papers and memoranda, and assist with the preparation of witnesses, as appropriate.

Provide interpretation, legal research, written guidance, legal analysis and counsel to the program areas and their executive and senior staff on federal, state, and local laws and regulations governing the administration of temporary housing assistance programs and their applicable statutory and legal mandates.

Direct and guide agency implementation and compliance with post-conference, hearing and litigation consent decrees, court orders and settlement stipulations.

Assess existing tools, propose systematic changes to reporting mechanisms that reflect staff attorney's input and monitoring trends.

Prepare reports on the case outcomes and trends showing success of Client Responsibility program. Ensure Client Responsibility case actions reflect case strategy, case milestones and deadlines for review by all necessary parties at DHS and DSS.

Advise the agency, Deputy General Counsel and General Counsel on developments and trends.

Manage overall litigation and legal counseling provided by HLPCU. Assist DHS program staff in the review and selection of cases referred for Client Responsibility action.

Assign attorneys and administrative staff to aid in the review and discussion with program review of case records in determining eligibility for discontinuation of assistance.

Supervise, coordinate unit resources to assist the Law Department and other counsel in the review of pre-trial preparation, discovery document disclosure and review, witness preparation, drafting affidavits and other document management.

In concert with, or at the request of the Senior Deputy General Counsel, represent DHS at internal / external meetings with City Hall, Law Department and other stakeholders.

Collaborate with systems staff and managerial staff to identify new needs for software application development to effectively assign, monitor and analyze case management requirements.

Work Location

4 World Trade Center, 150 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007.

Hours / Schedule

Monday through Friday 9am 5 pm with flex.

Minimum Qualifications

Admission to the New York State Bar; and four years of recent full-time responsible, relevant, satisfactory legal experience subsequent to admission to any bar, eighteen months of which must have been in the supervision of other attorneys, in an administrative, managerial or executive capacity, or performing highly complex and significant legal work.

Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.

Preferred Skills

• Possession of necessary interpersonal skills for the effective supervision of a large attorney staff.
• Demonstrated ability to handle varied matters on expedited and often spontaneous basis.
• Ability to conduct legal research and write with clarity and understanding.
• Ability to plan and schedule a large number of cases.
• Good judgment in matters of policy strategy.
• Demonstrated litigation and research skills.
• Comprehensive knowledge of Civil Practice Law and Rules Social Services Law.

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 / .

Residency Requirement

New York City Residency is not required for this position.

Additional Information

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 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.

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