Review Vacancy
AgencyMental Health, Office of
TitleSenior Attorney/Assistant Attorney 1/2/3 (NY HELPS), Central Office;
Bargaining UnitM/C - Managerial/Confidential (Unrepresented)
Salary RangeFrom $67119 to $118388 Annually
Duties Description The Office of Mental Health (OMH) is recruiting to fill the position of Senior Attorney, M-1/Assistant Attorney 1/2/3, NS, in the Office of Counsel, Bureau of Litigation. The Bureau of Litigation provides support and legal advice on general litigation issues and provides legal advice and support to counsel, executive staff, and agency personnel to resolve ongoing litigation and minimize potential litigation exposure. Specific duties to be performed include, but are not limited to, the following:
Defend OMH and its facilities in administrative hearings (and in court as applicable), including but not limited to Division of Human Rights (DHR) hearings, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) hearings and Workers’ Compensation (WC) discrimination (retaliation) hearings.
Serve as liaison between the agency, and its officials and employees, and the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) or outside counsel concerning lawsuits and other legal matters being handled by the Office of the Attorney General or outside counsel.
Provide legal advice to OMH, its employees, and the OAG concerning lawsuits in federal and state court and the NYS Court of Claims.
Provide legal advice to facilities, Division of Forensics, and OAG regarding court applications for Article 9 retention and medication over objection, and also forensic court applications.
Respond to subpoenas.
Provide legal advice to OMH, its facilities, and to facility and program staff regarding legal issues that affect the agency.
Draft affidavits, declarations, motions, and related court papers.
Institute litigation holds via the eDiscovery system and send hold memoranda to agency staff. Perform email searches.
Perform other legal matters as assigned by the Deputy Counsel for Litigation and the General Counsel, as needed.
Minimum Qualifications Non-Competitive Minimum Qualifications Under the NY HELPS Program: This position includes an opportunity to serve in a traineeship and applicants will be appointed to appropriate level based on their experience, certification, and education. Candidates who have graduated from law school and who possess credentials and experience less than that described below will be required to serve in a traineeship leading to Senior Attorney, M-1. The length of the traineeship will be determined by the credentials and experience possessed by a candidate as shown below. If you are not admitted to the NYS Bar within two years of appointment, your appointment will be terminated.
Assistant Attorney 1, NS = 18 (starting salary $67,119): Law school graduation and/or eligibility for NYS Bar Admission
Assistant Attorney 2, NS = 20 (starting salary $74,325): Admission to New York State Bar
Assistant Attorney 3, NS = 22 (starting salary $82,542): 12 months as an Assistant Attorney 2, or Admission to the NYS Bar and 12 months of subsequent satisfactory legal experience
Senior Attorney, M-1 (starting salary $93,659): 12 months as an Assistant Attorney 3, or Admission to the NYS Bar and 24 months of subsequent satisfactory legal experience
Transfer Opportunity:
Candidates must have one year of permanent competitive or 55b/c service as a Senior Attorney and be eligible for later transfer; OR be eligible to transfer via Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law by having one year of permanent competitive or 55b/c service as an Assistant Attorney 1, NS; Assistant Attorney 2, NS; Assistant Attorney 3, NS; Senior Attorney (Realty), G-25; or Senior Attorney, Grade 25/M-1.
55b/c Opportunity:
Individuals certified eligible for the 55b/c program under the Governor’s Program to Hire Persons/Veterans with Disabilities pursuant to Section 55b/c of the Civil Service Law who are a graduate of an accredited law school with an LLB or JD degree will also be considered. Please provide a copy of your eligibility letter with your response.
Transfer or 55b/c candidates must be admitted to the New York State Bar Association, be licensed to practice law in New York State, and have two years of post-Bar legal experience to be appointed to Senior Attorney, M-1. Transfer or 55b/c candidates who have graduated from law school and who possess credentials and experience less than that described above will be required to serve in a traineeship leading to Senior Attorney, M-1.
Additional Comments The starting salary for this position will vary based on the selected candidate’s education and/or experience. Candidates appointed at a trainee level will be required to successfully complete the traineeship to advance to the full performance level title and salary:
$67,119 (Assistant Attorney 1, NS = 18)
$74,325 (Assistant Attorney 2, NS = 20)
$82,542 (Assistant Attorney 3, NS = 22
$93,659 (Senior Attorney, M-1, full performance level)
For current New York State employees, the starting salary is based on the candidate’s salary at the time of hire.
Specific scheduled hours and telecommuting availability for this position will be discussed during the interview process. Please note, employees are required to apply and obtain approval through management to telecommute according to operational needs and Agency Telecommuting Program Guidelines.
This position may be designated 55 b/c and is subject to verification of applicant eligibility.
The Mission of the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) is to promote the mental health of all New Yorkers, with a focus on providing hope and supporting recovery for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances. Applicants with lived mental health experience are encouraged to apply. OMH is deeply committed to supporting underserved individuals, organizations and communities. To this end, OMH is focused on implementing activities and initiatives to reduce disparities in access, quality, and treatment outcomes for underserved populations. A critical component of these efforts is ensuring OMH is a diverse and inclusive workplace where the unique attributes and skills of all employees are valued and utilized to support the mission of the Agency. OMH is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS).
This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS). For the duration of NY HELPS, this title maybe filled via a non-competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply.
At a future date, it is expected that employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded with all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.
Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.
Email Address OMHHRM@OMH.NY.GOV
Address
Street NYS Office of Mental Health
44 Holland Avenue
Notes on ApplyingTo be considered, interested candidates should email a cover letter and resume as an attachment in Microsoft Word or PDF format to omhhrm@omh.ny.gov. Please include the title of the position and Vacancy ID #197379 in the subject line of your email when applying.
You are advised that, should you accept a job offer with the Office of Mental Health, you may be required to be fingerprinted and pay a fingerprint fee.