NY HELPYes

AgencyAttorney General, Office of the

TitleLegal Assistant 1 (NY HELPS) - FOIL Unit (Albany)

Occupational CategoryLegal

Salary Grade14

Bargaining UnitASU - Administrative Services Unit (CSEA)

Salary RangeFrom $56506 to $68630 Annually

Employment Type Full-Time

Appointment Type Contingent Permanent

Jurisdictional Class Competitive Class

Travel Percentage 0%

Workweek Mon-Fri

Hours Per Week 37.5

Workday

From 8:30 AM

To 5 PM

Flextime allowed? No

Mandatory overtime? No

Compressed workweek allowed? No

Telecommuting allowed? No

County Albany

Street Address The Capitol

City Albany

StateNY

Zip Code12224

Duties Description The incumbent of this Legal Assistant 1 position reports directly to an Associate General Counsel who is also designated as the agency’s Records Access Officer and Personal Privacy Compliance Officer. The Records Access Officer handles all public requests made to the Department of Law under the Freedom of Information Law (“FOIL”). The Personal Privacy Protection Officer handles all public requests made to the Department of Law under the Personal Privacy Protection Law (“PPPL”). Duties include but are not limited to:

• Review administrative procedures, opinions of the Committee on Open Government, and assist in evaluating records to determine which records or portions of records are exempt from production under the Freedom of Information Act and Personal Privacy Protection Law and why.
• Review and redact records to prepare them for release to the individual or corporation that has requested records under the Freedom of Information Law.
• Research and follow the development of policies, procedures, and legislation that relate to the Freedom of Information Law.
• Assist in the development and/or updating of agency guidelines and procedures relevant to FOIL and PPPL.
• Use and assist with maintaining and, where possible, improving the agency FOIL tracking and reporting system.
• Oversee the process of opening, closing, and maintaining FOIL matters.
• Assist in identifying responsible divisions/bureaus/offices and coordinate the responses to Freedom of Information Law requests among the divisions, bureaus and regional offices of the Office of the Attorney General in accordance with statutory time limits.
• Obtain documents from divisions, bureaus and regional offices of the Office of the Attorney General in accordance with statutory time limits.
• Provide direction to and answer inquiries from Office of the Attorney General personnel, including, but not limited to Assistant Attorneys General.
• Respond and oversee responses to inquiries from the public.
• Prepare memoranda as required.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications NY HELPS:

This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS).

For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be 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 (within one year of permanent appointment), 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 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.

NON-COMPETITIVE QUALIFICATIONS

Candidates must have:

A minimum of two years of full-time experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant (see “Definition” below).

OR

An associate degree (or higher) in Paralegal/Legal Assistant/Legal Studies or a certificate in a Paralegal/Legal Assistant program where the degree was granted from a regionally accredited college or university or one approved by the American Bar Association (ABA).

OR

An associate degree in any field where the degree was granted from a regionally accredited college or university or one approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) AND one year of full-time experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant (see “Definition” below).

Substitution: Graduation from an accredited (ABA approved) law school with a degree required for NYS Bar will be accepted as meeting the educational and experience requirements for this title.

Definition: A Paralegal/Legal Assistant is someone who applies knowledge of the law and legal procedures in rendering direct assistance to lawyers, clients, and courts; prepares and interprets legal documents and forms; researches, compiles, and uses information from legal materials to provide both written and verbal comments on their findings; and analyzes and handles routine procedural problems independently with minimal attorney oversight. Non-qualifying experience includes receptionist, records clerk, bookkeeper, and office manager.

OTHER WAYS TO QUALIFY:

Reachable on the Department of Civil Service eligible list for Legal Assistant 1.

OR

Eligible for a lateral transfer or eligible for transfer under Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law by having one year of permanent competitive service in an appropriate title. To determine if your current Civil Service title is eligible for transfer to this title, visit the Career Mobility GOT-IT website.

Employees appointed via the NY HELPS program are restricted for promotional appointment until their position is covered into the competitive class by the New York State Civil Service Commission (CSC), or they otherwise obtain permanent competitive status. The CSC has recently covered in employees who were appointed via NY HELPS on a permanent or contingent permanent basis between June 26, 2024, and June 11, 2025. Notification to employees regarding a change in their status is forthcoming. You may wish to apply if you received a permanent NY HELPS appointment to a qualifying title within these timeframes and are interested in this opportunity. Your eligibility for promotion will be reviewed by Human Resources. Employees with a permanent NY HELPS appointment occurring effective 6/12/25 or later will be addressed with a subsequent cover-in.

Additional Comments Careers with the State offer multiple benefits including paid vacation leave (13+ days per year), sick leave, paid State holidays off, health insurance including vision & dental, entry into the NYS retirement (pension) system, education and training, eligibility for public student loan forgiveness, and job stability with promotional opportunities. Workplace flexibilities include multiple options for employees including telecommuting (up to two days per week) and alternative work schedules.

For new State employees appointed to graded positions, the annual salary is the hiring rate (beginning of the Salary Range) of the position. Promotion salaries are calculated by the NYS Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) in accordance with NYS Civil Service Law, OSC Payroll rules and regulations, and negotiated union contracts.

The Office of the NYS Attorney General (OAG) cannot provide sponsorship for work authorization. Candidates need to be authorized to work in the United States to be employed by this agency. It is incumbent upon employees to maintain work authorization for the duration of their employment with the OAG. This agency does not participate in E-Verify for work authorization purposes.

The agency's hours of operation are Monday through Friday, between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm (37.5 hours/week).

Scheduling determinations are dependent upon the needs of the Unit and will be communicated during interviews.

Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.

Name HR Recruitment

Telephone 518-776-2500

Fax

Email Address HR.Recruitment@ag.ny.gov

Address

Street NYS Office of the Attorney General

The Capitol

City Albany

State NY

Zip Code 12224

Notes on ApplyingIn your submission, you must provide sufficient information to determine from your resume and/or cover letter that you meet the minimum qualifications stated above. If a certificate or degree is required to demonstrate that you meet the minimum qualifications, you must provide proof that you hold the required certificate or degree. To apply, please send your resume, cover letter, and a copy of your degree/transcript (if applicable) to HR.Recruitment@ag.ny.gov. Be sure to include the Vacancy # and Title of the position in the subject heading of your email.

Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

The OAG is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to workplace diversity.

For more information about the Attorney General's Office, visit: www.ag.ny.gov.