Position Information

NY HELPNo

AgencyNYS Gaming Commission

TitleDeputy Counsel

Occupational CategoryLegal

Salary GradeNS

Bargaining UnitM/C - Management / Confidential (Unrepresented)

Salary RangeFrom $112155 to $141538 Annually

Employment Type Full-Time

Appointment Type Temporary

Jurisdictional Class Pending Exempt

Travel Percentage 5%

Schedule

Workweek Mon-Fri

Hours Per Week 37.5

Workday

From 8:30 AM

To 4:30 PM

Flextime allowed? No

Mandatory overtime? No

Compressed workweek allowed? No

Telecommuting allowed? No

Location

County Schenectady

Street Address One Broadway Center

City Schenectady

StateNY

Zip Code12305

Job Specifics

Minimum Qualifications Preferred Qualifications:

• Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school.
• Admission to, and a member in good standing, of the New York State Bar.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience practicing law after New York State Bar admission.
• Extensive experience providing legal counsel and conducting litigation and contract drafting and analysis.

Duties Description Under the direction of the General Counsel, the position will act as the lead attorney in the daily management of the agency’s Office of Counsel. The Commission consists of four Divisions – Lottery, Racing, Gaming, and Charitable Gaming. It also consists of four Bureaus/Offices – Finance, Administration, Licensing, Legal, and Auditing. As such, the Office of Counsel provides legal response for the multiple Divisions, Bureaus and Offices, as well as for the NYS Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund and the Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund. The Deputy Counsel will serve as the second-in-command and manage and direct the day-to-day work activities of the office, including supervision of support staff and the attorneys who provide legal advice and opinions to senior agency management in relation to the functions and services of the agency. The Deputy will provide oversight to our legal office in relation to the administrative hearings held primarily for Racing and for Lottery, but also for other divisions and offices, and will assist with judicial review of any determinations.

The Deputy Counsel will work on diverse matters including legislation, budgeting, contracts, MOU’s, litigation claims, administrative issues, and special projects involving programs administered by the Commission.

Specific duties performed include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Directs the activities of the Office of Counsel while providing general instruction as to possible precedents, cases, opinions, policies, rules, regulations, and legislation that may pertain to case materials, briefs, and memoranda, hearings.
• Develops our agency’s position on matters that may be disputed in judicial or administrative proceedings and may participate in such litigation.
• Analyzes new federal and state statues and court rulings and federal regulations necessary to conform to changes in the law.
• Proposes changes in agency policy and practice or regulations necessary to conform to changes in the law.
• Reviews agency programs and considers proposals for change in agency policy from a legal viewpoint and works collaboratively with division heads and senior leadership to assist in the constructive development of agency policy in conformance with the requirements of the law.
• Provides legal advice and opinions to agency leadership in connection with activities and services of the agency.
• Assists the Office of Attorney General in defending the Commission in litigation brought by private parties, including horse racing.
• Provides management oversight to the Office of Counsel in the daily activities of legal office staff.
• Provides expert advice and assistance, supports the assigning and review of the work of professional staff, sets priorities and ensures work is completed within established timeframes.
• Supervises subordinate line attorneys in the Office.
• Evaluates employee performance and prepares performance programs and evaluations.
• Ensures that staff are knowledgeable about legal policies and procedures and provide a high level of service to agency management and staff.
• Provides direction and seeks guidance on issues concerning the hiring, performance, discipline, and termination process for Office of Counsel employees.
• Oversees the development, review and recommendations to the Agency Head and Counsel of changes to existing legislation and regulations, recommends the creation of new statutes, rules and/or policies in the furtherance of the agency’s goals and objectives.
• Research major legal questions and provides support to the agency head and Counsel in the preparation and development of strategic positions on issues and raised as the result of State and federal executive and legislative actions.
• Recommends the development and implementation of new legal initiatives or modifies existing legal programs as necessary to carry out pertinent aspects of the agency’s mission.
• Consults with legal staff of other agencies on issues that cross agency jurisdictions or have wide implications.
• Reviews federal statues, regulations, policies and legislation and their impact as it relates to agency operations.
• Performs other duties as required.

Essential Skills:

• Exceptional organization and analytical skills.
• Ability to handle multiple matters under pressure and deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Superior interpersonal skills and ability to work independently.
• Excellent judgment and discretion in matters of confidentiality.
• Self-motivated by interesting work and successful results.
• Interest in supporting the Commission’s Mission Statement.
• Meticulous attention to detail and quality control.
• Proficiency in PC applications, such as Microsoft Office.
• Commitment to public service and the highest integrity.

Additional Comments Salary will be commensurate with experience.

The New York State Gaming Commission is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer committed to excellence and diversity. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply.

All State employees in Executive controlled agencies, who are not subject to a mandatory vaccination requirement shall be tested for COVID-19 weekly unless they are fully vaccinated.

PROHIBITION AGAINST PLAYING AND WAGERING:

Commission employees and family members residing in their households are prohibited from purchasing Lottery tickets or claiming Lottery prizes. Commission employees are prohibited from wagering upon any horse racing, commercial gaming, video lottery gaming, Indian gaming, charitable gaming activities, interactive fantasy sports, and mobile sports wagering within the State. To avoid any appearance of impropriety of conflict of interest, Commission employees will be prohibited from all aspects of promoting, operating, and playing in any charitable gaming, which includes bingo and games of chance such as raffles, whether the organization conducting the game is required to be licensed by the Commission. The prohibition placed upon each Commission employee from assisting with any charitable gaming does not apply to the employee's family unless the employee thinks it presents a conflict of interest related to his or her job duties. Commission employees must also avoid any outside activities that could interfere or be perceived to interfere with their job duties.

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

Contact Information

Name Human Resources

Telephone

Fax 518-388-3368

Email Address human.resources@gaming.ny.gov

Address

Street One Broadway Center

City Schenectady

State NY

Zip Code 12305

 

Notes on ApplyingEmail submissions are preferred. Please specify Deputy Counsel in the subject line of your email or fax submission. Submit a cover letter and resume in Word or PDF format. We are unable to open documents from Google Docs, Google Drive, OneDrive and/or "the Cloud".