Position Information

NY HELPYes

AgencyState, Department of

TitleSenior Attorney / Assistant Attorney 1-3 (NY HELPS) - Vacancy ID# 225844

Occupational CategoryLegal

Salary Grade25

Bargaining UnitPS&T - Professional, Scientific, and Technical (PEF)

Salary RangeFrom $69964 to $126875 Annually

Employment Type Full-Time

Appointment Type Contingent Permanent

Jurisdictional Class Competitive Class

Travel Percentage 10%

Schedule

Workweek Mon-Fri

Hours Per Week 37.5

Workday

From 9 AM

To 5 PM

Flextime allowed? No

Mandatory overtime? No

Compressed workweek allowed? No

Telecommuting allowed? Yes

Location

County Albany

Street Address 99 Washington Avenue

City Albany

StateNY

Zip Code12231

Job Specifics

Duties Description The Senior Attorney duties in the Office of General Counsel will include but are not limited to the following:

Position 1 – Division of Local Government & the Office of Planning, Development and Community Infrastructure:
The Department of State, Office of General Counsel has an exciting opportunity to hire a senior attorney to work with the Division of Local Government Services and the Office of Planning, Development and Community Infrastructure to assist with developing and maintaining strong, sustainable and resilient local governments that are effective in their relationships with the federal and state governments, and effective and efficient in how they operate and address the concerns of their residents, visitors, businessowners and others. The duties of a senior attorney would include, but not be limited to:
• Providing legal advice, technical assistance and guidance to the Division of Local Government Services staff, government officials and others on a range of local government topics including but not limited to municipal law, land use planning and zoning law, municipal home rule authority, environmental law, water law, election law, historic preservation, municipal finance, energy sustainability law, aviation and drone authority, sharing economy adaptation, procurement, artificial intelligence, economic development, and telecommunications.
• Traveling the State to provide technical and legal training to local government officials and their employees on discharging their duties and responsibilities in accordance with law.
• Providing legal advice and assistance to Office of Planning, Development, and Community Infrastructure staff, municipal officials and consultants on a broad range of topics involving environmental regulation, energy law, and water law.
• Assisting in the preparation of legally enforceable waterfront revitalization plans to be submitted by local governments to the Secretary of State for approval and inclusion in the State Coastal Management Program pursuant to Executive Law, Article 42.
• Developing training materials and publications for use by local government officials and their advisors, members of the public, and others.
• Drafting legislation and commenting on legislative proposals.

Position 2 - Utility Intervention Unit:
The NYS Department of State is seeking a highly motivated consumer protection attorney with a background or interest in energy law and administrative litigation to assist the Utility Intervention Unit (UIU) in representing the interests of consumers in utility rate and policy cases and other regulatory proceedings before the New York Public Service Commission (PSC), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), and other forums with jurisdiction over New York public utilities. The attorney will advocate on behalf of UIU for reliable utility service at the lowest reasonable cost, with a particular emphasis on the interests of residential and small business customers. The attorney will serve in the General Counsel’s office as counsel to UIU and will report to the UIU Lead Counsel. Candidates should have a broad knowledge of the law and policy issues related to the telecommunications, water, electric, and natural gas industries, and climate change goals of New York State, including the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). Responsibilities include:
• Draft legal memoranda, briefs, petitions, motions, and comments, and other pleadings, advocating UIU’s positions in rate, policy, and other proceedings.
• Manage and conduct discovery, including drafting and responding to information requests and interrogatories, participate in confidential settlement negotiations and evidentiary and administrative hearings (including witness preparation and direct and cross-examination), and assist experts in preparation and filing of testimony.
• Represent and advocate for UIU’s position in meetings and collaborative proceedings.
• Monitor and provide analysis and recommendations on proposed legislation, regulations, and Commission orders.
• Assist in preparation of vendor contracting for expert services and oversee consultant work product.
• Analyze utility tariff filings, testimony, and other regulatory submissions.
• Work closely with subject matter experts in economics, accounting, and rate design.
• Manage a portfolio of active matters with independent judgment on case strategy, in coordination with UIU leadership.
• Other legal research/writing, special projects, legal administrative tasks, or program representation as may be assigned by the General Counsel.

NOTE: Please ensure that you indicate which position(s) you are interested in when applying. You can indicate 1, 2, or both in the body of your response email. You can additionally include that information in your cover letter.

Minimum Qualifications NON-COMPETITIVE 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, it is expected 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 the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in an NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.

The minimum qualifications for Non-Competitive appointment are:
Assistant Attorney 1:
Law school graduation (or other eligibility to take the NYS Bar Examination).
Assistant Attorney 2:
Admission to NYS Bar.
Assistant Attorney 3:
One year as Assistant Attorney 2 or admission to the NYS Bar and one year of subsequent professional legal experience.
Senior Attorney:
Admission to the NYS bar and two years of post-licensure professional legal experience.

55 B/C APPOINTMENT: This position is eligible for 55B/C designation and candidates with 55B/C eligibility are encouraged to apply. Candidates must meet any open competitive minimum qualifications and must submit their current 55B/C eligibility letter along with their application.

COMPETITIVE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

CIVIL SERVICE LIST APPOINTMENT: Candidates must be reachable on the appropriate Civil Service eligible list.

TRANSFER QUALIFICATIONS: One year of permanent, contingent permanent, or 55-B/C service in a title SG-18 or higher and otherwise eligible for transfer under Civil Service Law.

A list of titles approved for transfer is available through Civil Service GOT-IT at https://careermobilityoffice.cs.ny.gov/cmo/gotit/.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Position 1 - Previous public speaking experience. Previous experience in a position that involved working within or on behalf of federal, state, and/or local governmental entities. Excellent writing and analytical skills.

Position 2 – This is a writing-intensive position in a collegial environment that requires an aptitude for understanding and communicating complex technical and mathematical issues such as transmission infrastructure, wholesale market design, and utility rate design and may periodically include non-overnight travel and longer hours to meet deadlines. The position requires the ability to manage multiple concurrent matters with competing deadlines and to exercise independent legal judgment.

It is essential that candidates clearly and concisely indicate exactly how they meet the above minimum qualifications in their resume. Failure to show how you meet the minimum qualifications above may result in disqualification and removal from consideration.

Additional Comments The Department of State is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply. We celebrate diversity and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age, veteran status, disability status, arrest record or criminal conviction history, or any other category protected by law.

We are happy to provide reasonable and religious accommodations during the hiring process for those in need. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please send a request to HRM.Recruitment@dos.ny.gov.

The NYS Department of State does not participate in E-Verify and does not sponsor visa applications.

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 in accordance with NYS Civil Service Law, OSC Payroll rules and regulations and negotiated union contracts.

NOTE ON TELECOMMUTING: The Department of State employees may be approved for a maximum of 50% telecommuting, however, they are required to apply and obtain approval through management in accordance with The Department of State Telecommuting Program Guidelines.

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

How to Apply

Name Human Resources / JK

Telephone 518-474-2752

Fax 518-402-3656

Email Address HRM.Recruitment@dos.ny.gov

Address

Street 99 Washington Avenue

Suite 1150

City Albany

State NY

Zip Code 12231

 

Notes on ApplyingIf you are interested and meet the minimum qualifications above, email your cover letter, resume, degree/transcript, and New York State Part 1 Application (https://dos.ny.gov/employment-opportunities) to HRM.Recruitment@dos.ny.gov. Please include Title, Location and Vacancy ID # you are applying for in the subject line of your email.