Review Vacancy
TitleLegal Assistant 2 - Albany (NY HELPS)
Bargaining UnitPS&T - Professional, Scientific, and Technical (PEF)
Salary RangeFrom $61516 to $78307 Annually
Minimum Qualifications Candidates reachable on the Civil Service Eligible list(s) will be canvassed. However, you may also apply if you are eligible for appointment by one of the following qualifications:
NY HELPS Minimum Qualifications:
Candidates must have a minimum of three years of full-time experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant.
OR Candidates must have an associate's degree (or higher) in any field or a certificate in a paralegal/legal assistant program where either the degree or certificate was granted from a regionally accredited college or university, or one approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) AND two years of experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant.
Definition of Paralegal/Legal Assistant: 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.
Minimum Qualification Substitution:
An associate degree (or higher) in any field, where the degree was granted from a regionally accredited college or university, or one approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) OR Graduation from an accredited (ABA approved) law school with a degree required for NYS Bar will be accepted as meeting the educational requirements for this title AND two years of experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant.
It is expected that employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status in the future, 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. If you are interested in the NY-HELPS program, or this position, you may reply to this vacancy posting, or you may visit the New York State Department of Civil Service website at https://www.cs.ny.gov/help/ (copy and paste in browser) to register today, in three easy steps.
Competitive Minimum Qualifications:
If Civil Service Eligible list(s) exist, they will be canvassed. You may also apply if you are eligible for appointment by one of the following qualifications:
To be considered for this position, a review of your state history is needed. Please provide the last four digits of your social security number in your email response or on your resume. If you are not comfortable providing this information in your response, a representative from our office will contact you via phone.
70.1 TRANSFER QUALIFICATIONS: An employee with one year of permanent competitive service as a Senior Attorney, Grade 25 may qualify for transfer pursuant to Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law.
55 B/C QUALIFICATIONS: Accepting 55 b/c candidates. Please provide a copy of your 55 b/c letter when applying. 55 b/c candidates must meet the open-competitive minimum qualifications of the most recent Civil Service exam announcement.
Duties Description Under the supervision of a Supervising Attorney, the Legal Assistant II will perform a variety of paralegal activities including compiling and organizing files and documentation; preparing and assisting in the preparation of legal documents and forms; cataloging information; updating databases or spreadsheets; and preparing correspondence and subpoenas. The Legal Assistant II will be expected to independently perform complex paralegal work, including reviewing documents and analyzing information with minimal direction from attorneys. Additionally, the Legal Assistant II may be responsible for supervising and training Legal Assistant I positions.
Specific duties may include but not be limited to:
1. Reviewing complex record requests, including discovery demands, Freedom of Information requests and subpoenas, and compiling responsive documents, which may involve the use of electronic discovery systems.
2. Performing document review, and prepare draft responses to document demands for attorney review.
3. Drafting opinions for review by attorney staff.
4. Drafting and reviewing agreements or other contracts for attorney review, and assisting in agreement or contract negotiations.
5. Drafting various legal documents and assisting in the preparation for litigation or hearings by completing a variety of activities.
6. Working with an assigned attorney to restyle papers, as needed.
7. Drafting briefs, affidavits, affirmations, and other motion-related papers.
8. Logging, tracking, and organizing litigation received.
9. Creating, maintaining, and closing files in the file management platformed used to track the workflow of Counsel’s Office activities.
10. Other duties as assigned.
Additional Comments If you are a current NYS employee and have questions regarding salary, please contact the Business Services Center (BSC): 518-457-4272, BSCHR@ogs.ny.gov.
Telecommuting options and working hours may be available and can be discussed at the time of interview.
Candidates with no previous state service will begin at the starting rate of the salary range listed above.
Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.
Fax EFax: 5184742871@fax.ny.gov
Email Address labor.sm.personnel.jva@labor.ny.gov
Address
Street Harriman State Office Campus
Building 12, Room 561
Notes on ApplyingAll candidates must submit a written resume and cover letter which clearly demonstrates how they meet the minimum qualifications for the position. These documents must be received by April 24, 2024, and submitted via email to labor.sm.personnel.jva@labor.ny.gov or mailed to the NYS Department of Labor, Personnel Bureau, Building 12, Room 561, State Office Campus, Albany, NY 12226. You must include Vacancy ID #155979, Legal Assistant 2- Albany, in the subject line of your email. Failure to do so may result in a delay of processing your application.
Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Department of Labor is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer committed to ensuring equal opportunity for persons with disabilities and workplace diversity.
New York State (NYS) is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. NYS Law prohibits discrimination because of age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, military status, sex, disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, marital status, domestic violence victim status, carrier status, gender identity or prior conviction records, or prior arrests, youthful offender adjudications or sealed records unless based on a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.
If you are a person with a disability and wish to request that a reasonable accommodation be provided for you to participate in a job interview, please contact: Department of Labor, Attn: Director, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI), Building 12, Albany, NY 12240 (Phone (518) 457-1984 and/or fax (518) 485-2575.
Pursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation. If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at info@goer.ny.gov.