Senior Attorney / Assistant Attorney 1 / 2 / 3 - NY ...

NY HELP Yes Agency Environmental Conservation, Department of Title Senior Attorney / Assistant Attorney 1 / 2 / 3 - NY HELPS Occupational Category Legal Salary Grade NS Bargaining Unit PS&T - Professional, Scientific, and Technical (PEF) Salary Range From $66951 to $121413 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 AM To 4 PM Flextime allowed? No Mandatory overtime? No Compressed workweek allowed? No Telecommuting allowed? Yes County Albany Street Address 625 Broadway City Albany State NY Zip Code 12233 Duties Description The Senior Attorney provides support to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and will be assigned to the Water and Natural Resources (WNR) Bureau in the Office of General Counsel (OGC). The Senior Attorney position is needed to primarily support the freshwater and tidal wetlands programs within the Divisions of Fish and Wildlife and Marine Resources, respectively, and the Division of Water, including the Coastal Erosion Hazard Areas program. The Senior Attorney position will also be responsible for assisting the Division of Environmental Permits with programmatic legal questions related to NYS ECL Art. 15. Specific tasks include: conducting legal research and providing legal advice to program staff; reviewing and preparing legal documents; and working with program staff to develop legislation, rulemakings, and guidance. The Senior Attorney may be asked to perform other duties, which 1) provide experience with programs other than those assigned, or 2) assist the Bureau with workload management (e.g. rule makings, FOILs). 25%Legal Research: Conducts legal research on specific legal issues related to assignments.u2022Reads and analyzes all pertinent laws, regulations, state and federal cases, and administrative decisions;u2022Includes associations with precedent, case law, and recent and ongoing cases; and u2022Prepares memoranda of law, as necessary, and incorporates research into work product that can be utilized by others in OGC, as well as Executive staff and program staff, as appropriate.30%Legal Advice: Provides legal advice on assigned matters to OGC management, as well as Executive staff and program staff, as appropriate.u2022Acquires a thorough foundation in applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations, Declaratory Rulings and Department policies;u2022Gathers extensive background information to determine and apply pertinent facts; u2022Meets with section chief and program staff to review facts and establish administrative review objectives and negotiation and/or litigation strategy as necessary;u2022In consultation with bureau management, develops case strategies and gives legal advice to program staff in carrying out goals for cases, based on relevant laws and regulations;u2022Provides legal counsel to program staff, particularly assisting staff in understanding regulatory requirements, identifying problem areas and preparing final advice; u2022Works with program staff to keep records retention schedules current.30%Review and Preparation of Legal Documents, including Legislation, Regulations, and Guidance: Reviews and applies legal guidance to documents to ensure legal requirements are met. u2022Gains thorough knowledge of all legal requirements for issuing guidance;u2022Gains thorough knowledge of all legal requirements for rulemakings;u2022Works with program staff to develop guidance, legislation, and rulemakings;u2022Meets with program staff to gather specific information as required to prepare draft and final documents.u2022Prepares a variety of agreements to move the initiatives of program staff forward;u2022Reviews and evaluates existing documents, and integrates program staff materials for document completeness and adequacy; u2022Ensures documents are legally sufficient as may be required by applicable statutes and regulations, including an evaluation of legal options for the General Counsel;u2022Prepares, or assists staff with preparing, briefing materials on topics where management and/or Executive decisions are needed;u2022Prepares legal documents, including litigation or adjudication papers; andu2022Prepares draft and final documents for submission to the General Counsel, Office of Hearings and Mediation Services, or other State or Federal agencies, including internal briefings, comments, petitions, administrative briefs, affidavits, and rulings.10%Hearings, Litigation, and Negotiation: Represents the Department in administrative/adjudicatory proceedings before the Department; serves as a liaison with the Office of Attorney General on assigned matters in State and Federal court.u2022Researches law and facts for each case and prepares documents for administrative proceedings;u2022Prepares for direct and cross-examination of witnesses; u2022Prepares and files post-hearing briefs; u2022Prepares litigation package (advisory, referral, hold, update);u2022Assists the Office of Attorney General in any litigation resulting from administrative proceedings, including the collation of the administrative record, discovery responses and document preparation (e.g. attorney and staff affidavits)u2022Conducts legal and factual research to become familiar with cases and their value as precedent to the litigation;u2022Develops negotiation strategy in consultation with program staff and OGC management;u2022Represents the Department in meetings and settlement discussions with applicants, other State and Federal agencies, and outside parties; andu2022Drafts and/or edits all administrative settlement proposals and prepares final documents for General Counsel or other approval. 5% Contact with the public:u2022Reviews program-related files for Freedom of Information Law requests and other information requests, such as discovery.u2022Assists program staff and the press office with responses to public and media inquiries as necessary; andu2022As may be requested, prepare presentations on assigned program areas. Minimum Qualifications 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 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.Position may be filled at the Senior Attorney level or one within the Legal Traineeship appointment levels. Appointment title will be dependent upon qualifications of candidate selected. Reassignment - Currently in the title and an employee of DEC Or Reinstatement Eligible - Previously held the title on a permanent competitive basis or held a title as indicated under the transfer eligible section on a permanent competitive basis OR Transfer Eligible - One year of permanent competitive service at Salary Grade 16 or higher and either: Eligible for transfer under Section 70.4: Must meet the open competitive minimum qualifications below; Or Eligible for transfer under Section 52.6: Must have current or prior service in a title designated as 52.6 within two salary grades/one M grade of this position. In addition, you must be a graduate of an accredited law school with an LLB or JD degree and/or be eligible to take the New York State Bar examination. If you are not admitted to the NYS Bar within two years of appointment, your appointment will be terminated. OR Eligible for transfer under Section 70.1: Permanent competitive service as a Senior Attorney or Senior Attorney Realty. 55b/c candidates must meet the open-competitive minimum qualifications below and include with their resume or application, a copy of the letter from Civil Service which indicates approval for the 55b/c program. Open competitive minimum qualifications (provided for 55b/c candidates, 70.4 transfer eligibles, and NYHELPS candidates): graduate of an accredited law school with an LLB or JD degree and/or be eligible to take the NYS Bar examination. If you are not admitted to the NYS Bar within two years of appointment, your appointment will be terminated. In addition, open competitive candidates are required to have the selective criteria that is listed within the duties description.If you are on an examination eligible list for the position title, you do not need to respond to this posting unless you are also eligible for appointment by transfer, reinstatement, or reassignment as defined above. The eligible list will be canvassed as appropriate. Always respond to an eligible list canvass. Additional Comments Telecommuting may be available, will be discussed at interview.We offer a work-life balance and a generous benefits package, worth 65% of salary, including:u2022 Holiday & Paid Time Offu2022 Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)u2022 Pension from New York State Employeesu2019 Retirement Systemu2022 Shift & Geographic pay differentialsu2022 Affordable Health Care optionsu2022 Family dental and vision benefits at no additional costu2022 NYS Deferred Compensation planu2022 Access to NY 529 and NY ABLE College Savings Programs, and U.S. Savings Bondsu2022 And many more...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.The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Our work would not be possible without the diverse backgrounds, experiences, ideas, and abilities of our employees. DEC is committed to developing a workforce which represents the diverse population of New York State. DEC embraces a diverse and inclusive work environment by encouraging all individuals, including those with disabilities, to apply to open positions at the agency.Please be advised, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation does not use E-Verify, and we are unable to provide sponsorship for employment visa statuses (i.e. H-1B, Self-Sponsorship, STEM OPT). Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity. Name Megan Miller Telephone 518-402-9273 Fax 518-402-9038 Email Address Address Street 625 Broadway City Albany State NY Zip Code 12233 Notes on Applying Please email/mail your resume to the above. Be sure to include Vacancy #26-211991 when applying to this position or your application may not be accepted. Please include a copy of your transcript. Unofficial copy is acceptable.

Created: 2026-03-23