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NY HELP Yes

Agency Environmental Conservation, Department of

Title Legal Assistant 1 / Trainee 1 / 2 - NY HELPS

Occupational Category Legal

Salary Grade NS

Bargaining Unit ASU - Administrative Services Unit (CSEA)

Salary Range From $47695 to $68630 Annually

Employment Type Full-Time

Appointment Type Contingent Permanent

Jurisdictional Class Competitive Class

Travel Percentage 5%

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

County Queens

Street Address 1 Hunters Point Plaza

City Long Island City

State NY

Zip Code 11101

Duties Description The Legal Assistant 1 (LA1) will support the Region 2 (New York City) Office of General Counsel (OGC) by (1) assisting with processing and responding to Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests made by the public; (2) assisting with the preparation and management of various legal documents; (3) acting as an internal liaison between OGC and the regional programs/divisions to coordinate various enforcement and permitting processes; and (4) assisting with other administrative tasks as needed.The main duties of the LA1 include:·Assist the Regional FOIL Coordinator with processing and responding to FOIL requests made by the public·Gather, review, and redact responsive records according to Department policy·Monitor Department responses to FOIL requests to ensure timeliness·Assist attorneys by preparing and managing various legal documents, upon request·Proofread legal documents for grammar, spelling, and formatting·Prepare legal documents as requested, including in preparation for a hearing, other litigation, or meetings·Assist with storage and maintenance of final legal documents·Ensure completeness, accuracy, and consistency of case referrals to OGC from program staff·Review case referrals from program staff·Work with program staff to ensure adequacy of case referrals, as needed·Route case referrals to the Regional Attorney and OGC’s administrative assistant for entry into OGC’s internal Case Tracking System and attorney assignment·Flag other (both previous and ongoing) enforcement cases against the respondent, as well as pending permit applications submitted by the respondent, to the Regional Attorney·Under the supervision of the Regional Attorney, coordinate, track, and monitor enforcement activities within the region, including multimedia enforcement involving multiple divisions·Facilitate information exchange between regional OGC, the Division of Law Enforcement, the Division of Permits, and program staff, as needed·Track consent order compliance and environmental benefit project completion by coordinating with attorneys, program staff, respondents, and nonprofit organizations·Periodically review OGC’s internal Case Tracking System·Work with program staff to ensure that compliance milestones are achieved·Work with nonprofit organizations to ensure that environmental benefits projects are completed·Update attorneys on outstanding or past due compliance milestones·Assist the Division of Permits with compliance history review of permit applicants·Assist with additional administrative tasks, including tracking of OGC matters, generation of invoices, processing of expense reports, and purchasing, as needed

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.Reassignment - Currently in the title and an employee of DEC orReinstatement Eligible - Previously held the title on a permanent competitive basis Transfer Eligible –One year of permanent competitive service in a title eligible for transfer under Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law or eligible for transfer under Section 70.4 of the Civil Service Law (of which candidate must meet the open competitive minimum qualifications below).55-b/55-c Candidates - must meet the open competitive minimum qualifications below and include with resume or application, a copy of the letter from Civil Service which indicates approval for the 55-b/55-c program.Open competitive minimum qualifications (provided for 55b/c candidates, 70.4 transfer eligible, and NYHELPS): Two years of full-time experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant (see “definition” below) OR an associate degree (or higher) in a paralegal/legal assistant/legal studies program 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) ORAn 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 one year of experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant (see definition below).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.Examples of non-qualifying experience: receptionist, records clerk, bookkeeper, office manager.Legal Assistant TraineeThis position may also be filled at the Trainee level by appointment of a candidate reachable on the Legal Assistant Trainee list or in a title eligible to transfer to Legal Assistant Trainee 1. If filled as a trainee, the selected candidate must successfully complete a two-year traineeship. Trainees will be required tosuccessfully complete courses in specific areas, in addition to on-the-job training activities, prior to completing the traineeship. All trainees are required to successfully complete six course in paralegal studies and related skills from an accredited college or university. In addition, one or more college or training courses in writing skills will be required.

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:• Holiday & Paid Time Off• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)• Pension from New York State Employees’ Retirement System• Shift & Geographic pay differentials• Affordable Health Care options• Family dental and vision benefits at no additional cost• NYS Deferred Compensation plan• Access to NY 529 and NY ABLE College Savings Programs, and U.S. Savings Bonds• 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.

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 [email protected]

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 Posting #25-192926 on your resume or it may not accepted. Include a copy of your college transcript. An unofficial copy is acceptable.