NY HELP Yes
Agency Education Department, State
Title Senior Attorney (NY HELPS) Box OSEA-77/00139
Occupational Category Legal
Salary Grade 25
Bargaining Unit PS&T - Professional, Scientific, and Technical (PEF)
Salary Range From $96336 to $121413 Annually
Employment Type Full-Time
Appointment Type Contingent Permanent
Jurisdictional Class Competitive Class
Travel Percentage 10%
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? No
County Albany
Street Address Office of Special Education and ACCES
Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision
City Albany
State NY
Zip Code 12234
Duties Description The New York State Education Department's Office of Counsel and Office of Special Education and Adult Career and Continuing Educational Services (OSEA) are seeking candidates to fill a Senior Attorney position in Albany. The incumbent would be stationed within Office of Counsel, a team of two dozen attorneys which provides legal services to the Board of Regents, Commissioner of Education and Department on a wide array of educational issues across the State and will serve as in-house counsel for the Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision (BPSS) and Vocational Rehabilitation (VR). BPSS is responsible for protecting the educational and financial interests of students. BPSS supervises approximately 300 licensed private career schools and post-secondary non-degree schools for adults. The Bureau is responsible for ensuring that the schools are in compliance with Education Law and the Commissioner's Regulations. VR is responsible for assisting individuals with disabilities to achieve and maintain employment and to support independent living.Duties of this position include, but are not limited to, the following:- Advise the Bureau Director and other managers on legal issues impacting BPSS and VR;- Prosecute Disciplinary matters, including review investigative reports to determine what action should be taken in response to violations; prepare and/or oversee the preparation of cease-and-desist letters to unlicensed schools; - Draft letter agreements as means to informally resolve school violations; Negotiate terms of letter agreements to finalize disciplinary action; Prepare Orders to Show Cause and Bills of Particulars for Commissioner's signature for formal disciplinary action. - Represent the Department or Bureau in administrative hearings including review of cases and prepare witnesses for hearing testimony, including investigators, staff, students, etc.;- Participate in work groups and team projects for BPSS, VR, and Office of Counsel;- Work with the NYS Office of the Attorney General on Department litigation and BPSS referrals for unlicensed operation, fraudulent school activity, non-payment of fines, tuition reimbursement claims, etc.;- Develop and/or assist with the development of responses to legal correspondence and legal inquires; provide guidance to staff as needed; review staff correspondence for legal soundness;- Respond to subpoenas and Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests; determine scope of response and review and ensure redaction of data/information, as appropriate;- Review and assist in the preparation of legislation, regulations and guidance documents relating to BPSS and other Department program offices, as needed, and; - Draft and conduct research related to Department administrative decisions, including appeals brought under Education Law§310; - Provide legal analysis and advisement to ACCES-VR staff on issues involving customers receiving services from schools and training providers regulated by the Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision (BPSS);
Minimum Qualifications 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 (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.NON-COMPETITIVE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered for appointment through NY HELPS, or 55 b/c, candidates must meet the open-competitive minimum qualifications for this position. The qualifications are:- Assistant Attorney 1: EITHER:o Be a graduate of an accredited law school with an LLB or JD degree, OR o Be eligible to take the NYS Bar examination. *If qualifying under option #2, you must present proof of eligibility to sit for the New York State Bar exam at the time of interview to be eligible for appointment.If you are appointed as an Assistant Attorney 1, you will be automatically advanced to Assistant Attorney 2 upon admission to the New York State Bar. If you are not admitted to the New York State Bar within two years of appointment, your appointment will be terminated.- Assistant Attorney 2: NYS Bar Admission - Assistant Attorney 3: 12 months as an Assistant Attorney 2, OR Admission to the NYS Bar AND 12 months of subsequent satisfactory Legal experience.COMPETITIVE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:Reassignment: Candidates must have one year of permanent competitive or 55b/c service as a Senior Attorney.Eligible List Appointment: Candidates must be reachable on the Civil Service eligible list for this title. If you are on the Civil Service eligible list for this title, you may receive a canvass letter. You must complete and return it as instructed on the letter.Information about this examination for this title series can be found at: https://www.cs.ny.gov/legal-specialties/index.cfmSection 70.1 Transfer: Candidates must have one year of permanent competitive or 55b/c service in any of the following titles: Senior Attorney (Realty). Section 52.6 Transfer: Candidates must have one year of permanent competitive or 55b/c service in a title allocated SG-23 or higher eligible to transfer under Section 52.6 of the Civil Service Law. Candidates must also possess a Juris Doctorate degree AND be admitted to the Bar to practice law in New York State or in a state with Bar reciprocity to qualify for transfer. For information regarding the transfer options of your current title, please visit the Civil Service Career Mobility Office Website. https://careermobilityoffice.cs.ny.gov/cmo/gotit/title-search/index.cfm55b/c Appointment to Senior Attorney: This position is eligible for 55b/c designation and is subject to verification of applicant eligibility. Candidates must possess a current 55b/c eligibility letter and ALL of the following minimum qualifications:- Assistant Attorney 1: EITHER:o Be a graduate of an accredited law school with an LLB or JD degree, OR o Be eligible to take the NYS Bar examination. If qualifying under option #2, you must present proof of eligibility to sit for the New York State Bar exam at the time of interview to be eligible for appointment.If you are appointed as an Assistant Attorney 1, you will be automatically advanced to Assistant Attorney 2 upon admission to the New York State Bar. If you are not admitted to the New York State Bar within two years of appointment, your appointment will be terminated.- Assistant Attorney 2: NYS Bar Admission - Assistant Attorney 3: 12 months as an Assistant Attorney 2, OR Admission to the NYS Bar AND 12 months of subsequent satisfactory Legal experience.- Senior Attorney: 12 months as an Assistant Attorney 3, OR Admission to the NYS Bar AND 24 months of subsequent satisfactory Legal experience.If you are not admitted to the New York State Bar within two years of appointment, your appointment will be terminated.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 CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: This will be a contingent permanent, competitive appointment or a contingent permanent, non-competitive appointment. Promotions and transfers may change appointees' negotiating unit. Candidates should be aware that changes in negotiating units may affect their salary, insurance, and other benefits. For 55b/c appointment, candidates must possess the minimum qualifications, a current 55b/c eligibility letter and is subject to verification of applicant eligibility. Verification of degree, Bar admission and work experience will be required at the time of interview for all candidates. Candidates are required to possess and maintain admission to the New York State Bar. Continued employment as a Senior Attorney is dependent upon maintaining admission to the New York State Bar. Failure to maintain admission to the New York State Bar will result in removal from employment. Fingerprinting through the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Division of Criminal Justice Services is required for employment. Fees associated with this process are at the Department's expense. This position will require 10% in-state travel. This position allows for the opportunity to telecommute up to 30% each bi-weekly pay period.This position may be filled as a traineeship. The starting salaries for this position are outlined below. For current New York State employees, salary is based on the candidate's salary at the time of hire. Candidates appointed at the trainee level will be required to successfully complete the traineeship to advance to the full performance level title and salary. - $66,951 (Assistant Attorney 1/Trainee 1- NS equated to SG-18)- $74,193 (Assistant Attorney 2/Trainee 2- NS equated to SG-20)- $82,326 (Assistant Attorney 3/Trainee 3- NS equated to SG-22)- $96,336 (Senior Attorney/Full Performance level SG-25)This position leads to a maximum salary of $121,413 based on annual performance advances. APPLICATION: Qualified candidates should send a resume and letter of interest by December 22 2025 to OSEAJOBS@nysed.gov (email submissions are preferred). Your resume must clearly indicate how you meet the minimum qualifications for this position. You must include the Box number (OSEA-77/00139) of the position in the subject line of your email and cover letter to ensure receipt of your application. Links to application materials will not be accepted (i.e., Google Docs). Your social security number may be required to confirm your eligibility.New York State Education Department (NYSED) is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. NYS Human Rights 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, gender identity, prior conviction records, prior arrests, youthful offender adjudications, or sealed records. Interested in a job with New York State, but don't know where to start? Visit these links for information on working for New York State: - https://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/ - https://www.cs.ny.gov/pio/publications/gettingajob.pdfGenerous benefits of working for New York State, including, but not limited to, the following:Holiday & Paid Time Off- Thirteen (13) paid holidays annually.- Thirteen (13) days of paid vacation leave in year one, increasing to 20+ days with additional years of service. - Five (5) days of paid personal leave annually.- Thirteen (13) days of paid sick leave annually for PEF/CSEA and eight (8) days paid sick leave annually for M/C. - Annual professional leave and educational leave opportunities for eligible staff.Health Care Benefits- Eligible employees and dependents can choose from a variety of affordable and generous health insurance programs.- Family dental and vision benefits at no additional cost.Additional Benefits- Enrollment in the New York State pension system which has earned the distinction of being one of the best-managed and best-funded plans in the nation OR Optional Retirement Defined Contribution Plan with 8% salary match (eligibility requirements apply).- NYS Deferred Compensation and an exclusive 403(b) Optional Retirement Savings Plan.- Paid Parental Leave for all employees and Paid Family Leave (M/C Only). - Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).- Eligibility for various life insurance options.
Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.
Name Office of Human Resources Management
Telephone (518) 474-5215
Fax (518) 486-5631
Email Address oseajobs@nysed.gov
Address
Street NYS Education Department
89 Washington Avenue, OHRM, room 528 EB
City Albany
State NY
Zip Code 12234
Notes on Applying APPLICATION: Qualified candidates should send a resume and letter of interest by December 22 2025 to OSEAJOBS@nysed.gov (email submissions are preferred). Your resume must clearly indicate how you meet the minimum qualifications for this position. You must include the Box number (OSEA-77/00139) of the position in the subject line of your email and cover letter to ensure receipt of your application. Links to application materials will not be accepted (i.e., Google Docs). Your social security number may be required to confirm your eligibility.
