Deputy Chief Attorney, Special Litigation and Appeals Unit (#52530)
State of New York See More Job Openings by This Employer
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT
STATE OF NEW YORK UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM
ANNOUNCEMENT NO. 52530
POSITION TITLE: DEPUTY CHIEF ATTORNEY JG: 32
LOCATION: MENTAL HYGIENE LEGAL SERVICE – SPECIAL LITIGATION AND APPEALS UNIT GARDEN CITY, NASSAU COUNTY
BASE SALARY: $137,325 + $4,920 LOCATION PAY
CLASSIFICATION: EXEMPT/CONFIDENTIAL
QUALIFICATIONS: Admission to the New York State Bar and one year of service in the Principal Attorney title; or Equivalent legal experience. To be qualified for this position, you must have a valid driver’s license and a properly registered automobile for use in performing official duties away from your assigned station.
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF WORK: Deputy Chief Attorneys serve in a confidential capacity and are responsible for assisting in the development of policy and administering operations of units in the Mental Hygiene Legal Services, attorney disciplinary committees, or other such units. Deputy Chief Attorneys also research legal issues and questions, present complex cases before administrative tribunals and trial and appellate courts, organize complex investigations, and perform related duties as assigned.
ASSIGNMENT: The Special Litigation and Appeals Unit (“SLAU”) is responsible for handling all agency appeals before both the intermediate appellate courts and the New York State Court of Appeals. In addition, SLAU handles all of the agency’s complex litigation in the State and Federal courts, including 42 USC 1983 and other civil rights matters; lawsuits brought under the Americans With Disabilities Act; class actions and other impact litigation involving issues of constitutional magnitude. The SLAU team also provides ongoing legal support to the Agency’s field attorneys by researching law and preparing motions, memoranda and other legal documents, as well as serving as consultants and editors of any legal documents which field staff might prepare themselves. The Deputy Chief Attorney in charge of SLAU works collaboratively with the agency Director in managing the day-to-day operations of the Unit, including formulating and implementing administrative and substantive policy; selecting, training, developing, supervising and evaluating staff; assigning cases, research and legal work to attorneys; providing ongoing guidance and instruction; reviewing completed work; organizing major investigations; overseeing the preparation and final presentation of cases before both appellate and trial courts; supervising the analysis of complex legal issues and the preparation of confidential legal memoranda, court papers and briefs; drafting correspondence related to case inquiries and related matters; and overseeing the dissemination of legal updates and work product prepared for the field attorneys. Qualified applicants must have a thorough knowledge of the New York State Mental Hygiene Law and related statutes and regulations, as well as a working familiarity with pertinent State and Federal civil rights law. The successful candidate will possess excellent research and oral and written advocacy skills, as well as the ability to complete assignments under strict time constraints.
Excellent supervisory, organizational and interpersonal skills are required, as is the ability to handle sensitive matters in a confidential manner.
- $137,325/year
QUALIFICATIONS: Admission to the New York State Bar and one year of service in the Principal Attorney title; or Equivalent legal experience. To be qualified for this position, you must have a valid driver’s license and a properly registered automobile for use in performing official duties away from your assigned station.
Other InformationGENERAL INFORMATION: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed
by persons assigned to one of these titles. They do not include all job duties performed by employees in the titles, and every position
does not necessarily require these duties. Although a position is available and situated at a specific location, the appointee may be
subject to reassignment to any position in the same title in this promotion unit dependent upon the needs of the Unified Court System.
All applications received from this announcement may be used to fill any vacancies in this title that may occur in this court or agency
within the next six (6) months. Position(s) available at the present time: 1.
The New York State Unified Court System is an equal opportunity employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender (including pregnancy and gender identity or expression), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, membership in an employee organization, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES: All interested persons meeting the minimum qualifications are encouraged to submit a UCS-5Application for Employment form (obtainable from any administrative office in a court building or on the web at
www.nycourts.gov/careers/UCS5.pdf), a cover letter, and resume by email to MHLS2-HR@nycourts.gov or by mail to:
EBEN HILL, DIRECTOR
MENTAL HYGIENE LEGAL SERVICE
600 OLD COUNTRY ROAD, SUITE 224
GARDEN CITY, NY 11530
APPLICANTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO COMPLETE THE EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY DATA COLLECTION FORM.
POSTING DATE: June 11, 2025
APPLICATIONS MUST BE POSTMARKED OR RECEIVED BY: July 9, 2025
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