About the Agency:

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation (HPD) promotes quality and affordability in the city's housing, and diversity and strength in the city’s neighborhoods because every New Yorker deserves a safe, affordable place to live in a neighborhood they love.

- We maintain building and resident safety and health
- We create opportunities for New Yorkers through housing affordability
- We engage New Yorkers to build and sustain neighborhood strength and diversity.

HPD is entrusted with fulfilling these objectives through the goals and strategies of “Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness,” Mayor Adams’ comprehensive housing framework. To support this important work, the administration has committed $5 billion in new capital funding, bringing the 10-year planned investment in housing to $22 billion the largest in the city’s history. This investment, coupled with a commitment to reduce administrative and regulatory barriers, is a multi-pronged strategy to tackle New York City’s complex housing crisis, by addressing homelessness and housing instability, promoting economic stability and mobility, increasing homeownership opportunities, improving health and safety, and increasing opportunities for equitable growth.

Your Team:

The Office of Enforcement and Neighborhood Services (OENS) leads the agency’s effort to work closely with other HPD divisions and outside community partners to identify buildings in distress, assess and develop appropriate strategies to address those properties and work closely with responsible owners to develop a plan to improve conditions and return buildings to firm financial footing and physical health. OENS uses enforcement tools within its Division of Code Enforcement, Housing Litigation Division, Emergency Operations and Enhanced Enforcement, and the Division of Neighborhood Preservation to ensure compliance with legal and regulatory obligations.
The Office of Enforcement and Neighborhood Services is composed of six divisions: Data Management & Technology (DMT), Division of Neighborhood Preservation (DNP), Administration & Internal Compliance (AIC), Housing Litigation Division (HLD), Division of Code Enforcement (DCE), and Emergency Operations and Enhanced Enforcement Division (EOD).

Your Impact:
Housing Litigation Division (HLD) initiates litigation against building owners in Housing Court to ensure compliance with housing standards contained in the New York City Housing Maintenance Code and New York State Multiple Dwelling Law. HLD seeks orders to correct violations, civil penalties, access warrants, 7A Administrators and appears in tenant-initiated proceedings.
Your Role:

As an Agency Attorney L3 for the Brooklyn borough unit and under the direction of the Assistant Commissioner and/or Supervising Attorney in the Housing and Litigation Division, your responsibilities will include, but will not be limited to the following:


Your Responsibilities:

- Serving as a Senior Staff Attorney and litigating complex cases; Assisting the Supervising Attorney in managing the Brooklyn Unit.
- Assisting the Supervising Attorney in managing the Brooklyn Unit, including supervising legal staff litigating complex cases or handling matters having significant financial, procedural and policy consequences.
- Executing difficult and involved negotiations on behalf of the agency.
- Reviewing, revising and approving agreements prepared by other attorneys.
- Conferencing disputes between landlords and tenants regarding housing code violations.
- Preparing and reviewing complex briefs, motions, legal opinions, affidavits, memoranda and other legal papers related to housing code violations.
- Reviewing and assessing cases on merit and preparing memoranda with recommendation.
- Completing research and preparing cases for trial and arguing them before courts or quasi-judicial bodies.
- Conducting legal investigations and informal hearings and interviewing witnesses.
- Advising on legal aspects of enforcement and administration of acts, rules, laws and regulations.


Note:
This position may be eligible for remote work up to 2 days per week, pursuant to the Remote Work Pilot Program agreed to between the City and Local 237.

1. Admission to the New York State Bar; and either "2" or "3" below.
2. One year of satisfactory United States legal experience subsequent to admission to any state bar; or
3. Six months of satisfactory service as an Agency Attorney Interne (30086).
Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.
In addition to meeting the minimum Qualification Requirements:
To be assigned to Assignment Level (AL) II, candidates must have one year of experience at Assignment Level I or two years of comparable legal experience subsequent to admission to the bar, in the areas of law related to the assignment. To be assigned to AL III candidates must have two years of experience in Assignment Levels I and/or II or three years of comparable legal experience subsequent to admission to the bar, in the areas of law related to the assignment.

- Admission to the New York State Bar and either “2” or “3” below. - One year of satisfactory United States legal experience subsequent to admission to any state bar or - Six months of satisfactory service as an agency Attorney Intern (30086) - Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment. - To be assigned to AL III, candidates must have two years of experience in Assignment Levels I and/or II or three years of comparable legal experience subsequent to admission to the bar, in the areas of law related to the assignment. - Possess excellent written and verbal communication skills as well as proficiency with PC software such as Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word. - Knowledge of the various HPD’s internal databases, including but not limited to: HLD’s Litigation Management System (LMS) and HPDINFO.

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

New York City Residency is not required for this position

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.

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Agency Attorney L3 in the Housing Litigation Division