Job Description

The General Litigation Division seeks an experienced attorney to defend the City in complex federal court litigation challenging City policies and programs. The NYC Law Department’s General Litigation Division handles cases that challenge important City programs in diverse areas including education, health care, public assistance benefits, prison conditions, foster care, freedom of information, campaign finance, and election law. Division attorneys appear in both State and federal court. Many of the division's cases are brought as class actions in federal court and raise complex and novel issues of statutory and constitutional construction. Division lawyers are responsible for their own caseloads and handle court conferences, oral arguments, discovery, the preparation of legal papers, and hearings.

After the completion of orientation, attorneys hired by the Law Department will have the opportunity to elect to work from home under one of the following two programs. The first option allows attorneys to work remotely on a limited and irregular basis. The second option is a Citywide pilot program, which allows participants to select two set days to work from home each week. The two days will need to be approved by the attorney’s division and take into consideration the needs of the division, as the pilot program requires more than 50% staff coverage each day. In addition, if an attorney needs to appear in court, a client meeting or other in-person work related event on a set work from home day, they will need to attend to those in-person responsibilities and will not be able to work from home that day. Participants in the pilot program must set one work from home location where they will work remotely. This pilot program is currently being tested Citywide to determine its efficacy for City agencies and is not yet a permanent program.

Applicants must be graduates of an ABA approved law school, admitted and in good standing with the NYS bar, and be admitted or eligible for immediate admission to the SDNY and EDNY. Ideal applicants should demonstrate substantial litigation experience, exceptional organizational abilities, strong legal writing and analytical skills, strong interpersonal skills, and excellent judgment. Candidates must possess a commitment to public service and the Law Department values of excellence, dedication, diversity, integrity, justice, professional development, respect, supportive work environment, and teamwork.

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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Attorney, General Litigation Division