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Searching for a job with a New York State Government or Agency

By Jeannette Rossoff
NYSBA Committee on Lawyers in Transition

New York State Office of the Attorney General

The New York Attorney General is a good place to start to look for legal positions with New York State Government. The Attorney General is an elected official charged with representing the legal interests of the entire state. As head of the Department of Law, the Attorney General is both the “People's Lawyer” and the State's chief legal officer. As the “People's Lawyer,” the Attorney General serves as the guardian of the legal rights of the citizens of New York, its organizations and its natural resources. In his role as the State's chief legal counsel, the Attorney General not only advises the Executive branch of State government, but also defends actions and proceedings on behalf of the State. The Attorney General's Office is charged with the statutory and common law powers to protect consumers and investors, charitable donors, the public health and environment, civil rights, and the rights of wage-earners and businesses across the State.

The Attorney General's authority also includes the activities and investigations of the State Organized Crime Task Force and Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. While the Attorney General acts independently of the Governor, the Governor or a state agency may request the Attorney General to undertake specific criminal investigations and prosecutions.

The legal functions of the Department of Law are divided primarily into five major divisions: Appeals and Opinions, State Counsel, Criminal Justice, Economic Justice and Social Justice. The Web site link for the Office of the Attorney General is: http://www.oag.state.ny.us/home.html. Go to the homepage and click on the tab at the top titled “Our Office” and scroll down to the bottom of the page. Under “Administration” is a link for Legal Recruitment. Once you click on that link there is a display of different legal opportunities with the Attorney General’s Office.

The National Association of Attorneys General

If you are interested in a position with the Attorney General, the National Association of Attorneys General is a good source of information about jobs as well. The Association fosters interstate cooperation on legal and law enforcement issues, conducts policy research and analysis of issues, conducts training, and facilitates communication between the states’ chief legal officers and all levels of government. The website has listings for State’s Attorney General positions as well as positions with NAAG. Go to NAAG homepage at http://www.naag.org/ and scroll down to the bottom and click on employment.

New York City Law Department

The New York City Law Department is responsible for all of the legal affairs of the City. It represents the City, the Mayor, other elected officials, and the City's many agencies in all affirmative and defensive civil litigation as well as juvenile delinquency prosecutions brought in Family Court and Administrative Code enforcement proceedings brought in Criminal Court. Law Department attorneys draft and review local and State legislation, real estate leases, procurement contracts, and financial instruments for the sale of municipal bonds. The Department also provides legal counsel to City officials on a wide range of issues such as immigration, education, and environmental policy.

The Law Department is comprised of 17 legal divisions and 3 support divisions. It is staffed with 690 lawyers and 850 support professionals in 10 offices located in all five boroughs, as well as in Kingston, N.Y. The Law Department is led by the Corporation Counsel who is appointed by, and serves at the pleasure of, the Mayor.

The link for the Law Department is: http://www.nyc.gov/html/law/html/home/home.shtml. On the home page is a Careers link on the left with an explanation of kinds of positions and any current vacancies.

District Attorney’s Office

The New York County District Attorney's Office is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of crimes in the borough of Manhattan. In each prosecution the Office represents "The People of the State of New York." The District Attorney’s website is found at http://manhattanda.org/. There is a careers link at the top of the page. A large proportion of each year’s incoming class is hired directly out of law school, but there are positions that are filled laterally.

The National District Attorneys Association website at: http://www.ndaa.org/also posts positions with the NDAA primarily in Virginia, but can be a good source of information about District Attorney Positions. The New York State District Attorneys Association website can be found at http://www.nysdaa.org/. There you can find listings for all of the New York Counties District Attorney’s Offices and employment links on their sites.

New York State Department of Civil Service

There are employment opportunities for attorneys with New York State Government that can be searched at http://www.cs.state.ny.us/jobseeker/. Click on the link for Employment Opportunities with New York State Government in the middle of the page and then click on Employment Opportunities on the next page which will take you to a page with links for the examination process as well as current openings.