Agency Attorney

City of New York • New York City, NY

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The mission of the New York City Police Department is to enhance the quality of life in New York City by working in partnership with the community to enforce the law, preserve peace, protect the people, reduce fear, and maintain order. The New York City Police Department strives to foster a safe and fair city through the strategic deployment of resources, focusing on both crime prevention and addressing quality-of-life concerns while building lasting community relationships. The Legal Bureau provides legal guidance to the Police Department and is responsible for advising all members of the Department on all legal matters affecting the Department, including major civil litigation and important judicial developments. The Bureau monitors and facilitates the relationship between the Department and the rest of the criminal justice system and assists members of the service in interpreting and enforcing state, federal, and local laws; ensures that the policies and practices of the department are lawful and are fairly applied; and develops legislation in accordance with the needs of the Department and public safety concerns. The Legal Bureau's Freedom of Information Law ("FOIL") Unit Is responsible for analyzing and responding to FOIL requests from members of the public and media outlets for Department records, policies, statistics and procedures. The primary duties of personnel assigned to the FOIL Unit are to identify, locate, redact. and produce various Department records, including highly sensitive and confidential materials, in response to requests. Reporting directly to the Records Access Officer and the Director, FOIL Matters, the Agency Attorney II will:

Requirements

• 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 Interne (30086).
• Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.
• 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.

Responsibilities

• Analyze and intake FOIL requests from the public. Including law firms, media outlets, research students. Advocacy groups, and other non-profit organizations, for NYPD records and data.
• Retrieve records from Department databases and various NYPD commands.
• Examine responsive records and apply appropriate redactions in accordance with all applicable laws.
• Act as liaison with executives within the agency concerning significant and/or newsworthy requests.
• Represent the Department's interests in special proceedings in New York State Supreme Court wherein petitioners seek to compel the Department to disclose records exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Law.
• Assist in the overall supervision of the unit, including filling in for other legal staff in emergency situations, and reviewing work of the Unit.

Benefits

• health insurance for the employee and his or her spouse or domestic partner and unemancipated children under age 26
• union benefits such as dental and vision coverage
• paid annual leave and sick leave
• paid holidays
• a pension
• optional savings and pre-tax programs such as Deferred Compensation, IRA, and a flexible spending account

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: No Education Listed