Investigating Attorney – Racial Profiling and Biased Policing

City of New York • New York, NY

39d • $73,476 - $84,498 • Onsite

About The Position

The Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) is responsible for investigating, mediating, and prosecuting complaints filed by the public against New York City police officers. These complaints can involve allegations of excessive force, abuse of authority, discourtesy, offensive language, untruthful statements, racial profiling, and biased policing. The CCRB, the largest police oversight agency in the United States, investigates approximately 4,500 complaints annually. In April 2021, the New York City Council clarified the CCRB's authority to investigate complaints of racial profiling and biased policing. To support this, a new Racial Profiling and Biased Policing (RPBP) Investigations Unit has been established. The Investigating Attorney will work within this unit, reporting to the Director and Deputy Director of the RPBP Unit.

Requirements

• Admission to the New York State Bar.
• One year of satisfactory United States legal experience subsequent to admission to any state bar.
• Must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.
• 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 II).
• 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 (to be assigned to AL III).

Nice To Haves

• Ability to manage multiple on-going cases and investigative projects at the same time.
• Ability to draft legal documents involving complex analysis.
• Ability to provide recommendations on questions of law and policy.
• Ability to engage with vulnerable populations with sensitivity and respect.
• Ability to maintain sensitive and confidential information.

Responsibilities

• Receive, investigate, and manage civilian complaints of police misconduct that allege racial profiling and/or other forms of biased policing based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, immigration or housing status.
• Contact and schedule complainants for interviews to discuss incidents in detail.
• Interview witnesses of different racial, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds, gender identities, and sexual orientations, some of whom may have mental or physical disabilities.
• Analyze and interpret rules, regulations, and policies as outlined in the NYPD Patrol and Administrative Guides, as well as relevant municipal, state and federal anti-discrimination statutes and court decisions.
• Request and obtain confidential and sensitive documentary evidence for cases, including but not limited to BWC footage, surveillance and/or cellphone footage, medical records, and police documents from both the NYPD and private entities (some field work may be required).
• Schedule and conduct interviews of New York City police officers, who are represented by union attorneys and who are mandated by the NYPD Patrol Guide to provide a statement.
• Work with CCRB data analysts to obtain and quantitatively analyze data relevant to allegations of biased conduct by NYPD officers.
• Compose and summarize details of complainant, subject, and witness interviews.
• Create Board Review Reports which concisely describe factual findings, applicable law, rules and reasoning employed to arrive at conclusion and submit all reports and suggested recommendations to the CCRB Board.

Benefits

• Inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce.
• Work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level