Legal Counsel

City of New York•New York City, NY

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) protects and promotes the safety and well-being of children and families through child welfare and juvenile justice services and community supports. The Division of Youth and Family Justice (DYFJ) provides services and programs for youth in the juvenile justice process, aiming to prevent entry into the system, provide therapeutic treatment, and help youth leave the justice system. The Policy, Legal and Compliance Unit, created in October 2020, integrates these functions. The legal team acts as a liaison to city courts, law enforcement, legal advocates, and the Office of General Counsel, providing division-wide legal guidance on issues arising from the custody of juvenile justice-involved youth. The Compliance team handles oversight, reporting, and compliance activities, including PREA. The Policy team develops and updates policies for DYFJ's practice, including those for detention and placement facilities. The Legal Counsel will address urgent legal concerns, provide legal opinions, represent DYFJ in court, conduct research for policy development, respond to subpoenas, and offer legal technical assistance.

Requirements

Admission to the New York State Bar
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.
For 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.
For 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

Respond to challenging and urgent legal concerns and issues raised by ACS staff and external entities.
Provide a legal opinion on a broad array of practices, policies, and procedures related to care and custody of juvenile justice-involved youth, including providing legal guidance on nights/weekends when necessary.
Act as liaison between DYFJ and Family Court Legal Services (FCLS) to draft and ensure appropriate court documents are filed timely, and appear in Family, Supreme and other NYC courts (if necessary) to represent DYFJ in matters related to custody of detained and/or placed youth.
Conduct research and provide legal guidance in the development of DYFJ policies and protocols.
Respond to subpoenas on behalf of the Agency for current and former DYFJ youths’ records and redacting information as required pursuant to relevant confidentiality laws.
Attend meetings and provide legal technical assistance on matters spanning the spectrum of juvenile justice.
Represent DYFJ’s interests and work with ACS’ Office of Intergovernmental Affairs in determining the impact and implications of proposed legislation on the divisions' operations and practices.
Act as liaison between DYFJ and ACS’ Office of the General Counsel on various matters related to employment issues, confidentiality agreements, and records production.
Liaise with FCLS on various legal issues, including timely remand modifications, aftercare revocations and extensions of placement as necessary.
Assist executive staff with the development and drafting of key program materials, procedures, documents, plans, and reports.
Provide other legal guidance to DYFJ staff as necessary.