SENIOR ATTORNEY

City of New York•New York, NY

2d•$92,525 - $106,404

About The Position

The Senior Attorney is a supervisory Agency Attorney III in the Office of the General Counsel/Fair Hearing Administration at the New York City Department of Social Services. Under the general direction of the Assistant General Counsel, the attorney represents the Commissioner in administrative hearings and state courts on intentional program violation (IPV) matters, including cases involving alleged fraud, conspiracy, or collusion to obtain public assistance, SNAP, health coverage, or services for which an applicant, participant, or household is ineligible. Matters may include Administrative Disqualification Hearings and Article 78 actions and may involve any value or complexity. The role provides litigation services and legal counsel to agency leadership and program areas on fraud-related matters. The Senior Attorney supervises legal staff, develops litigation strategies, handles complex advocacy, and manages staff time, leave, and case-management feedback. The position also coordinates evidence, witnesses, hearings, referrals to prosecutorial agencies, settlements, and compliance with hearing decisions.

Requirements

Admission to the New York State Bar and membership in good standing throughout employment.
One year of satisfactory U.S. legal experience after admission to any state bar, or six months of satisfactory service as an Agency Attorney Interne (30086).
For Assignment Level III: two years of experience in Assignment Levels I and/or II, or three years of comparable legal experience after bar admission in areas related to the assignment.

Responsibilities

Represent the Commissioner of the Department of Social Services in administrative hearings and state courts on intentional program violation matters, including Administrative Disqualification Hearings and Article 78 actions.
Supervise legal staff, develop litigation strategies, handle particularly complex legal issues, manage time and leave, and provide feedback on case management.
Draft and edit legal papers; gather evidence; conduct legal research and investigations; interview witnesses; and prepare motions, objections, rebuttals, and other legal memoranda.
Prepare or review evidence packets for sufficiency in establishing clear and convincing evidence of intentional program violations.
Lead preparation and presentation of cases to an outside prosecutorial agency when the anticipated top charge is a class A felony or lower.
Collect and review evidence submitted by the client or counsel and conduct same-day conferences to settle IPV matters when appropriate.
Provide legal counsel to program areas, with guidance from unit management, and negotiate settlements and stipulations in fraud matters.
Determine litigation strategy, including whether to present witnesses, the admissibility of evidence, and preparation of witnesses for testimony and cross-examination.
Ensure evidentiary packets and hearing notices are properly served within expected time standards and that adequate proof of service is presented or available.
Maintain case files and update case status in the Office of General Counsel/Fair Hearing case-management system.
Ensure timely compliance with Administrative Disqualification Hearing decisions, including referrals for collection, recoupment, or benefit sanctions when an IPV is established, and removal of negative case actions or recoupments when required by a favorable finding or appeal.