Job Description

Duties Description The Legal Assistant 2 will report to the Deputy Counsel within the Office of Counsel and have the responsibility of assisting the Office in case management and preparation of materials, evidence, and research related to Administrative Hearings.
Under the general direction of a Senior Attorney or other supervisory Counsel, the incumbent functions with considerable independence in their performance of the most complex paralegal work. Specific duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Compile, analyze, and prepare legal documents and forms, managing priorities and deadlines within the scope of legal timeframes or as defined by the Office of Counsel
• Develop assigned cases, files, or responses and redactions to Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests and prepare subpoenas for attorney review
• Conduct legal research in areas where clear precedent may not be found and independently develop cases that could require extensive involvement in a program area by utilizing Westlaw, Federal Court Pacer, NY Courts E-Filing and legal source materials such as statutes, rules, and regulations
• Prepare comparative analysis against similar cases and petitions that have previously come before the Agency
• Draft and assemble a variety of legal documents (stipulations of settlement, hearing exhibits, legal correspondence, judgements, subpoenas, etc.) and assist in the preparation for litigation through the completion of various activities
• Assist General Counsel and Deputy Counsel in connection with confidential legal matters related to operations within the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General
• May directly or indirectly supervise lower-level clerical and legal staff

Minimum Qualifications Competitive minimum qualifications:
Reachable on the current eligible list for Legal Assistant 2
or
Eligible for transfer under Section 70.1 of Civil Service Law.
Open to the Public: This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS). For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a non-competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply. At a future date (within one year of permanent appointment), it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded with all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified. To be considered for appointment through NY HELPS, candidates must meet the open-competitive minimum qualifications for this position:
Three years of full-time experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant (see "definition" below).
Definition: a Paralegal/Legal Assistant is someone who applies knowledge of the law and legal procedures in rendering direct assistance to lawyers, clients, and courts; prepares and interprets legal documents and forms; researches, compiles, and uses information from legal materials to provide both written and verbal comments on their findings; and analyzes and handles routine procedural problems independently with minimal attorney oversight.
Examples of non-qualifying experience: receptionist, records clerk, bookkeeper, office manager.
Substitutions:
An associate degree (or higher) in paralegal/legal assistant/legal studies program or a certificate in a paralegal/legal assistant program where the degree was granted from a regionally accredited college or university, or one approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) AND one year of experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant (see definition in MQs) OR an associate degree in any field where the degree was granted from a regionally accredited college or university, or one approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) AND two years of experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant (see definition in MQs) OR graduation from an accredited (ABA approved) law school with a degree required for NYS Bar will be accepted AND two years of full-time experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant (see definition in MQs above).
Additional Comments Free parking is available.
The agency participates in the NYS Telecommuting Program and questions may be raised during the interview. Employees are required to apply and obtain approval through management to telecommute according to the agency's Telecommuting Program Guidelines.
Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.

Skills Required