THE SELECTED CANDIDATE WILL BE OFFERED A SALARY BETWEEN $47,203 - $59,203.

*It is important that you file for, take and pass the next civil service exam given for the civil service title listed above in order to avoid being “bumped” out of your position when the Eligible List for this title is established. Permanent Paralegal Aides are encouraged to apply. *

The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) protects and promotes the safety and well-being of New York City’s children and families by providing child welfare, juvenile justice, and early care services. In child welfare, ACS contracts with private nonprofit organizations to support and stabilize families at risk of a crisis through preventive services and provides foster care services for children not able to safely remain at home. Each year, the agency’s Division of Child Protection responds to more than 50,000 reports of suspected child abuse or neglect. In juvenile justice, ACS manages and funds services including detention and placement, intensive community-based alternatives for youth, and support services for families. ACS is also a key part of NYCs early childhood and education continuum, providing childcare assistance to thousands of child welfare involved and low-income children so they can access safe, affordable, quality care.

The Fair Hearings & Compliance Unit (FHCU) is a litigation and compliance unit reporting to the ACS General Counsel. FHCU represents ACS at fair hearings held before the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) on issues including foster care (rates of payment, services, and foster parent childcare costs), homemaking, and preventive services, as well as childcare fair hearings at times.

Under general supervision, the Clerical Associate, is responsible for and manages a caseload through various stages of legal proceedings and performs moderate to difficult clerical work such as:

- Perform CONNECTIONS database search for relevant records.
- Redact social services records found in the CONNECTIONS database and hardcopy records stored in the warehouse pursuant to Social Services Law, Public Health Law, and other Confidentiality Statutes.
- Assist with trial preparation, including but not limited to redaction of case records, subpoenas, summonses, correspondences and/or other forms and papers as requested by attorney staff.
- Assist in performing legal research using Lexis Nexis among other reference materials.
- Assist with legal research, including the retrieval of court decisions, statutes, regulations and other legal documents
- Obtain court documents and records from all five boroughs.
- Provide Administrative support to FHCU attorneys and staff including but not limited to copying, scanning, and mailing documents.
- Respond to requests for information from staff and others by researching files and retrieving files from the warehouse; Enters files in WITS and coordinate the transfer/retrieval of files to/from the warehouse
- Maintain appointment calendars by scheduling/ confirming appointments and recording/ updating time and nature of appointments
- Maintain various FHCU case logs, including Article 78 and other proceedings.
- Assist with data entry.

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, accredited by regional, national, professional or specialized agencies recognized as accrediting bodies by the U.S. Secretary of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA); or
2. An associate degree or completion of 60 semester credits from an accredited college, accredited by regional, national, professional or specialized agencies recognized as accrediting bodies by the U.S. Secretary of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and two years of full-time satisfactory experience, acquired in the United States, in the performance of paralegal (legal assistant) services; or
3. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State’s Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization and four years of full-time satisfactory experience, acquired in the United States, in the performance of paralegal (legal assistant) services; or
4. A satisfactory combination of education and/or experience which is equivalent to “1”, “2” or “3” above. Paralegal Certification obtained in the United States from an accredited program or from a program approved by the American Bar Association can be substituted for 12 months of experience. Undergraduate credit can be substituted for experience on the basis of 30 semester credits from an accredited college for 12 months of experience. However, all candidates must have at least a four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State’s Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization.

To be acceptable, experience in paralegal (legal assistant) services must have involved the American Legal System.

Experience which is primarily legal secretarial or includes only incidental paralegal (legal assistant) services is not acceptable.
Special Note:
Individuals must have one additional year of pertinent paralegal experience or have a baccalaureate degree in addition to the requirements listed above to be eligible for placement in Assignment Level II duties and pay of Paralegal Aide.

Familiarity with general child protective practice and social services law. Strong oral and written communications skills. Proven ability to establish and maintain effective and congenial working relationships with a wide range of governmental and external entities. Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with various and completing deadlines. Effective and creative leadership ability with the capacity to work both independently ad cooperatively to implement key strategies, evaluate policies and analyze voluminous documents. Must have working knowledge of Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Word and Excel. Experience with NYS Connections is a must.

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.