Background on Project:

NYCEM develops contingency plans that guide New York City's response to natural and man-made emergencies, from extreme weather to labor disputes. Each plan focuses on three components of a disaster: preparedness, initial response, and recovery. The purpose of these plans is to keep New York City safe and, following a disaster, to return residents to their daily routines as quickly as possible.

Description of Project/ Intern Responsibilities:

NYCEM seeks to streamline its legal record management and improve efficiency. The Chief Counsel’s Office is hiring interns with expertise in legal documentation, information management, and technology to be responsible for organizing, categorizing, and maintaining digital records; ensuring compliance with legal requirements; and developing and maintaining the digital filing system. This special project includes two key components: (i) the creation of a digital filing system and (ii) an office manual that focus on records related to Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), Procurement Law, Conflicts of Interest Board (COIB), Privacy Law, and Employment and Labor Relations Law.

The Legal Affairs Unit is tasked with reviewing FOIL requests, collecting responsive records, making the determination as to whether to withhold or redact those records pursuant to one of the exemptions in New York Public Officers Law Section 87, and redacting the records as necessary. Interns will be asked to perform this last step – redacting Personally Identifiable Information (PII) from a variety of records in preparation for disclosure.

The Legal Affairs Unit is also tasked with summarizing New York City and New York State Executive Orders and uploading these summaries to the New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) Legal Affairs Unit section on the agency’s intranet page. New York City and New York State Executive Orders are summarized within a spreadsheet and updated on an ongoing basis as new orders are issued. As part of this function, the intern will manage the posting of executive orders and Interagency MOUs and Settlements.

Lastly, the intern will support the Legal Unit in day-to-day activities such as legal research, responding to correspondence and legal issue spotting. Interns will be expected to attend meetings with Legal Unit staff and interface with other NYCEM units and divisions.

For Assignment Level I:
Matriculation at an accredited college or graduate school. Employment is conditioned upon continuance as a student in a college or graduate school.
For Assignment Level II (Information Technology):
Matriculation at an accredited college or graduate school. Employment is conditioned upon continuance as a student in a college or graduate school with a specific course of study in information technology, computer science, management information systems, data processing, or closely related field, including or supplemented by 9 semester credits in an acceptable course of study.
For Assignment Level III (Information Technology Fellow):
Matriculation at an accredited college or graduate school. Employment is conditioned upon continuance as a student in a college or graduate school with a specific course of study in information technology, computer science, management information systems, data processing, or other area relevant to the information technology project(s) assigned, including or supplemented by 9 semester credits in an acceptable course of study. Appointments to this Assignment Level will be made by the Technology Steering Committee through the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications.

SPECIAL NOTE
Maximum tenure for all Assignment Levels in the title of College Aide is 6 years. No student shall be employed more than half-time in any week in which classes in which the student is enrolled are in session. Students may be employed full-time during their vacation periods.

A law school student at the 1L or 2L level with experience in information management and technology in a law office is preferred. Requirements/special skills and qualifications needed: The internship requires a candidate with legal research skills, the ability to set and keep stringent deadlines and the capacity to conduct themselves professionally and communicate effectively in meetings. Legal Records Management and Information Technology background. o Skills/Qualifications: Strong organizational skills. Attention to detail. Familiarity with legal terminology. Proficiency in document management software. Familiarity with scanning equipment and software. Knowledge of archival principles. Ability to handle sensitive information. Understanding of legal software (e.g., case management systems, document management tools). o Skills/Qualifications: Legal research skills. Writing proficiency. Analytical mindset. Problem-solving skills. Strong communication abilities. Knowledge of legal compliance requirements. Attention to detail. Ability to interpret legal guidelines. The intern will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement with regard to all records reviewed and created during the internship. Per this agreement, the intern will not be permitted to maintain copies of any writing created during and/or relating to the project. Only candidates with high ethical standards and who have successfully completed a Professional Responsibility course will be considered.

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.