The Legal Counsel Division of the NYC Law Department is seeking a student currently matriculating in an accredited law school for the position of Student Legal Specialist. The prime responsibility of Student Legal Specialist will be to provide critical support for FOIL responses. As FOIL requests get more numerous and complicated, and courts get stricter in insisting on timely FOIL compliance, this person is necessary to ensure compliance and avoid legal fees and damages payable by the City. FOIL functions will include - Intake, assessment, and setting up FOIL requests in web-based FOIL Portal system, Outlook, and filesite: assessing requests will include determinations as to what is being requested and how to access documents, and interacting with others in Department to obtain documents setting up requests means inputting the request into FOIL tracking system (an excel spreadsheet), creating filesite folders, saving documents into those folders Respond to requests (both acknowledgments and determinations) by phone, email and mail Under attorney supervision, appropriately redact documents to be released Track FOIL requests in Excel to ensure deadlines are met Document work done on each FOIL request to record compliance Other work will include Assisting review of federal and state grant requirements to minimize risk of penalties assessed against the City. Maintaining records, both electronic and hard copies, of legislation and agency rules. Transmitting legislation to the Mayors Office, which then seeks enactment of the legislation. Act as secretary of Deferred Compensation Board, to take notes and produce minutes of board meetings.

Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and completion of one year of evening law school study, or completion of one semester of day law school or completion of twenty law school credits and current matriculation and attendance at an accredited law school. Maximum tenure in this position is three to five years or upon graduation from law school, whichever is sooner; employment is conditional upon continuance as a student in a degree in law.

This position is open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate in your cover letter and resume that you would like to be considered for the position under the 55-a Program. If you wish to learn about the 55-a Program, please visit https://www1.nyc.gov/site/dcas/employment/55-a-program.page.

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.