Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel

ABOUT OATH
The City of New York’s Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) is the nation’s largest administrative tribunal, holding approximately 220,000 trials and hearings a year. As the City’s central, independent administrative law court, OATH adjudicates a wide range of matters filed by nearly every city agency, board and commission. OATH also houses the Center for Creative Conflict Resolution which provides mediation and restorative justice support to City government agencies and the general public, and the Administrative Judicial Institute, a resource center that provides training, continuing education, research and support services for administrative law judges and hearing officers.

JOB DESCRIPTION

OATH seeks a dynamic, experienced, and thoughtful attorney to serve as Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel. The General Counsel is OATH’s chief legal officer and lead’s OATH’s Office of the General Counsel. With a team of attorneys and support staff, the OGC provides legal services and guidance to the entire agency. The OGC plays a key role in supporting and strengthening the agency’s legal foundation and mission through legal analysis, research, writing, compliance, risk management, and guidance.
Reporting to the Commissioner and Chief Administrative Law Judge, the candidate must be a seasoned professional with both legal and executive experience and a proven record of leading and managing teams, providing legal advice on a broad range of matters, promoting and protecting agency mission, delegating and supervising complex tasks, liaising with internal and external stakeholders, problem solving and innovating, and working closely with leadership.
Along with other members of the OGC, the General Counsel’s portfolio includes:
- Upholding the agency’s mission and safeguarding the integrity of the hearings process.
- Advising all of OATH’s adjudicative divisions on substantive and procedural rules and laws.
- Serving as parliamentarian for meetings of the Environmental Control Board.
- Leading the rulemaking process for the agency.
- Reviewing and advising on pending legislation that may impact the agency.
- Managing all litigation facing the agency and working with the Law Department on the same.
- Reviewing and drafting contracts and interagency MOUs for goods, services, and leasing.
- Serving as ethics counsel for the agency, including OATH’s adjudicators.
- Counseling the agency on employment and labor issues involving staff.
- Serving as Agency Privacy Officer.
- Liaising with legal counterparts at other agencies and the Law Department.
- Advising the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioners on a wide range of legal matters.
- Manage the Office of General Counsel team, and recruit and train new staff for the same.
- Overseeing the agency’s Freedom of Information Law responses and appeals.
- Handling special assignments and projects as needed.


Work Location: 100 Church Street, Manhattan, NY

Admission to the New York State Bar; and four years of recent full-time responsible, relevant, satisfactory legal experience subsequent to admission to any bar, eighteen months of which must have been in the supervision of other attorneys, in an administrative, managerial or executive capacity, or performing highly complex and significant legal work.

Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.

1. Prior experience in a senior legal position in a government agency. 2. Possess knowledge of the provisions of New York City Administrative Code, Rules of the City of New York, City Charter, and relevant State law and regulations pertaining to the cases decided by OATH’s various divisions. 3. Possess knowledge of OATH policies, rules, practices, and general agency work. 4. Outstanding interpersonal, management, and communication skills, including working with teams and executive leadership. 5. Excellent writing skills. 6. Substantial litigation experience. 7. Strong legal research and analytical skills. 8. Strong computer skills, including the ability to use technology, software, and computer platforms to organize and assign tasks. 9. Demonstrated experience in supervising and managing legal and administrative staff and problem-solving skills.

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 not required for this position

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.