Established in 1805, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (the NYC Health Department) is the oldest and largest health department in the country. Our mission is to protect and improve the health of all New Yorkers, in service of a vision of a city in which all New Yorkers can realize their full health potential, regardless of who they are, how old they are, where they are from, or where they live.

As a world-renowned public health agency with a history of building transformative public health programming and infrastructure, innovating in science and scholarship to advance public health knowledge, and responding to urgent public health crises, we serve as the population health strategist, and policy, and planning authority for the City of New York, while also having a vast impact on national and international public policy.

Our Agency’s five strategic priorities are:

To re-envision how the Health Department prepares for and responds to health emergencies.
Address and prevent chronic and diet-related disease.
Reduce black maternal mortality and make New York a model city for women’s health.
Mobilize against and combat the health impacts of climate change.

The Office of General Counsel (OGC) provides legal support and representation to the entire NYC Health Department. The Agency Attorney level I will provide support to OGC as well as provide legal support to the Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) program.

Duties Will Include But Not Be Limited To

Draft petitions for court-ordered treatment for psychiatric patients and represent the Health Department at the corresponding hearings and jury trials.
Draft motions and appeals, as needed.
Work with outside governmental agencies as needed.
Collaborate with hospitals located in New York City to facilitate patient referrals to the AOT Program.
Participate in meetings regarding OGC and AOT policy, as needed.
Represent the Health Department in litigation matters for OGC and AOT matters.
Ensure compliance with deadlines, as well as provide counsel on legal and policy issues.
Travel to court, various health department offices, and hospitals/clinics within New York City.
Perform other duties as assigned by Executive Agency Counsel and/or the Deputy General Counsel.

Minimum Qualifications

Admission to the New York State Bar; and either one year of satisfactory United States legal experience subsequent to admission to any state bar; or six months of satisfactory service as an Agency Attorney Interne (30086).

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

In Addition To Meeting The Minimum Qualification Requirements

To be assigned to Assignment Level (AL) II, candidates must have one year of experience at Assignment Level I or two years of comparable legal experience subsequent to admission to the bar. To be assigned to AL III candidates must have two years of experience in Assignment Levels I and/or II or three years of comparable legal experience subsequent to admission to the bar.

Preferred Skills

Excellent research and writing skills.
Highly detail-oriented with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects.
Previous experience using online legal databases such as West Law, CLEAR, and Lexis Nexis.
Current working knowledge of Health Department procedures, policies and practices is a plus.

Residency Requirement: New York City residency is not required for this title.

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.

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NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene jobs

Assistant General Counsel - AOT, Office of General Counsel