Special Counsel to the Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel

Position Type:

Administrative and Central Office

Office Title/Functional Title:

Special Counsel to the Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel - 26515

Civil Service Title:

Executive Agency Counsel

Level:

G5

Division/Office:

Office of the General Counsel

Borough:

Manhattan

Posting End Date:

06/15/2026

Description:

Position Summary : The Special Counsel to the Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel serves as a senior legal advisor within the Office of the General Counsel (OGC), providing high-level legal analysis, strategic guidance, and operational support across a broad portfolio of legal matters. Reporting directly to the General Counsel, this position supports multiple legal divisions and provides coordinated legal services on complex, high-priority issues affecting the New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) to include class action litigation e.g., L.V.

The Special Counsel advises on significant litigation, regulatory, and policy issues and works closely with senior legal leadership to advance agency priorities. The role requires the ability to independently manage complex legal matters, provide strategic recommendations, and coordinate efforts across legal teams and program offices.

The incumbent engages regularly with senior NYCPS leadership, the City Law Department, and program offices to address legal issues with significant operational and policy implications. The Special Counsel mentors, trains, and guides junior attorneys, to strengthen OGC’s legal capacity and promote consistent, high-quality legal practice across teams. Performs related work.

Reports to: The General Counsel

Direct Reports: N/A

Key Relationships: Executive Deputy Counsels, Litigation Management, Employment & Program Support, State & Local Affairs, Parent & Community Leadership Support, Special Education Litigation, Federal Affairs and Student Support, Senior NYCPS Counsel, Corporation Counsel, and NYCPS program office staff. Acts as a liaison to key government agencies to ensure proper inter-agency coordination and management of key objectives. May also work with the City Council and other stakeholders on legislation related to litigation settlements.

Responsibilities

Executive Legal Support

• Provide legal advice and strategic guidance to the General Counsel and senior legal leadership on complex and high-impact matters.
• Analyze legal risks, develop recommendations, and support decision-making on issues affecting NYCPS operations and policy.
• Manage and advance high-priority assignments requiring coordination across multiple legal teams or program offices.

Litigation, Compliance, and Risk Management

• Assists with the management, coordination, implementation, and monitoring of class action settlements, consent decrees, stipulations, corrective action plans, and regulatory agreements involving NYCPS program offices.
• Collaborates with the City Law Department, external counsel, governmental agencies, and NYCPS program offices regarding litigation strategy, settlement implementation, discovery coordination, investigations, and legal compliance matters.
• Provides legal analysis and strategic guidance concerning pending and anticipated litigation, investigations, administrative proceedings, and risk management initiatives.
• Supports investigations and legal reviews involving allegations of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, misconduct, policy violations, or other matters involving significant legal or operational risk.
• Assists in preparing reports, evaluations, and analyses related to litigation implementation, legal compliance, operational effectiveness, and strategic initiatives.
  

Policy, Governance, and Regulatory Affairs

• Provides legal analysis and guidance concerning federal, state, and local legislation, regulations, court decisions, Chancellor’s Regulations, and policy initiatives impacting NYCPS operations and educational programs.
• Assists in the development, revision, implementation, and interpretation of Chancellor’s Regulations, guidance documents, operational protocols, and Department policies.
• Advises on matters involving school governance, parent and community leadership structures, language access, nonpublic schools, student support, personnel escalations, records access, privacy, civil rights compliance, and First Amendment issues.
• Coordinates with program offices and operational divisions to ensure compliance with applicable laws, settlement obligations, reporting requirements, and Department policies.
• Participates in interagency meetings, negotiations, working groups, and strategic planning discussions involving City, State, and Federal stakeholders.
  

Operational and Cross-Functional Support

• Conducts legal research and prepares memoranda, executive briefings, reports, presentations, correspondence, and policy analyses for senior leadership and external stakeholders.
• Supports crisis response, urgent legal escalations, and sensitive matters requiring rapid legal analysis, executive coordination, and operational problem-solving.
• Identifies operational, legal, and compliance risks and develops recommendations, corrective actions, and sustainable best practices to improve Department operations and legal compliance.
• Assists with cross-functional initiatives involving operational reform, policy implementation, training, compliance monitoring, and institutional process improvement.
• Prepares evaluation reports, performs analyses, and reviews program plans, funding, and performance related to the Department’s legal matters and the Office of the General Counsel’s operational matters.
• Acts as a liaison to key government agencies to ensure proper inter-agency coordination and management of key objectives.
• Reviews and drafts Memoranda of Understanding to formalize certain Department relationships with key partners and other stakeholders.
• Develops detailed and strategic project plans and advises on recommended actions and policies.
• Drafts and publishes annual reports regarding settlement implementation and litigation compliance, including making policy recommendations about citywide practices and school-based responsibilities.
• Communicates with a wide variety of central staff, school personnel, and external vendors, providing knowledge and guidance and responding to feedback.

Training, Mentorship, and Professional Development

• Develops and delivers professional development, training, mentoring, and technical guidance for attorneys, and legal support staff, with an emphasis on strengthening legal practice, operational consistency, and institutional knowledge across OGC.
• Assists with the coordination and review of legal work performed by junior attorneys, consultants, and support staff on designated matters or initiatives.
• Supports the development of training materials, legal guidance documents, operational protocols, and best practices for OGC and NYCPS program offices.

Qualification Requirements:

Minimum

Admission to the New York State Bar; and four years of recent full-time satisfactory, relevant 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.

NOTE: Selected candidates must remain members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of their employment.

Preferred

• Ability to conduct or coordinate highly complex legal research efficiently and on tight deadlines.
• In-depth knowledge of education law.
• Ability to advise and render legal opinions on educational policies and practices.
• Ability to rapidly understand provisions of applicable law and regulations in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to write clearly and concisely.

Salary : $160,000 - $164,500

(Internal candidates who are selected for this position and who currently hold comparable or less senior positions within the DOE will not earn less than their current salary.)

Please include a resume and cover letter with your application.

NOTE: The filling of all positions is subject to budget availability and/or grant funding.

* New York City Residency is NOT Required *

We encourage all applicants from the New York City tri-state area to apply.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

DOE Non- Discrimination Policy
The Department of Education of 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 upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's actual or perceived sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or pregnancy. For more information, please refer to the DOE Non-Discrimination Policy.

REQUESTING AN ACCOMMODATION - APPLICANTS


Any prospective employee (applicant) who is a qualified individual with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation to assist in the application process. If an applicant for employment believes that they have a qualifying disability and are in need of a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application process on an equal basis as applicants who do not have a disability, they should request an accommodation with their interview team or contact ODA by emailing View email address on jobs.institutedata.com. The determination of the accommodation request will be communicated to the applicant in writing.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs.