Executive Director / Administrator 1st Department, Assigned Counsel Plan

ABOUT THE OFFICE: The Assigned Counsel Plan (ACP) of the First Judicial Department, established pursuant to Article 18B of the County Law, has provided legal representation to indigent persons in New York and Bronx Counties since 1966. The ACP assigns and compensates qualified private attorneys to represent indigent clients facing criminal charges. The program is overseen by the Appellate Division, First Department, and is funded by the City of New York through the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ), with additional funding from the New York State Office of Indigent Legal Services (ILS) for quality improvement initiatives pursuant to Executive Law 832(4).

ABOUT THE ROLE: The Executive Director/Administrator serves as the operational leader of the Assigned Counsel Plan and is an appointee of the Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, First Judicial Department. The Administrator is a City of New York employee and is responsible for directing day-to-day operations, overseeing attorney participation, and ensuring high-quality legal representation for indigent defendants in Bronx and New York Counties.

Responsibilities

• Supervising all ACP office staff.
• Evaluating attorneys seeking appointment to the ACP panel.
• Assigning attorneys to ensure adequate and timely court coverage.
• Investigating and responding to complaints regarding ACP attorneys.
• Coordinating CLE training for panel attorneys.
• Developing, implementing and updating program operating procedures to promote ILS-funded quality improvement initiatives.
• Conducting budget planning, monitoring, and reporting.
• Coordinating with agency partners to collect, maintain, and report required data to ILS.
• Collaborating with MOCJ and ILS to support ACP operations and resource allocation.
• Serving as liaison to ACP attorneys, court personnel, city officials, and bar associations.

Minimum Qualifications

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.

Preferred Skills

• Admission to the New York State Bar.
• A minimum of five (5) years of substantial experience handling criminal matters in Bronx and New York Counties and demonstrated commitment to quality public defense.
• Preference for candidates with demonstrated management and fiscal oversight experience in public-sector agencies, legal services organizations, or comparable operational environments.
• New York City residency within 90 days of appointment.

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. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at

Residency Requirement

New York City Residency is not required for this position.

Additional Information

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.