Associate General Counsel

Associate General Counsel

The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) protects and enhances the daily economic lives of New Yorkers to create thriving communities. DCWP licenses nearly 45,000 businesses in more than 40 industries and enforces key consumer protection and workplace laws that apply to countless more. By supporting businesses through equitable enforcement and access to resources, DCWP protects the marketplace from predatory practices and strives to create a culture of compliance. DCWP empowers consumers and working families by providing the tools and resources they need to achieve financial health and work-life balance. DCWP also conducts research and advocates for public policy that furthers its work to support New York City's communities.

The General Counsel Division (GCD) at DCWP seeks an experienced attorney to serve in the Associate General Counsel (AGC) position overseeing the Legal Counsel Unit. Reporting to the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel for Legal Counsel and Operations, the AGC will be responsible for overseeing one of the GCD's core internal counseling units, which consists of a team of lawyers who work on rulemaking, high-profile license categories, enforcement guidance, FOIL, and contracts. More specifically, the AGC will have several primary areas of focus in managing the Legal Counsel Unit:

• Drafting cutting edge rules on consumer protection, in accordance with the City's rulemaking (CAPA) process and oversee the entire rulemaking process for the Agency, including advising and counseling the Office of Labor Policy & Standards regarding rules related to worker protections;
• Manage DCWP's law implementation to ensure new laws and rules are efficiently implemented across divisions;
• Counsel DCWP's Enforcement Division including the development of checklists for inspectors to use in the field;
• Oversee the Agency's FOIL officer, evaluate FOIL requests, review responses and create protocols and procedures to ensure compliance, and manage responses to subpoenas;
• Oversee all contracts and memoranda of understanding, including working with DCWP's Office of Financial Empowerment, Finance and other DCWP divisions to draft, review, and evaluate contract documents to ensure conformity to legal requirements;
• Counsel various divisions regarding special application categories, which include high-profile license categories.

The ideal candidate is a self-motivated, experienced attorney and manager with superb writing skills and experience with strategic planning and using technology and data to further legal goals. The position requires substantive management and supervisory experience by an individual who enjoys substantial responsibility and thrives in a fast-paced environment.

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

Interest/experience in management, administration and personnel issues - Managerial and supervisory experience, including developing and implementing strategic priorities - At least eight years of legal experience, of which two should be related to regulatory compliance and enforcement. Experience providing internal counseling related to business licenses and taking formal legal action, either through hearings or trials, to enforce against licenses or applications - Demonstrated ability to multitask, set priorities and work quickly and efficiently - Interest in or experience in government or public sector work - Experience with regulatory compliance - Ability to work in and direct teams in a diverse environment comprised of attorney and non-legal staff - Interest in working in a hands-on "roll up your sleeves" atmosphere - Impeccable legal judgment, problem solving skills and ability to resolve issues in a diplomatic and expedient fashion - Excellent writing and editing skills, appreciation of rigorous standards for written work and interest in growing and developing impeccable legal templates for the agency

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.