Job Description

THIS POSITION MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR REMOTE WORK FOR UP TO 2 DAYS PER WEEK, PURSUANT TO THE REMOTE WORK PILOT PROGRAM.

***TO APPLY: EMAIL YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER TO DCWPJOBS@DCWP.NYC.GOV WITH
THE JOB ID NUMBER AND POSITION NAME IN THE SUBJECT LINE.***

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 more than 45,000 businesses in more than 40 industries and enforces key consumer protection, licensing, and workplace laws that apply to countless more. By
supporting businesses through equitable enforcement and access to resources and, by helping to resolve complaints, DCWP protects the marketplace from predatory practices and strives to create a culture of compliance. Through its community outreach and the work of its offices of Financial Empowerment and Labor Policy & Standards, DCWP empowers consumers and working families by providing the tools and resources they need to be educated consumers and 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. For more information about DCWP and its work, call 311 or visit DCWP at nyc.gov/dcwp or on its social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

DCWP is seeking an experienced attorney to serve as Staff Counsel. This individual will enforce New York City’s licensing and consumer protection laws by assisting in the regulation of specific industries, including debt collection agencies and construction labor providers, to combat illegal conduct and deceptive trade practices. The Staff Counsel will be responsible for industry-wide regulatory compliance initiatives, investigations and enforcement against businesses that violate the law, from inception to the resolution of matters, including representing the agency
at proceedings before the New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) tribunal. Reporting to the Assistant General Counsel and Associate General Counsel for the Licensing Litigation Unit, Staff Counsel responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provide legal advice and support to investigators.
• Handle investigations, including obtaining evidence from workers and employers and collaborating with data scientists, attorneys, and investigators to evaluate it.
• Write findings letters to employers documenting investigation conclusions and employee relief owed.
• Investigate and settle wrongful termination cases, including fast-track retaliation cases and cases arising under the groundbreaking new “just cause” provisions of the Fair Workweek Law for fast food workers.
• Write letters, legal briefs, and legal research memos on matters related to enforcement and policy.
• Edit and draft Consent Orders and negotiate settlement terms with employers to resolve enforcement matters.

This position is an exciting opportunity to be involved with a growing office working on the next generation of labor laws. The ideal candidate enjoys the challenge of a complex investigation, collaborating with diverse teams, working with both attorneys and non-attorneys, and tackling novel legal and procedural questions creatively.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

1. Admission to the New York State Bar; and either "2" or "3" below.
2. One year of satisfactory United States legal experience subsequent to admission to any state bar; or
3. 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, in the areas of law related to the assignment. 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, in the areas of law related to the assignment.

PLEASE NOTE: New York City Residency is not required for this position.

Preferred Skills

• Commitment to social and economic justice and interest in addressing the challenges faced by low-wage workers.
• Leadership skills, including the ability to think and plan strategically and supporting high-performing, diverse work teams.
• The ability to establish rapport and interact effectively and respectfully with multi-functional teams comprised of attorney and non-attorney staff.
• Experience working in government, including litigation, legislative, and/or investigative experience.
• Experience representing or advocating for the labor and employment rights of workers.
• The ability to problem-solve creatively.
• Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal, and analytical skills.
• The ability to effectively manage multiple priorities with competing deadlines.
• Fluency in a language other than English.

To Apply

For Non-City/External Candidates: Visit the External Applicant NYC Careers site and type “Consumer and Worker Protection” on the search line. Then locate the Job ID number.
For Current City Employees: Visit Employee Self Service (ESS) to view and click on Recruiting Activities, Careers, and search by Job ID number.

A RESUME AND COVER LETTER ARE REQUIRED.

PLEASE INDICATE IN YOUR COVER LETTER HOW YOU HEARD ABOUT THIS POSITION.

INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

NO PHONE CALLS, FAXES, E-MAILS, OR PERSONAL INQUIRIES PERMITTED.

NOTE: ONLY THOSE CANDIDATES UNDER CONSIDERATION WILL BE CONTACTED.

*Appointments are subject to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval.

*55-a Candidates: NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection is committed to recruiting and retaining a
diverse and culturally responsive workforce. We strongly encourage 55-A candidates to apply to our positions in
order to be given the opportunity.

**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.

***LOAN FORGIVENESS: The federal government provides student loan forgiveness through its Public Service
Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) to all qualifying public service employees. Working with DCWP qualifies you as
a public service employee and you may be able to take advantage of this program while working full-time and
meeting the program’s other requirements. Please visit the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program site to view
the eligibility requirements: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service

*Drug Screening: A drug screening may be required prior to being appointed.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations that enable people with disabilities to enjoy equal
benefits and privileges of employment as are enjoyed by others. If you are contacted to attend an interview for one
of our open vacancies and would like to request an accommodation for that date, please send an email to
ReasonableAccommodationRequests@dcwp.nyc.gov.
If interested in being sent our job postings on a monthly basis, please email your resume at dcajobs@dcwp.nyc.gov.
Make sure to include your personal contact