Senior Attorney/Assistant Attorney 1/2/3 (NY HELPS) WCB Items #121 and #3028

Duties Description Under the general direction of an Associate Attorney and/or the Supervising Attorney, the Senior Attorney will be assigned to the Conciliation Bureau within the office of Issue Resolution. The Senior Attorney will be required to have extensive knowledge of the Medical Treatment Guidelines.
Duties include, but are not limited to, the following:
• The Senior Attorney will be responsible for reviewing case files and preparing and issuing proposed decisions under WCL Section 25 and Section 23, as well as following the Medical Treatment Guidelines.
• The Senior Attorney will work directly with the Medical Director's Office issuing Proposed Decisions on requests for review of Prior Authorizations Requests (PAR).
• Be required to review, articulate the issue(s) raised, review documents in the Board's files, ascertain the facts, performing legal research, applying the law to the facts, and draft a resolution in a proposed decision following a standardized format within the parameters of the Workers' Compensation Law and the Medical Treatment Guidelines.
• Be familiar with the HPA software as well as CPT, ICD-10 codes and CARC/RARC codes that the Medical Director's Office uses.
• The Senior Attorney will draft and issue decisions to resolve Prior Authorization Requests following the Medical Treatment Guidelines.
• Upon receipt of an objection to a Proposed Decision, the Senior Attorney will also prepare Amended Proposed Decisions when appropriate.
• The Senior Attorney, after review of an objection, may determine if the Proposed Decision may be required to be withdrawn and request a hearing be scheduled for the case.
• Upon requesting a hearing, the Senior Attorney will be required to list all outstanding issues to be resolved at hearing and direct all evidence to be produced for the hearing.
• The Senior Attorney may preside at conciliation meetings and Pre Hearing Conferences.
• On occasion, the incumbent may also be involved in special legal projects on various issues concerning the application of Workers' Compensation Law, give presentations, Continuing Legal Education lectures, legal summaries.

Minimum Qualifications Candidates must be reachable on the appropriate Civil Service eligible list.

OR

This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS).

For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a non-competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply. At this time, agencies may recruit and hire employees by making permanent non-competitive appointments and the official probationary period will begin.

At a future date (within one year of permanent appointment), it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded with all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.

Position may be filled at the Senior Attorney level or one within the Legal Traineeship appointment levels. Appointment title will be dependent upon qualifications of candidate selected.

NON-COMPETITIVE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Assistant Attorney 1 – Starting salary $70,951. Law School Graduation (or other eligibility to take the NYS Bar Examination).
Assistant Attorney 2 – Starting salary $78,193. Admission to NYS Bar.
Assistant Attorney 3 – Starting salary $86,326. One year as Assistant Attorney 2 or admission to the NYS Bar and one year of subsequent professional legal experience.
Senior Attorney – Starting salary $100,336. One year as an Assistant Attorney 3, or admission to the NYS bar and two years of post-licensure professional legal experience.

55 B/C QUALIFICATIONS:
Individuals certified eligible for the 55b/c program under the Governor’s Program to Hire Persons/Veterans with Disabilities pursuant to Section 55b/c of the Civil Service Law will also be considered. To be considered, you must meet the minimum qualifications and provide a copy of your letter of eligibility with your response. Candidates must meet the non-competitive minimum qualifications listed above.

TRANSFER QUALIFICATIONS:
Candidates must have one year of permanent competitive or 55 b/c service in a title designated as appropriate for transfer in accordance with Section 52.6, 70.1 OR 70.4 of the Civil Service law.
70.4 transfer candidates must have one year of permanent competitive service in a position allocated to a SG-16 or higher and possess a bachelor’s degree and have standing on the Legal Specialties exam list.

Additional Comments Please Note: This position requires both in-office and remote work. A hybrid telecommuting schedule can be discussed with the hiring manager during the interview.

We offer a work-life balance and a generous benefits package, including:

Holiday & Paid Time Off
• Thirteen (13) paid holidays annually.
• Thirteen (13) days of paid vacation leave in year one, increasing to 20+ days with additional years of service.
• Five (5) days of paid personal leave annually.
• Thirteen (13) days of paid sick leave annually for PEF/CSEA and eight (8) days paid sick leave annually for M/C.
• Annual professional leave and educational leave opportunities for eligible staff.

Health Care Benefits
• Eligible employees and dependents can choose from a variety of affordable and generous health insurance programs.
• Family dental and vision benefits at no additional cost.

Additional Benefits
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
• Enrollment in the New York State pension system which has earned the distinction of being one of the best-managed and best-funded plans in the nation OR Optional Retirement Defined Contribution Plan with 8% salary match (eligibility requirements apply).
• NYS Deferred Compensation and an exclusive 403(b) Optional Retirement Savings Plan.
• Paid Parental Leave for all employees and Paid Family Leave (M/C Only).
• Eligibility for various life insurance options.
• Access to NY 529 and NY ABLE College Savings Program
• Flexible Spending Program, which allows employees to set aside pre-tax payroll deductions for eligible health care and dependent care expenses.

For new State employees appointed to graded positions, the annual salary is the hiring rate (beginning of the Salary Range) of the position. Promotion salaries are calculated by the NYS Office of the State Comptroller in accordance with NYS Civil Service Law, OSC Payroll rules and regulations and negotiated union contracts.

The Workers’ Compensation Board (Board) is an equal opportunity employer. The Board does not discriminate based upon age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, military or veteran status, sex, disability (including pregnancy-related conditions), predisposing genetic characteristics, familial status, marital status, status as a victim of domestic violence, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. The Board is dedicated to eliminating injustices and ensuring diversity in our workforce so we can better serve our staff and create a space where all feel safe to be themselves. To help meet those goals, we encourage applicants from marginalized communities to apply. We are looking for candidates who are committed to working in and contributing to an environment that fosters a sense of belonging, as well as inclusion, and celebrates people of all backgrounds, identities, experiences, and perspectives.

We are happy to provide reasonable accommodations during the hiring process. If you have a disability or special need that requires a reasonable accommodation, please send a request to [email protected].

Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.