Associate Counsel

Duties Description The Associate Counsel duties in the Office of General Counsel will include but are not limited to the following:

Serves as Associate Attorney in Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code:
• Advises Director and staff of Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code on the full spectrum of matters related to Department's responsibilities under corporate laws and related statutes.
• Trains staff of Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code to review documents filed in the Division. Checks staff work for accuracy and to identify issues for future training, retraining, or management attention.
• Reviews documents filed in the Division, particularly those of complex or unusual nature and those requesting expedited handling.
• Provides advice and technical assistance to persons outside the agency related to law, policy, and procedure affecting filings made in the Division. Additionally, provides educational services at seminars, workshops, and conferences.
• Develops materials to support training of staff, provision of technical assistance, and improvement of internal procedures.
• Drafts materials for distribution to the public with regard to filings made with the Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code.
• Prepares articles for publication regarding the operations of the Division and legal developments which impact the Division.
• Provides advice, responds to inquiries, and acts as liaison between the Division and other state agencies.
• Responds to inquiries from the media, as directed by the Director of Public Information, regarding records on file with the Division.
• Drafts requests for information, requests for proposals and contracts for the Division. Negotiates contracts and manages the approval process.
• Works with members of the legal and business communities, through such forums as the NYS Bar Association and the Corporations Advisory Task Force, regarding improvements to the services and procedures of the Division.
• Assists in development of Division's Web Site.
• Provides support to information technology projects related to the Division's operations.

Supervises Senior Attorneys assigned to work with Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code:
• On a daily basis, supervises quality and timeliness of assigned work product.
• Develops traineeship programs and ensures that appropriate training opportunities are made available to newly hired staff.
• Assists General Counsel with periodic evaluations of assigned staff.

Assists with agency's legislative and regulatory activities:
• In consultation with General and Deputy Counsels, participates in development of Agency's legislative program. Researches and drafts legislative proposals.
• Prepares comments on legislative and regulatory proposals and bills of interest to the agency pending before the Governor.
• Prepares comments on legislative proposals of other State agencies, and on 10-day and 30-day bills before the Governor.
• Researches and prepares rules adopting or amending regulations implementing statutory provisions applicable to the Division and its functions. Prepares and/or reviews related rule-making documents.

Provides legal advice to General Counsel as requested:
• Identifies legal issues involved; conducts analysis and research in thorough, relevant, and timely manner.
• Prepares written or oral reports for General Counsel.

Serves as Associate Attorney in the Department of State's Address Confidentiality Program:
• Advises the Program Manager on the full spectrum of matters related to the Program's responsibilities under the law and regulations applicable to the Program.
• Provides advise and responds to inquiries from the public and the Program.
• Assists in the development of materials for the Program's website.
• Assists with the development of materials for distribution to the public with regard to the functions of the Program.

Minimum Qualifications Candidates must have been admitted to the New York State Bar and must have had four years of experience in the practice of law subsequent to admission to the Bar.

It is essential that candidates clearly and concisely indicate exactly how they meet the above minimum qualifications in their resume. Failure to show how you meet the minimum qualifications above may result in disqualification and removal from consideration.

Additional Comments The Department of State is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply. We celebrate diversity and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age, veteran status, disability status, arrest record or criminal conviction history, or any other category protected by law.

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

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.

NOTE ON TELECOMMUTING: The Department of State employees may be approved for a maximum of 50% telecommuting, however, they are required to apply and obtain approval through management in accordance with The Department of State Telecommuting Program Guidelines.

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