Admitted Attorneys

The New York City Law Department is accepting applications from experienced attorneys for the position of Assistant Corporation Counsel. The Law Department’s culture of excellence and dedication seeks applicants who are committed to public interest and providing the finest legal representation to the City of New York in furtherance of the operation of its government.

A majority of the current openings are in our litigating divisions:     

Administrative Law and Regulatory Litigation
Affirmative Litigation
Commercial and Real Estate Litigation
Environmental Law
General Litigation
Labor and Employment Law
Special Federal Litigation
Tax and Bankruptcy Litigation
Tort 
Workers’ Compensation

Assistant Corporation Counsels in these divisions engage in the day-to-day work of state and federal court litigation, including drafting motions, conducting depositions, exchanging discovery, settlement analyses and negation, and appearing in court and at depositions.

In addition, we are accepting applications for attorneys in the following divisions:

Appeals
E-discovery
Ethics and Compliance
Executive Litigation and Policy Group
Family Court
Legal Counsel 
Risk Management 

A few positions are available in the transactional divisions of Contracts and Real Estate and Economic Development. Attorneys in these divisions concentrate on transactional matters such as reviewing leases and contracts and providing counsel for a wide range of challenging and complex projects.

We are also seeking applications for specialized positions and leadership positions. 

You can read more about joining the Law Department as an admitted attorney by reviewing our frequently asked questions. To learn more about the Law Department’s legal divisions, you can read the descriptions of the divisions or the Office's Annual Reports. In addition, you can reach out to Law Department attorneys who have volunteered to be contacted by applicants interested in learning more about our work through our Law Department Ambassadors page. Any other questions can be directed to recruitment@law.nyc.gov.

What We Look For

The Law Department looks for candidates who are committed to public service, pursuing justice, and serving the common good. To best serve the City we represent, the Law Department seeks individuals from a variety of backgrounds who can bring different perspectives to contribute to the work of the office. The Law Department also seeks candidates who want to contribute to a work environment that values teamwork, inclusion and respect. Finally, as many of our attorneys work in litigating divisions, the Law Department seeks candidates who have litigation experience.

Applicants must be graduates of ABA approved law schools and either admitted to practice law in the State of New York or be in the process of becoming admitted to the New York State Bar.  Applicants should also have a demonstrated interest in the type of law of the division that they are applying to. If the candidate is interested in a division that practices in federal court, the candidate should be admitted in, or immediately available to apply for admission in, the Southern District of New York and Eastern District of New York.

Salary

The Law Department sets salaries for experienced attorneys based on their years of legal experience after law school, which is generally consistent with their law school graduation year. Salaries for new hires generally fall within the following salary bands: for 0-5 years of legal experience, from $87,737 to $122,300; for 5-10 years of legal experience, from $122,300-$137,188; for 10-15 years of legal experience, from $137,188-$159,521; for 15-20 years of legal experience, from $159,521-$180,791; for 20+ years of experience, from $180,791-188,235. Candidates may be hired at a slightly higher rate than others with similar levels of legal experience if they have specialized and unique experience and are hired for a role that requires that specialized and unique experience, or if they are hired for a position that is deemed hard to fill.  You may contact the Legal Recruitment Office with any questions at recruitment@law.nyc.gov.

 

How to Apply

Applications should include a cover letter, resume, a writing sample, and a list of three individuals who would serve as references (including their name, title, email address, phone number, and a brief description of their working relationship to the candidate). Please include in your cover letter the names of divisions that you are most interested in. If you are interested in more than one division, please only submit one application. You can include statements of interest for additional divisions that you are interested in as addendums to your cover letter.

Applications can be addressed to:  

      John Campbell
      Director of Legal Recruitment 
      New York City Law Department 
      100 Church Street 
      New York, NY 10007 

Click here to apply: https://lawcruit.micronapps.com/sup/ApplicationForm.aspx?lawfirm=217&id=55.

Attorneys who would like to be notified as positions become available at the Law Department may input their contact information on our job notification listserv. The Law Department will retain email addresses for six months and will advise candidates of job opportunities during that time only.

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.