Entry-Level Attorney Positions

Attorneys and support professionals at the NYC Law Department work collaboratively every day to pursue justice and promote the public good by providing New York City with the highest quality legal representation. The Law Department represents the City, the Mayor, other elected officials, and the City's many agencies in all affirmative and defensive civil litigation, as well as juvenile delinquency proceedings brought in Family Court. In all our work, the Law Department is guided in our values: Dedication, Diversity, Excellence, Integrity, Justice, Professional Development, Respect, Supportive Work Environment, and Teamwork.

Each year, the NYC Law Department typically hires an entry class of 40-80 recent law school graduates. These new attorneys receive unparalleled, hands-on legal experience in a supportive learning environment. New attorneys attend extensive orientation and training programs. They then take responsibility for their own matters, supervised closely by experienced attorneys.

A majority of new attorneys work in one of our litigating divisions where they engage in the day-to-day work of state and federal court litigation, including drafting motions, conducting depositions, exchanging discovery and appearing in court and at depositions. These divisions generally include, in order of numbers of placements each year, our Tort, Labor and Employment, Special Federal Litigation, Family Court, General Litigation, Commercial and Real Estate Litigation, and Workers’ Compensation Divisions. On occasion, we have placed an entry-level attorney in our Affirmative Litigation, Appeals, Environmental Law, Legal Counsel, and Tax and Bankruptcy Litigation Divisions.  Read more about our entry level Assistant Corporation Counsel position and our application process in our Frequently Asked Questions. To learn more about the Law Department's legal divisions, you can read the descriptions of the divisions. 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.

In addition to entry level Assistant Corporation Counsels, who are primarily placed in our litigation divisions, the New York City Law Department also hires one or two Corporation Counsel Honors Fellows each year. During their one-year term, the Honors Fellow works primarily with our Legal Counsel Division on significant legal and policy issues pertaining to municipal governance. They may also request to work on projects in other divisions and on other areas of the law. More information on this program can be found on our Corporation Counsel Honors Fellowship page.

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 entry-level attorneys work in litigating divisions, the Law Department seeks candidates who have experience in moot court, trial advocacy, debate, public speaking, or litigation/mediation clinics or internships.

How to Apply
The Law Department participates in the on-campus interviewing process at law schools and job fairs, and we also accept applications through our online application system. Recent law graduates who have judicial clerkships may apply for the entry class following the term of their clerkship. The Law Department recruits law graduates nationwide. Our attorneys include alumni from more than 80 law schools.

We are now accepting applications to our 2024 entry-level attorney class.  Applications should include a cover letter, resume, two writing samples, unofficial transcript, 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).  We encourage candidates to include in their cover letter the names of divisions that they are most interested in.  Before submitting an application, we also encourage candidates to review our application guidelines. 

Applications can be addressed to:

Lillian Evans
Director of Legal Recruitment
New York City Law Department
100 Church Street
New York, NY 10007

The application for the 2025 entry-level attorney class will be available on July 1, 2024.

Any questions about the position may be sent to recruitment@law.nyc.gov.

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.