Position Information

NY HELPYes

AgencyMotor Vehicles, Department of

TitleLegal Assistant 1, G-14 or Trainee 1/2, G-NS (Equated to a G-11/G-13) (NYS HELPS)

Occupational CategoryLegal

Salary Grade14

Bargaining UnitASU - Administrative Services Unit (CSEA)

Salary RangeFrom $56506 to $68630 Annually

Employment Type Full-Time

Appointment Type Permanent

Jurisdictional Class Competitive Class

Travel Percentage 0%

Schedule

Workweek Mon-Fri

Hours Per Week 37.5

Workday

From 8 AM

To 4 PM

Flextime allowed? No

Mandatory overtime? No

Compressed workweek allowed? No

Telecommuting allowed? No

Location

County Albany

Street Address 6 Empire State Plaza

Albany, NY 12206

City Albany

StateNY

Zip Code12228

Job Specifics

Duties Description The Legal Assistant’s primary responsibility is the highly visible and critically time-sensitive role of managing the subpoena function of the office. The Legal Assistant processes subpoenas, which are court-ordered demands for records or expert testimony from DMV representatives.
The tasks involved in this role include:
• Communicating directly with District Attorneys’ Offices, Attorney’s offices, and other state, local and federal government agencies to clarify the requirements of subpoenas served on DMV.
• Communicating directly with DMV managers and staff to explain subpoenas served on the Department as necessary and coordinating their provision of records or testimony within required timeframes.
• Ordering or producing records to respond to subpoenas.
• Maintaining careful oversight of compliance dates deadlines.
• Ensuring that records are provided in a timely manner and in the requested format.
• Contacting appropriate DMV subject matter experts to arrange for them to provide courtroom testimony as required.
• Providing training, guidance and oversight for staff assisting in the performance of the tasks outlined in the bulleted items above.
The Legal Assistant also provides guidance to the FOIL Representative on matters of applicable laws and policies and provides oversight on the prioritization and timely completion of both subpoenas and FOIL requests.

Minimum Qualifications To be eligible for this position, you must meet one of the following conditions:

1. Eligible for appointment from the Legal Assistant Trainee 1, G-NS or Legal Assistant 1, G-14 eligible list in the location you are applying for*
2. In a Legal Assistant 1, G-14 title eligible for reassignment
3. In a G-12 or higher title eligible for 70.1 transfer
4. For NY HELPS appointment*: Two years of full-time experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant**

Legal Assistant 1, G-14: Two years of full-time experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant.

Legal Assistant Trainee 1, G-NS (Equated to G-13): High school or high school equivalency diploma and two years of clerical, administrative, or paraprofessional experience, and six courses in the areas of Intro to Law, and Legal Research and Writing (verification of required coursework is at the appointing agencies discretion).

Legal Assistant Trainee 1, G-NS (Equated to G-11): High school or high school equivalency diploma and one year of clerical, administrative, or paraprofessional experience.

Legal Assistant Trainee 1/2, G-NS (Equated to G-11, G-13), Substitutions: An associate degree (or higher) in any field, where the degree was granted from a regionally accredited college or university, or one approved by the American Bar Association (ABA).

Legal Assistant 1,G -14, Substitution: An associate degree (or higher) in paralegal/legal assistant/legal studies program or a certificate in a paralegal/legal assistant program where the degree was granted from a regionally accredited college or university, or one approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) AND one year of experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant OR an associate degree in any field where the degree was granted from a regionally accredited college or university, or one approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) AND two years of experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant OR graduation from an accredited (ABA approved) law school with a degree required for NYS Bar will be accepted AND two years of full-time experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant.

Transfer:
One year of permanent, contingent-permanent, or 55b/c service allocated to a G-12 or higher eligible for transfer under Section 52.6 or Section 70.1 of Civil Service Law or currently serving in the title and eligible for reassignment.

Reinstatement:
If you previously served in this title or in a title otherwise transferable to this title, you may be considered for reinstatement pursuant to Civil Service Law, if it is in the best interest of the agency. If you left state service more than one year ago, the reinstatement must also be approved by the Civil Service Commission. All reinstatements must serve a mandatory 52-week probation period.

55b/c Appointment:
This position is eligible for 55b/c designation and candidates with 55b/c eligibility are encouraged to apply. Candidates must meet the minimum qualifications stated above and must submit their current 55b/c eligibility letter along with their application.

*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 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 TAKE A CIVIL SERVICE TEST. 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.

** A Paralegal/Legal Assistant is defined as someone who applies knowledge of the law and legal procedures in rendering direct assistance to lawyers, clients, and courts; prepares and interprets legal documents and forms; researches, compiles, and uses information from legal materials to provide both written and verbal comments on their findings; and analyzes and handles routine procedural problems independently with minimal attorney oversight. Examples of non-qualifying experience: receptionist, records clerk, bookkeeper, office manager.

Additional Comments Hours of the position will be discussed at the time of interview, including questions regarding Flextime, AWS/Compressed work week and Telecommuting.

There are many benefits to working for the DMV! Including:
o Paid Leave
o Paid Holidays
o Pension
o Health Insurance
o Dental & Vision Coverage
o Flex Spending
o Voluntary 457B Retirement Saving Program
o Health Care Spending Account
o Tuition Assistance Programs
o Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
o Transportation Savings Program
o Employee Assistance Programs
For additional information about the benefits of being a state employee, visit the Office of Employee Relations website at https://oer.ny.gov/employee-benefit-programs.

DMV is committed to being a model employer for people with disabilities. DMV’s commitment includes ensuring that the recruitment, application, interviewing and hiring processes are accessible to all job applicants. If you are a job applicant who may need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact DMV’s Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility at diversityandinclusion@dmv.ny.gov.

The Department of Motor Vehicles is committed to diversity and equal opportunity, and to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace, and we encourage all qualified individuals to apply, including people with disabilities or any other protected category under the law. Our goal as an employer is to reflect the diverse identities, experiences and geographies of the communities and customers we serve.

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

How to Apply

Name Brittany Fila

Telephone

Fax

Email Address Brittany.Fila@dmv.ny.gov

Address

Street 6 Empire State Plaza

City Albany

State NY

Zip Code 12228

 

Notes on ApplyingSend a cover letter, referencing the Vacancy ID noted at the top of this posting, along with your clear and concise resume stating your current Civil Service title, if applicable, and indicating how you believe you meet the qualifications for appointment.

Please note: Candidates applying from outside DMV may be asked for their Social Security number to verify NYS employment history and transfer eligibility.