Review Vacancy
TitleLegal Assistant 2 - Albany (NY HELPS)
Bargaining UnitPS&T - Professional, Scientific, and Technical (PEF)
Salary RangeFrom $63361 to $80655 Annually
Duties Description Under the supervision of hearing officer or hearing officers, a Legal Assistant II will perform a variety of paralegal activities including compiling and organizing files and documentation; preparing and assisting in the preparation of legal documents and forms; cataloging information; updating databases or spreadsheets; and preparing correspondence and affidavits. A Legal Assistant II independently performs the most complex paralegal work, including legal research in areas where clear precedent may not be found and analyzing information gathered with minimal direction from attorneys. Assignments are varied and require extensive involvement in the program area or cases.
Duties include, but are not limited to:
1. May draft report and recommendations, orders, notice of filings and other decision-related papers.
2. May draft affidavits of service, continuances and notice of adjournments and rescheduled hearings notices.
3. May perform detailed, open-ended review of freedom of information records to determine if redactions made by the Records Access Officer complies with the Public Officers Law.
4. May perform detailed, open-ended review of freedom of information requests and organize the file in preparation of drafting an appeal determination.
5. May prepare drafts of freedom of information determinations for review by the assigned hearing officer.
6. May track freedom of information requests to ensure freedom of information determinations go out timely.
7. May review and propose changes in legislation, including drafting language and making revisions, and manage related bill tracking activities.
8. May draft various legal documents and assist in the preparation for administrative proceedings by completing a variety of activities.
9. May perform document review, including the receipt of electronic discovery form opposing parties.
10. May work with the assigned hearing officer to restyle papers and organize exhibits, as needed.
11. May review exhibits received and works closely with attorney to prepare them for trial.
12. May assist the hearing officer in managing of calendared events.
Minimum Qualifications Qualified candidates should copy the below web address into your browser to complete the online application for the Department of Labor.
https://on.ny.gov/apply2dol
Candidates reachable on the Civil Service Eligible list(s) will be canvassed. However, you may also apply if you are eligible for appointment by one of the following qualifications:
NY HELPS Minimum Qualifications:
Candidates must have a minimum of three years of full-time experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant.
OR Candidates must have an associate's degree (or higher) in any field or a certificate in a paralegal/legal assistant program where either the degree or certificate 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.
Definition of Paralegal/Legal Assistant: 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.
Minimum Qualification Substitution:
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) OR Graduation from an accredited (ABA approved) law school with a degree required for NYS Bar will be accepted as meeting the educational requirements for this title AND two years of experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant.
It is expected that employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status in the future, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded 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. If you are interested in the NY-HELPS program, or this position, you may reply to this vacancy posting, or you may visit the New York State Department of Civil Service website at https://www.cs.ny.gov/help/ (copy and paste in browser) to register today, in three easy steps.
Competitive Minimum Qualifications:
If Civil Service Eligible list(s) exist, they will be canvassed. You may also apply if you are eligible for appointment by one of the following qualifications:
To be considered for this position, a review of your state history is needed. Please provide the last four digits of your social security number in your email response or on your resume. If you are not comfortable providing this information in your response, a representative from our office will contact you via phone.
70.1 TRANSFER QUALIFICATIONS: An employee with one year of permanent competitive service as a Senior Attorney, Grade 25 may qualify for transfer pursuant to Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law.
55 B/C QUALIFICATIONS: Accepting 55 b/c candidates. Please provide a copy of your 55 b/c letter when applying. 55 b/c candidates must meet the open-competitive minimum qualifications of the most recent Civil Service exam announcement.
Additional Comments Position specific job duties may include occasional altered work schedule or job assignments which require availability and willingness to work occasional evenings and/or out-stationed assignments.
Candidates with no previous state service will begin at the starting rate of the salary range listed above.
If you are a current NYS employee and have questions regarding salary, please contact the Business Services Center (BSC): 518-457-4272, BSCHR@ogs.ny.gov.
Telecommuting is available and can be discussed during the interview.
Employment at the Department of Labor is contingent upon the maintenance of a valid work authorization and necessary documentation to work legally in the United States.
Please note: Due to operational requirements and funding considerations of various divisions/positions, there could be occasions in the future where unit assignments may change. Should this occur, it will not impact your title, salary or location.
We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including:
• 13 paid holidays, 5 personal days, and a minimum of 13 vacation days per year
• Paid sick leave (CSEA and PEF employees- 13 days; M/C employees- 8 days plus free enrollment into the Income Protection Program for short-term and long-term disability coverage).
• Choice of several affordable and competitive health insurance plans
• Dental and vision insurance plans at no additional cost
• Membership in the NYS Employee’s Retirement System
• NYS Deferred Compensation Investment Plan
• Eligibility to apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) (full-time employees)
• Eligibility to apply for tuition reimbursement for qualifying employees and courses
• Paid Parental Leave
Our mission is to provide outstanding services to our customers—the workers and business that call New York home. We help New Yorkers find careers they will love. We build and support New York’s businesses. We empower and protect New York’s workers. To learn more about our mission and the exciting work of the DOL, please visit: https://dol.ny.gov/about-us
DOL is committed to fostering employee engagement and work-life balance. We offer telecommuting and alternative work schedules to eligible employees. Eligible employees may be approved to telecommute, if operationally feasible, up to 2 days per regular work-week, and not to exceed 4 days per two-week pay period. Telecommuting can be discussed at the time of interview. Our exciting training and development opportunities, including Coursera and our formal Employee Recognition Program allow us to develop, recognize, and celebrate our workforce.
Please note that specific benefits and programs may vary based on negotiating unit, current contract, length of State service, and program area.
Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.
Fax EFax: 5184742871@fax.ny.gov
Email Address YourDOLJourneyIsHere@labor.ny.gov
Address
Street Harriman State Office Campus
Building 12, Room 561
Notes on ApplyingQualified candidates should copy the below web address into your browser to complete the online application for the Department of Labor.
https://on.ny.gov/apply2dol
Vacancy: 206559
Title: Legal Assistant 2
Location: Albany
Please submit a resume and cover letter demonstrating how you meet the minimum qualifications, including specific experience with dates. It is essential to clearly describe qualifying education and experience when applying; vague or incomplete information may lead to disqualification.
Unofficial transcripts and/or other documents will be required for certain positions as indicated in the minimum qualifications.
All documents must be received by January 21st, 2026. Upload all documents as unlocked and accessible files.
If experiencing difficulties with the above link, please contact: YourDOLJourneyisHere@labor.ny.gov
Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Department of Labor is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer committed to ensuring equal opportunity for persons with disabilities and workplace diversity.
New York State (NYS) is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. NYS Law prohibits discrimination because of age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, military status, sex, disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, marital status, domestic violence victim status, carrier status, gender identity or prior conviction records, or prior arrests, youthful offender adjudications or sealed records unless based on a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.
If you are a person with a disability and wish to request that a reasonable accommodation be provided for you to participate in a job interview, please contact: Department of Labor, Attn: Director, Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (ODEIA), Building 12, Albany, NY 12226 (Phone (518) 457-1984 and/or fax (518) 485-2575.)