Agency Attorney

Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
New York

***This position may be eligible for remote work for up to 2 days per week, pursuant to the Remote Work 
Pilot Program. **

The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) protects and enhances the daily economic lives of New Yorkers to create thriving communities. DCWP licenses nearly 45,000 businesses in more than 40 industries and enforces key consumer protection and workplace laws that apply to countless more. By supporting businesses through equitable enforcement and access to resources, DCWP protects the marketplace from predatory practices and strives to create a culture of compliance. DCWP empowers consumers and working families by providing the tools and resources they need to achieve financial health and work-life balance. DCWP also conducts research and advocates for public policy that furthers its work to support New York City’s communities. For more information about DCWP and our work, visit DCWP at nyc.gov/dcwp, sign up for the newsletter, or follow us on social media sites, X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 

DCWP is seeking an experienced attorney to serve as Staff Counsel. This individual will be responsible for litigation related to deceptive practices, with a specific focus on consumer debt and medical debt, and more broadly to combat illegal conduct and deceptive trade practices and participate in enforcement of New York City’s licensing and consumer protection laws. The Staff Counsel will be responsible for industry-wide investigations and enforcement against businesses that violate the law, from inception of investigations to the resolution of matters, including representing the agency at proceedings before the New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings 
(OATH) tribunal or New York State Court. Reporting to the Associate General Counsel for the Affirmative and Licensing Litigation Unit, Staff Counsel responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Making initial determinations as to whether matters should be investigated, determining legal theories and 
plans for investigations;
• Conducting investigations and preparing cases for trial by securing and preparing evidence, conferring with 
witnesses, participating in conferences, examining and cross-examining witnesses, conducting oral arguments 
before New York Supreme Court or OATH, and drafting legal documents needed during the various stages of 
litigation;
• Drafting legal documents and correspondence to licensees, businesses and their attorneys, other government 
agencies, respondents, the OATH tribunal, consumers, and third parties; and
• Assisting in education and outreach, rule promulgation, and strategic planning, drafting memorandum on 
discrete legal issues, and performing additional tasks as needed.

This is a great opportunity to join a dynamic team that strives to effectuate change and pursue matters that affect 
millions of New York City residents, particularly related to consumer credit and debt. The ideal candidate will be 
responsible for these functions, as well as for special projects and assignments related to consumer or licensee issues 
or to DCWP’s operations. In addition, as part of these functions, the Staff Counsel is responsible for careful case 
project management and operational tasks necessary to support and effectuate this work.

Minimum Qualification Requirements
1. Admission to the New York State Bar; and either "2" or "3" below.
2. One year of satisfactory United States legal experience subsequent to admission to any state bar; or 
3. Six months of satisfactory service as an Agency Attorney Interne (30086). 

Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.

In addition to meeting the minimum Qualification Requirements:

To be assigned to Assignment Level (AL) II, candidates must have one year of experience at Assignment Level I or 
two years of comparable legal experience subsequent to admission to the bar, in the areas of law related to the 
assignment. To be assigned to AL III candidates must have two years of experience in Assignment Levels I and/or II 
or three years of comparable legal experience subsequent to admission to the bar, in the areas of law related to the 
assignment.

PLEASE NOTE: New York City residency is required within 90 days of appointment. However, City employees in 
certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, 
Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County.

Preferred Skills
• Demonstrated excellent verbal, written, interpersonal, analytical, problem-solving and time management 
skills;
• Proficiency in conducting legal research and undertaking factual investigations, including reviewing 
documents and conducting witness interviews;
• Excellent work ethic and desire to join a dynamic team working collaboratively;
• Experience in or interest in consumer debt issues;
• Demonstrated excellent legal research, writing skills and negotiation skills; 
• Comfort with data-driven analysis and strategic planning; 
• Ability to effectively interact with multi-functional teams comprised of attorney and non-attorney staff; 
• Ability to effectively manage multiple priorities with competing deadlines; 
• Litigation experience, including in New York State courts and before OATH;
• References that can confirm legal skills; and 
• Experience and knowledge in consumer protection laws or administrative law is preferred.

To Apply
To apply for this position, please submit your application exclusively through the Jobs NYC website. Only 
applications submitted via the Jobs NYC platform will be considered for review. The Job ID is located at the bottom 
of the page.

A resume and cover letter are required as part of the application. In your cover letter, please include the following:
• Civil service title you currently hold or whether you have taken any civil service exams (if applicable).
• The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) is committed to building a diverse and 
inclusive workforce that reflectsthe communities we serve. We strongly encourage 55-a candidatesto apply. 
If eligible, please indicate this in your cover letter.

Incomplete applications or those missing the required documents will not be considered.

Reasonable Accommodations
DCWP is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal 
access to employment opportunities. If you need an accommodation to participate in the interview process, please 
contact us at ReasonableAccommodationRequests@dcwp.nyc.gov.

Please note the following important application instructions:
• No phone calls, faxes, emails, or in-person inquiries will be accepted.
• Only candidatesselected for further consideration will be contacted. If you do not receive communication
from us, please consider your application as not being selected for this position.
• Drug Screening: Please be aware that a drug screening may be required prior to appointment. Candidates
will be notified if this is necessary as part of the pre-employment process.

Appointments are subject to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval.

For any questions or concerns regarding your application, please email the recruitment team at 
dcwpjobs@dcwp.nyc.gov.

Additional Information

In addition, the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) offers competitive salaries and the 
following benefits:

Paid Time Off and Holidays
• Paid time off for vacation and personal leave
• Paid time off for sick leave
• A generous holiday package of up to 13 days

Health Benefits
• Medical insurance plans
• Dental and vision insurance plans
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Financial and Savings Benefits
• 529 College Savings Plan
• Direct Deposit
• Flexible Spending Account Programs
• New York City Municipal Credit Union Savings Program
• Transit Benefit Programs

Retirement and Pension Plans
• New York City Employee Retirement System (NYCERS) pension plan
• New York City Deferred Compensation Plan (DCP) 401(k) and 457 plan

Additional Benefits for Union Members
• Disability Insurance
• Health Club Reimbursements
• Life Insurance
• Supplemental Hospital Coverage
• Tuition Reimbursement
*Please note only employees represented by a labor union may qualify for additional benefits provided by the union 
welfare fund.

Student Loan Forgiveness
• DCWP qualifies as a public service employer, which means our employees may be eligible for the Public 
Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. If you have federal student loans, you may be able to have
your loans forgiven by working full-time in public service. To learn more about PSLF and its eligibility 
requirements, visit the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program website.

Employee Discounts
• Apple and Dell products
• Cell phones and plans
• Gym memberships
• Special pricing on event tickets through Barclay Center, Plum Benefits and Working Advantage
• And more!

JVN: 768452
DCWP and the City of New York is an equal employment opportunity employer.