Assistant Counsel

Closing Date: 14th December, 2025

Description:

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) enriches the environment and protects public health for all New Yorkers by providing 1.1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water, managing wastewater and stormwater, and reducing air, noise, and hazardous materials pollution. DEP is the largest combined municipal water and wastewater utility in the country, with nearly 6,000 employees. DEP's water supply system is comprised of 19 reservoirs and 3 controlled lakes throughout the system's 2,000 square mile watershed that extends 125 miles north and west of the City.

DEP's Bureau of Legal Affairs, headed by General Counsel Elissa Stein Cushman, serves as in-house counsel to DEP. The work of the Bureau is managed by four units, representing the large array of matters that come before it, divided as follows: Environmental Affairs Unit, Water Supply & Environmental Litigation Unit, Contracts & Employment Unit, and Infrastructure & Operations Unit. The members of the Bureau are responsible for ensuring that all the agency's legal needs are addressed, working in conjunction with the New York City Law Department, which represents the agency in litigation.

DEP is seeking an attorney to work in its Queens office, under the direction of BLA managers, to assist the FOIL unit to:

• Review complex FOIL requests to determine whether responsive records are statutorily exempt from disclosure or subject to redaction prior to release;
• Respond to Article 78 petitions related to the denial of records under the FOIL law;
• Represent the agency at court appearances and/or oral arguments associated with Article 78 petitions related to alleged failure in responding to FOIL requests;
• Coordinate with and assist the New York City Law Department in responding to complex FOIL requests including FOIL litigation involving multiple City agencies;
• Handle other FOIL related tasks as assigned by BLA managers.

The selected candidate will also work on issues related to Employment Law, Conflict-of-Interest Law, general legal research, and matters related to New York City's watershed protection programs, including compliance with the City's Filtration Avoidance Determination, and contract drafting and negotiation.

The position may require interfacing with outside parties, including property owners, the general public, nonprofits, other government agencies, and New York State Courts, as well as liaising with the Law Department and counseling the agency's business and technical staff.

The position is based in DEP's headquarters in Queens, NY.

Agency Attorney Interne - 30086

Minimum Qualifications:
Graduation from an accredited United States law school as defined in the Rules of the New York Court of Appeals (Sections 520.3 or 520.5) or admission to the New York State Bar.

Preferred Skills:
Excellent writing, research, analytical and oral communication skills. Ability to multitask without sacrificing quality and to function well in a fast-paced environment.

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