Senior Attorney Financial Services

The New York State Department of Financial Services seeks to build an equitable, transparent, and resilient financial system that benefits individuals and supports business. Through engagement, data-driven regulation and policy, and operational excellence, the Department and its employees are responsible for empowering consumers and protecting them from financial harm; ensuring the health of the entities we regulate; driving economic growth in New York through responsible innovation; and preserving the stability of the global financial system.

The Department of Financial Services is seeking candidates for the position of Senior Attorney in the Office of General Counsel. Duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Assists in reviewing and providing guidance and recommendations on memoranda of understanding, confidentiality and other agreements and on matters related to conflicts of interest disclosures made by staff, monitors, vendors, contractors or consultants;
• Identifies and proposes updates to internal policies, guidance documents, databases, procedure manuals and applicable laws as appropriate;
• Assists in responding to staff inquiries related to conflicts of interest under New York State's ethics laws and regulations, including the Public Officers Law, the Financial Services Law (FSL), and other applicable laws and rules;
• Assists in reviewing and responding to requests for approval of outside activities, official activity expense payments, gifts, speaking engagements, and event attendance;
• Assists with drafting recusal memoranda and waivers for staff, reviews blind trust agreements for compliance with the FSL, and assists with ethics onboarding and offboarding as appropriate;
• Delivers pre-scripted PowerPoint training to staff and interns that covers their duties and responsibilities under New York State's ethics laws and regulations, and the FSL;
• Assists with ensuring compliance with mandatory monthly and quarterly reporting related to ethics training and lobbying data;
• Assists in handling the Department's responses to appeals made pursuant to the Freedom of Information Law;
• Performs other duties and special projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Appointment Method:
Minimum Qualifications:

• Senior Attorney, SG-25: One year as an Assistant Attorney 3 or admission to the NYS Bar and two years of subsequent professional legal experience.
• Assistant Attorney 3, SG-22: One year as Assistant Attorney 2 or admission to the NYS Bar and one year of subsequent professional legal experience.
• Assistant Attorney 2, SG-20: Admission to NYS Bar.
• Assistant Attorney 1, SG-18: Law School Graduation (or other eligibility to take the NYS Bar Examination). Note: If you are appointed as an Assistant Attorney 1, you will be automatically advanced to Assistant Attorney 2 upon admission to the New York State Bar. If you are not admitted to the New York State Bar within two years of appointment, your appointment will be terminated.
• The Traineeship: If you are appointed to one of the entry levels of the Attorney Traineeship, you will normally be advanced after each twelve months of satisfactory service to the next higher title (with salary based on performance) until you reach the full performance level of a Senior Attorney. If your final performance evaluation as an Assistant Attorney 2, and your six-month performance evaluation as an Assistant Attorney 3 are rated outstanding, you may be eligible for early advancement to Senior Attorney, reducing your traineeship by six months. All service during the traineeship will be in probationary status. Performance will be evaluated every six months against established standards set by the individual agencies which reflect a timetable for gaining the knowledge and skills necessary so that appointees are able to function at the Senior Attorney level at the completion of the traineeship.
• NY HELPS: This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS). The NY HELPS Program allows agencies to fill certain positions via permanent non-competitive appointments. At a future date (within one year of your permanent appointment), it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. 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.
• List Appointment: Candidates must be reachable on the Civil Service eligible list for 20-620010.
• 55 b/c Appointment: Candidates must meet the eligibility requirements of the Governor's Program to Hire Individuals and Veterans with Disabilities as described in Civil Service Law 55b/c. Information about this program can be found here: https://www.cs.ny.gov/rp55/

Transfer: Candidates must have one year of permanent competitive service in a title eligible for transfer via Sections 52.6 of the Civil Service Law. Information regarding transfer eligibility may be available on the Civil Service Career Mobility Office website at http://careermobilityoffice.cs.ny.gov/cmo/. Please Note that under Civil Service Law, an employee cannot have two consecutive upward 70.1 or 52.6 transfers without an intervening eligible list appointment if such transfers would exceed two salary grades.

Additional Comments

Please note that a change in negotiating unit may affect your salary, insurance and other benefits.

Salary: $100,671-$126,875 (Grade-25 Level)

• $86,031 (Grade NS-22)
• $77,532 (Grade NS-20)
• $69,964 (Grade NS-18)

Positions located within the New York City metropolitan area, as well as Suffolk, Nassau, Rockland, and Westchester Counties, are also eligible to receive an additional $4,150 annual downstate adjustment.

Appointment Status: Contingent Permanent or Permanent

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