Job Title

Associate General Counsel

Deadline: Open Until Filled, Unless Date Is Posted Below (Deadline is 11:59 PM EST For Date Listed)

Job Description

The Legal Aid Society (LAS) has an immediate opening for an Associate General Counsel. The Associate General Counsel is charged with assisting the General Counsel with the oversight of legal matters involving LAS and/or its employees as a party or witness; professional responsibility and legal ethics matters; compliance with government contracts and program requirements; negotiating and enforcing contracts, leases, and consulting agreements; labor and employment matters; insurance matters; compliance with City and State lobbying requirements; ensuring LAS policies are consistent with governing law; ensuring compliance with the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law; corporate governance matters; CLE and Practice Order requirements; and providing assistance as needed to LAS’s operations units to ensure compliance with legal requirements.

The Legal Aid Society is built on one simple but powerful belief: that no one should be denied their right to equal justice. Our Civil, Criminal Defense, Juvenile Rights, and Pro Bono practices work tirelessly in and out of the courtroom to defend our clients and dismantle the hidden, systemic barriers that can prevent them from thriving in New York City. We seek to be a beacon of hope for New Yorkers who feel neglected — regardless of who they are, where they come from, or how they identify. Our experienced teams provide comprehensive services, support, and advocacy that protect rights, keep families and communities together, and in many cases, saves lives.

From our start over 140 years ago, our growth has mirrored that of the city we serve. Today, we’re proud to be the largest, most influential social justice law firm in New York City. LAS is more than a law firm for low-income New Yorkers. It is an indispensable component of the legal, social, and economic fabric of New York City — passionately advocating for individuals and families across a variety of civil, criminal defense, and juvenile rights matters, while also fighting for legal reform. Just like the city we represent; LAS is also one of the most diverse law firms in the nation. Our staff are members of the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (including Attorneys and Investigators and Interpreters) and the 1199 Service Employees International Union.

For more information about LAS, please visit www.legalaidnyc.org .

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assisting in reviewing, negotiating, and executing contracts with government agencies, private funders, vendors, prime contractors, and subcontractors
• Assisting in negotiating, executing, and enforcing lease agreements
• Assisting in preparing and submitting insurance applications, working with insurance brokers, notifying insurance carriers regarding insurable events, and obtaining insurance reimbursement and proof of coverage
• Assisting in negotiating labor agreements
• Assisting in supervising and reviewing reports regarding employment-related investigations
• Assisting in preparing reports and information required by government agencies and auditors
• Assisting in scheduling and preparing reports and materials for LAS’s Board of Directors and Board Committees; preparing minutes of Board of Directors and Board Committee meetings; assisting in obtaining Board and/or Committee approval of contracts, leases, and other matters requiring approval
• Assisting in ensuring compliance by LAS with the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law and the New York Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act
• Assisting in tracking litigation in which LAS or its employees are parties and/or witnesses, preparing witnesses to testify, representing witnesses, working with outside counsel, and reporting on the status of litigation and potential litigation
• Assisting in responding to subpoenas
• Assisting in advising and training on professional responsibility matters and identifying and resolving conflicts of interest
• Assisting in providing guidance to Practices and Operations Departments to ensure LAS policies are in compliance with legal requirements and collective bargaining agreements
• Assisting in ensuring compliance with State and City lobbing requirements
• Assisting in maintaining LAS’s status as a CLE provider and preparing and submitting reports required by CLE regulations
• Assisting in renewing LAS’s Practice Order, ensuring compliance with the Practice Order, and preparing and submitting reports required by the Practice Order;
• Approving LAS vendors
• Performing other duties as assigned

Location

Manhattan - Legal Aid Society Headquarters

Requirements

• J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school and state bar admission in New York or eligibility for immediate membership
• 6+ years of experience in legal practice
• Broad knowledge of federal and state labor and employment laws and regulations preferred
• Experience conducting and/or supervising employment-related investigations preferred
• Experience providing legal services to non-profit organizations preferred
• Experience working in a unionized environment preferred
• Excellent judgment and the ability to balance legal risks with business strategy
• Strong team player who works well with others, and has excellent verbal and written communication skills, the ability to multi-task and manage multiple diverse matters at once
• Excellent analytical, organization, and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrated commitment to fighting for equity and social justice

SALARY TRANSPARENCY

The posting reflects the range of potential salaries for the role. The specific salary offers will be dependent on candidate qualifications, including collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range/ Salary: $130,000 to $135,000

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The leadership of The Legal Aid Society believes in attracting and retaining exceptional talent committed to serving our clients. We offer a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Salaries for our unionized jobs are governed by our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Please visit our Careers page for additional information. Salary and benefits information will be available to applicants, when and if, an offer is made.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The leadership of The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients, to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us.

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online. We do not accept paper submissions. Please visit our Careers Page to review all current job postings, and instructions on the application process. For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jobpostquestions@legal-aid.org .

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one’s internal deeply-held sense of one’s gender which may be the same or different from one’s sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one’s name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Required Documents

Please submit these documents as a single combined PDF when you apply via the LAS (Legal Aid Society) Recruitment Portal.

• Resume
• Cover letter