Staff Counsel

**This position may be eligible for remote work for up to 2 days per week, pursuant to the Flexible 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 its work, call 311 or visit DCWP at NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), sign up for its newsletter, or follow on its social media sites, X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
DCWP is seeking a highly motivated individual to serve as a Staff Counsel within the License Operations and Counseling (“LOC”) Unit in the General Counsel Division. Reporting to the Associate General Counsel of the LOC Unit, the Staff Counsel will work on one of DCWP’s core internal counseling teams, which consists of a team of lawyers who provide legal advice to the Licensing Division, ensure compliance with key license requirements as well as internal counseling related to specific business industries. The Staff Counsel will also work on critical implementation projects to ensure new laws and rules are followed and enforced efficiently. The team works across license categories, but pays special focus to categories with multi-stakeholder touchpoints, such as tobacco and electronic cigarette retail dealers, newsstands, pedicabs, stoop line stands, and street vendors. Specifically, the Staff Counsel will:
1. Help ensure that DCWP license applications and its license intake process comply with required laws and rules; review license applications for challenging license categories, which includes conducting investigations and issuing a final determination; review and issue final decisions on license applications that trigger DCWP’s criminal history review; and engage directly with the public to manage questions about laws and rules within DCWP’s jurisdiction.
2. Provide legal counseling to other divisions regarding licensed categories, particularly issues related to the interpretation of licensing laws and rules; provide day-to-day counseling support to the Licensing Division to ensure legal compliance; and assist with the implementation process for new laws and rules.
AGENCY ATTORNEY - 30087

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.

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.