Legal Associate

ABOUT THE NEW YORK CITY BOARD OF CORRECTION
The New York City Board of Correction (BOC or Board) is a nineperson nonjudicial oversight board which regulates monitors and inspects the correctional facilities of the City. The Mayor City Council and presiding justices of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court for the First and Second Judicial Departments (in joint nomination with the Mayor) appoint its members. The Boards original appointees began in 1957 making it one of the earliest independent oversight boards of detention settings in the United States. In 1977 the Boards role was expanded and it became more independent. The City Charter mandates the Boards five functions:
Establish and ensure compliance with minimum standards for the care custody correction treatment supervision and discipline of all persons held or confined under the jurisdiction of the Department of Correction
Investigate serious incidents
Review grievances from people in custody and staff
Evaluate the performance of the Department of Correction
Make recommendations on areas of key correctional planning.

With offices in lower Manhattan and on Rikers Island BOC works regularly with Department of Correction (DOC) and Correctional Health Services (CHS) and other government and external partners on a wide range of criminal justice issues germane to its oversight responsibilities.



JOB DESCRIPTION

Applicants interested in this position should submit a resume and cover letter as a single file and upload it in the resume section of the online application. Candidates who are subsequently called for an inperson interview will be required to complete a brief writing and analysis assignment and will be asked for references. Submission of an application does not guarantee an interview. Only candidates under consideration will be contacted.

The Legal Associate (Associate) will report directly to and work under the supervision and direction of the General Counsel and will be responsible for providing project management and legal administrative support for the Boards Legal Office. The Associate will work closely with the General Counsel and become an expert in the Citys regulatory process and other legal issues that impact the Citys jails jail staff and the people held in jail.

The Associate must be a thorough researcher a clear and concise writer a creative thinker and a team player. The Associates work product must be of high quality timely and well organized and reflect attention to detail. The Associate will relish taking the initiative and be eager to learn about correctional policies and issues facing the Citys jails.

The Associates responsibilities include but are not limited to:

General Counsels Office
Assist with rulemaking including;
oConducting research on local state and federal correctional policies procedures and practices studies and expert opinions related to the subjects of rulemaking.
oDraft memoranda summarizing research findings and making recommendations to Executive Staff.
oTake minutes of meetings with Board members DOC CHS other City and government agencies and external stakeholders concerning subjects of rulemaking and proposed rules.
oPrepare written summaries of Board factfinding and public comments received on proposed rules.
oSchedule draft agendas and prepare handouts for such meetings.
oAssist in preparing for public Board meetings and hearings on proposed rules; and
oCreate and maintain rulemaking files.
Track and draft summaries for the Board of (1) DOC and CHS policies and procedures; (2) proposed and newly enacted local state and federal statutes and regulations concerning correctional and criminal justice issues; (3) articles studies and court opinions concerning such issues; and (4) public reports of DOCs compliance with the consent judgment in Nunez v. City of New York.
Assist with the development and drafting of internal policies and procedures including collaboration with the Mayors Office and other agency partners.
Assist with gathering documents and information in response to Freedom of Information Law requests other information requests and external litigation.
Draft the minutes of all public Board meetings and other key meetings.
Participate in a variety of special projects assigned by the leadership team as needed.
The Associate will also perform other duties as determined by the General Counsel.

Appeals

Under the Boards Minimum Standards whenever DOC decides to revoke or limit an incarcerated persons or visitors visiting privileges any affected person may appeal directly to the Board after which the Board has a short window of time to issue a determination. The Associate will assist the Director of Appeals with handling visit restriction complaints and appeals brought to the Board including:
Field telephone calls inperson visits and written appeals.
Input data into BOCs computer system.
Locate all DOC paperwork relevant to the restriction including occasional visits to
facilities to retrieve documentation.
Interview people in custody family members and DOC staff.
Maintaining visit appeal files.
Objectively balance individual rights with institutional security considerations to make recommendations to the Director of Appeals regarding the outcome of the appeal.
Using visit data to draft monthly or quarterly visit/appeals reports as well as an annual report/memo describing findings from the restrictions and appeals.

Intergovernmental Affairs and Communications

The Assistant Executive Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and Communications is responsible for the important work of fast accurate and responsive communication and engagement with elected officials correctional and healthcare leaders. The Associate will support these priorities including:
Update and maintain an interested parties list and related databases of external stakeholders.
Support the Assistant Executive Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and Communications with daytoday operations such as developing content for internal and external communications.
Coordinate inperson and virtual engagement/outreach events programs and presentations.
Assist in the collection of information and drafting of minutes agendas and briefings related to engagement/outreach events.
Assist in the planning support and execution of public meetings events and other initiatives organized by the Intergovernmental Affairs unit.
Help structure events with elected officials and communities to elicit full and meaningful community participation.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
1.A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties described above; or
2.High school graduation or equivalent and six years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties as described above; or
3.Education and/or experience which is equivalent to 1 or 2 above. However all candidates must have at least one year of experience as described in 1 above.

EXPERIENCE / SKILLS PREFERRED:
Familiarity with criminal justice and correctional policy or social justice issues.
Excellent writing skills and enjoys writing.
Excellent research abilities and enjoys research.
Excellent organizational and time management skills and attention to detail.
Strong interpersonal skills with proven ability to work collaboratively with diverse colleagues and partners.
Ability to work independently as well as within a team.
Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information in a professional manner with discretion and integrity.
Proficiency with Microsoft Word Excel and PowerPoint.
Commitment to the mission of the NYC Board of Correction.
Service as an inmate in correctional or related facility may be substituted for a portion of the required experience up to a maximum of two years.


TO APPLY:

For City employees: Go to Employee SelfService (ESS) at and search for Job ID# 687021

For all other applicants: Go to and search for Job ID# 687021

Please submit a resume and cover letter as a single file and upload it in the resume section of the online application. Candidates who are subsequently called for an inperson interview will be required to complete a brief writing and analysis assignment and will be asked for references. Submission of an application does not guarantee an interview. Only candidates under consideration will be contacted.

Appointments are subject to Office of Management and Budget approval.

The Board of Correction is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and culturally responsive workforce. We strongly encourage people of color people with disabilities veterans women and lesbian gay bisexual and transgender and gender nonconforming persons to apply. All applicants will be considered without regard to actual or perceived race color national origin religion sexual orientation marital or parental status disability sex gender identity or expression age prior record of arrest or any other basis prohibited by law.

As a current or prospective employee of the City of New York you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. You may check the eligibility for programs and how to apply at nyc.gov/studentloans.

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

New York City residency is generally 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. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

WORK LOCATION:
2 Lafayette Street New York New York 10007 (with periodic time at Rikers Island office)

HOURS/SHIFT
FullTime at least 35 hrs/wk

Qualifications :

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties described above; or
2. High school graduation or equivalent and six years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties as described above; or
3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to 1 or 2 above. However all candidates must have at least one year of experience as described in 1 above.

Additional Information :

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 individuals sex race color ethnicity national origin age religion disability sexual orientation veteran status gender identity or pregnancy.

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Fulltime