Family Court Legal Services (FCLS) is responsible for representing Children’s Services in child neglect and abuse cases, permanency hearings and other child welfare proceedings in the New York City Family Courts. FCLS Attorneys work collaboratively with caseworkers and other child welfare stakeholders to further the agency’s mission of helping children and families achieve safety, permanency and well-being. Under direct and close supervision, specific duties will include: - Work closely with Child Protective caseworkers to identify and analyze legal problems and issues. - Draft legal documents, including pleadings, motions and memoranda of law and fact by following generally acceptable legal procedures, forms and techniques in order to meet agency needs, goals and objectives. - Represent the agency in Family Court on all aspects of child protective proceedings and other judicial proceedings including juvenile delinquency and Close to Home matters. - Interview witnesses and other relevant parties to the litigation to determine admissibility of various types of evidence. - Prepare and maintain case files and documents in advance of court appearances. - Conduct legal research and regularly review relevant case laws and regulations to support legal opinions. - Counsel Child Protective caseworkers and agency case planners on issues relating to permanency and well-being of children in foster care.

Minimum Qual Requirements

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

• A Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college, or equivalent; preferably a Master’s Degree in the fields of public administration, business management, environmental planning, or a related field.

• A minimum of 10 years of full time satisfactory professional experience in the field of environmental health and safety.

• Experience overseeing large teams of staff and vendors performing multiple different types of work at a fast pace.

To Apply

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Hours/ Shift:

Residency Requirement:

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.

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