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Senior Attorney / Assistant Attorney 1 / 2 / 3 - NY HELPS

New York State Civil Service

New Paltz, NY · HybridFull-time$70–127K/yrSeen 2w agoSeen in employer's feed 6 days ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$70–127K/yr
Location
New Paltz, NYHybrid
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

New York State Bar Admission Or Within Two Years, requiredValid Driver's License, required

Job overview

The Senior Attorney or Assistant Attorney provides legal advice and support to Department of Environmental Conservation staff on enforcement, permitting, and related legal matters. The role serves multiple DEC programs, prepares and negotiates administrative orders, drafts hearing documents, and represents DEC in proceedings. It also supports permit reviews and works with the New York State Attorney General’s Office. Telecommuting may be available for up to 50% of the work schedule.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Legal Advice, nice to haveAdministrative Order Negotiation, nice to havePleading Drafting, nice to haveMediation, nice to haveEnforcement Hearings, nice to havePermit Application Review, nice to haveEnvironmental Law, nice to haveFreedom of Information Law, nice to haveAdministrative Procedures Law, nice to haveEnvironmental Review Law, nice to have

Qualifications

LLB or JD, requiredNew York State Bar Admission or Within Two Years, requiredValid Driver's License, required55b/C Program Approval Letter, requiredOne Year Permanent Competitive Service, nice to haveSalary Grade 16 or Higher, nice to havePermanent Competitive Service as Senior Attorney, nice to have

Benefits

Paid Time Off
401(k) Match
Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance

Full job description

NY HELPS Yes

55-b/c Eligible Yes

Agency Environmental Conservation, Department of

Title Senior Attorney / Assistant Attorney 1 / 2 / 3 - NY HELPS

Occupational Category Legal

Salary Grade NS

Bargaining Unit PS&T - Professional, Scientific, and Technical (PEF)

Salary Range From $69964 to $126875 Annually

Employment Type Full-Time

Appointment Type Contingent Permanent

Internship No

Jurisdictional Class Competitive Class

Travel Percentage 10%

Workweek Mon-Fri

Hours Per Week 37.5

Workday

From 8:30 AM

To 4:30 PM

Flextime allowed? No

Mandatory overtime? No

Compressed workweek allowed? No

Telecommuting allowed? Yes

County Ulster

Street Address 21 S. Putt Corners Rd.

City New Paltz

State NY

Zip Code 12561

Duties Description The Senior Attorney will be tasked with providing legal advice and support to DEC staff regarding the application of law and policy to issues related to enforcement and permitting within DEC's jurisdiction. The responsibilities of the position will serve a variety of DEC programs, including Water, Air Pollution Control, Lands & Forests, Solid Waste, Mining, Remediation, Pesticides, Petroleum Bulk Storage and Spills, Freshwater and Tidal Wetlands, and more.Job duties include preparing and negotiating administrative Orders on Consent, drafting pleadings and other hearing documents, and representing DEC in mediation and enforcement hearings. Job duties also involve representing DEC staff throughout the permit application review process, including settlement conferences and hearings. The Senior Attorney will work closely with the Office of the New York State Attorney General in both enforcement and defensive matters.In addition to the Environmental Conservation Law and DEC's regulations, the Senior Attorney also provides legal support to DEC staff regarding the Freedom of Information Law, State Administrative Procedures Act, and State Environmental Quality Review Act.

Minimum Qualifications This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS). For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a non-competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply. At a future date (within one year of 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.Position may be filled at the Senior Attorney level or one within the Legal Traineeship appointment levels. Appointment title will be dependent upon qualifications of candidate selected. Reassignment - Currently in the title and an employee of DECOr Reinstatement Eligible - Previously held the title on a permanent competitive basis or held a title as indicated under the transfer eligible section on a permanent competitive basis Or Transfer Eligible - One year of permanent competitive service at Salary Grade 16 or higher and either: Eligible for transfer under Section 70.4: Must meet the open competitive minimum qualifications below; Or Eligible for transfer under Section 52.6: Must have current or prior service in a title designated as 52.6 within two salary grades/one M grade of this position. In addition, you must be a graduate of an accredited law school with an LLB or JD degree and/or be eligible to take the New York State Bar examination. If you are not admitted to the NYS Bar within two years of appointment, your appointment will be terminated. OrEligible for transfer under Section 70.1: Permanent competitive service as a Senior Attorney or Senior Attorney Realty. 55b/c candidates must meet the open-competitive minimum qualifications below and include with their resume or application, a copy of the letter from Civil Service which indicates approval for the 55b/c program. Open competitive minimum qualifications (provided for 55b/c candidates, 70.4 transfer eligibles, and NYHELPS candidates): graduate of an accredited law school with an LLB or JD degree and/or be eligible to take the NYS Bar examination. If you are not admitted to the NYS Bar within two years of appointment, your appointment will be terminated. In addition, open competitive candidates are required to have the selective criteria that is listed within the duties description.If you are on an examination eligible list for the position title, you do not need to respond to this posting unless you are also eligible for appointment by transfer, reinstatement, or reassignment as defined above. The eligible list will be canvassed as appropriate. Always respond to an eligible list canvass.

Additional Comments Actual work schedule, duties and travel requirements may vary and will be discussed at the interview. Must have a valid driver’s license or demonstrate the ability to meet the transportation needs of the position.Transportation needs of this position require use of a state vehicle and adhering to the Department’s Vehicle Policy. You must have and maintain a valid driver’s license for this position.Travel may be required.Telecommuting may be available up to 50% of work schedule, will be discussed at interview.We offer a work-life balance and a generous benefits package, worth 65% of salary, including:• Holiday & Paid Time Off• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)• Pension from New York State Employees’ Retirement System• Shift & Geographic pay differentials• Affordable Health Care options• Family dental and vision benefits at no additional cost• NYS Deferred Compensation plan• Access to NY 529 and NY ABLE College Savings Programs, and U.S. Savings Bonds• And many more...For new State employees appointed to graded positions, the annual salary is the hiring rate (beginning of the Salary Range) of the position. Promotion salaries are calculated by the NYS Office of the State Comptroller in accordance with NYS Civil Service Law, OSC Payroll rules and regulations and negotiated union contracts.The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Our work would not be possible without the diverse backgrounds, experiences, ideas, and abilities of our employees. DEC is committed to developing a workforce which represents the diverse population of New York State. DEC embraces a diverse and inclusive work environment by encouraging all individuals, including those with disabilities, to apply to open positions at the agency.If you are a person with a disability and wish to request that a reasonable accommodation be provided for you to participate in a job interview, please email: [email protected] be advised, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation does not use E-Verify, and we are unable to provide sponsorship for employment visa statuses (i.e. H-1B, Self-Sponsorship, STEM OPT).

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

Name Megan Miller

Telephone 518-402-9273

Fax 518-402-9038

Email Address [email protected]

Address

Street 625 Broadway

City Albany

State NY

Zip Code 12233

Notes on Applying Please email/mail your resume to the above. Be sure to include Vacancy #26-227471 when applying to this position or your application may not be accepted. Please include a copy of your transcript. Unofficial copy is acceptable.

How this job compares

Set against the 1,963 open Attorney jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 11, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$70–127K/yr
  • New York median$97–174K/yr280 salary ranges
  • US median$110–185K/yr1,293 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $98K, is 28% below the New York median midpoint ($137K) — in the lowest quarter of Attorney salary ranges in New York.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 350 open Attorney jobs in New York and 1,963 across the US. 6% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in New York
Experience
Attorney postings that state a minimum ask for 4 years of experience at the median; the middle half ask for 2 to 5 years (1,360 postings).
Education
1,231 of the 1,963 open Attorney jobs (63%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 11, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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