Legal Assistant 1 (NY HELPS) - Charities (Registrations) - NYC

This position is in the Registrations Section of the Charities Bureau. in New York City. The incumbent of the position would serve on the Evaluator Team and may perform all or any of the following duties:

• Serve as an Evaluator in the Charities Bureau reviewing charities required annual disclosures.
• Become familiar with the annual filing requirements and exemptions applicable to charitable organizations.
• Acquire working knowledge of pertinent laws, rules, regulations, and procedures governing charities’ compliance with New York State’s annual disclosure requirements.
• Review, analyze and evaluate about 40 charities’ filings in the online annual filing portal each day; working with the evaluator team supervisor, flag any major compliance issues found in the filings.
• Become familiar with audit issues that may be flagged in charities’ annual filings and the process for elevating them.
• Issue accurate, detailed, and complete notice letters to charities requesting missing material or fees.
• Communicate with representatives of organizations and/or their third-party preparers by email to clarify any issues with specific filings.
• Create and maintain accurate logs reflecting the daily evaluations and their results.
• As directed, assist with compliance issues in the investigation of charities. Raise and discuss compliance issues with the supervisor and section chief concerning charities.
• Perform other duties as assigned, including but not limited to helping revise charities’ notice language and annual filing guidance in the online portal.

Minimum Qualifications

Ny Helps:

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.

Non-Competitive Qualifications

Candidates must have:

A minimum of two years of full-time experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant (see “Definition” below).

OR

An associate degree (or higher) in Paralegal/Legal Assistant/Legal Studies or a certificate in a Paralegal/Legal Assistant program where the degree was granted from a regionally accredited college or university or one approved by the American Bar Association (ABA).

OR

An associate degree in any field where the degree was granted from a regionally accredited college or university or one approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) AND one year of full-time experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant (see “Definition” below).

Substitution: Graduation from an accredited (ABA approved) law school with a degree required for NYS Bar will be accepted as meeting the educational and experience requirements for this title.

Definition: A Paralegal/Legal Assistant is someone who applies knowledge of the law and legal procedures in rendering direct assistance to lawyers, clients, and courts; prepares and interprets legal documents and forms; researches, compiles, and uses information from legal materials to provide both written and verbal comments on their findings; and analyzes and handles routine procedural problems independently with minimal attorney oversight. Non-qualifying experience includes receptionist, records clerk, bookkeeper, and office manager.

Other Ways to Qualify:

Reachable on the Department of Civil Service eligible list for Legal Assistant

1.

OR

Eligible for a lateral transfer or eligible for transfer under Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law by having one year of permanent competitive service in an appropriate title. To determine if your current Civil Service title is eligible for transfer to this title, visit the Career Mobility GOT-IT website.

Employees appointed via the NY HELPS program are restricted for promotional appointment until their position is covered into the competitive class by the New York State Civil Service Commission (CSC), or they otherwise obtain permanent competitive status. The CSC has recently covered-in employees who were appointed via NY HELPS on a permanent or contingent permanent basis between June 26, 2024, and June 11,

• Notification to employees regarding a change in their status is forthcoming. You may wish to apply if you received a permanent NY HELPS appointment to a qualifying title within these timeframes and are interested in this opportunity. Your eligibility for promotion will be reviewed by Human Resources. Employees with a permanent NY HELPS appointment occurring effective 6/12/25 or later will be addressed with a subsequent cover-in.