Job Description

The Commission works every day to implement the city’s Human Rights Law through enforcement, education, and outreach. The Commission seeks to address historic and contemporary inequities to cultivate a city where everyone can live, work, and thrive free from discrimination.

Through training, education, and policy initiatives, the Commission aims to root out discrimination. The Commission proactively identifies patterns of discrimination through testing employers, housing providers, and providers of public accommodation The Commissions also uses investigations, litigation, and other enforcement tools to address allegations of discrimination.

The Commission is seeking an Assistant Commissioner of Litigation and Pre-Complaint Operations to help manage the process by which the LEB enforces the New York City Human Rights Law, through the investigation and prosecution of complaints of violations filed by members of the public and through Commission-initiated investigations. The Assistant Commissioner will oversee the work of the Supervising Attorneys, Staff Attorneys and other staff, investigating public complaints and representing the Commission in settlements and litigation of cases at the Office of Administrative Trial and Hearings (OATH). The Assistant Commissioner will work with the Deputy Commissioner and the Associate Commissioner for Law Enforcement on ensuring timely completion of investigations of public and Commission-initiated investigations, conciliation agreements, cases at OATH and to identify and develop affirmative litigation and Commission-initiated investigations.

Responsibilities include:

• Assisting the Deputy Commissioner and Associate Commissioner in overseeing and managing the daily operations of all aspects of the LEB with a specific focus on supporting pre-complaint intervention work and litigation.

• Supervising LEB Supervising Attorneys and other staff managing discrimination cases at the pre-complaint stage and in the litigation stage.

• Providing strategic leadership and guidance to the Bureau team, fostering a collaborative and high performing environment.

• Guiding the supervision of LEB attorney teams and assisting Supervising Attorneys with decision-making and supervision of matters which are publicly filed; identifying pattern and practice violations in preparation for and through litigation, and ensure timely referral of matters to OATH and litigation of those matters;

• Supervising LEB Supervising and staff attorneys in the litigation of discrimination cases before the OATH from discovery and trial through and including issuance of an Administrative Law Judge’s recommendation and the issuance of a Commission decision and order.

• Maintaining a personal caseload of cases under investigation and prosecution.

• Monitoring and analyzing trends in discrimination complaints to identify systemic issues and recommend policy changes.

• Working with Supervising Attorneys, and staff attorneys to ensure that information provided in the public complaint process informs efforts to identify systemic discrimination and repeat violations that may warrant Commission-initiated investigations.

• Working with the Deputy Commissioner and Associate Commissioner to ensure accurate statistics and reporting related to the agency’s compliance reporting, as well as to ensure data informs efforts to ensure compliance with the NYCHRL.

• Collaborating with the Commission’s Community Relations Bureau to provide trainings and targeted community outreach programs and to engage in coordinated approaches to rooting out systemic discrimination.

• Representing the Commission in high profile and complex litigation and hearings as well as at community events, speaking engagements, and other events as necessary.

• Supporting the overall vision, values and mission of the Commission and providing leadership support for the Commission’s key strategic areas.

• Assisting in the development and implementation of strategic enforcement initiatives and investigative procedures.

• Other responsibilities assigned by the Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner to help effectively and efficiently run LEB.

Qualifications

Admission to the New York State Bar; and four years of recent full-time responsible, relevant, satisfactory legal experience subsequent to admission to any bar, eighteen months of which must have been in the supervision of other attorneys, in an administrative, managerial or executive capacity, or performing highly complex and significant legal work.

Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.

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 individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.