General Counsel

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS: The incumbent in this class has the responsibility for advising and representing the Authority in all legal matters including but not limited to; Local, State and Federal regulatory agency compliance, customer grievances, employee grievances, disciplinary hearings, collective bargaining unit negotiations, EEO and human rights matters, FOIL requests, vendor contracts and other Authority endeavors. The incumbent serves as the chief legal advisor to the Authority.

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES: (Illustrative Only)
• Serves as the chief legal advisor to the Executive Director and all Department Directors/Cabinet Members on all legal matters involving or related to AHA
• Responsible for conducting the legal business of the Authority and all suits instituted by and against the Authority; furnishes opinions and/or interpretations, orally and in writing, to the Executive Director or Departmental Directors when requested.
• Confers with and advises the officers, employees, and members of the Board of Commissioners on all legal matters;
• Prepares, assists in preparing, reviews and/or approves all documents pertaining to legal matters of the Authority;
• Handles all legal matters in connection with the preparation and adoption of project management programs;
• Renders legal opinions on all matters submitted by the Authority;
• Assists and conducts any mandated employee trainings;
• Coordinates with outside counsel;
• Performs related work as required.

FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:
•  Thorough knowledge of local and state laws and the established precedents and sources;
• Thorough knowledge of State mandated compliance matters, including but not limited to harassment, discrimination and affirmative action;
• Working knowledge of personal computers, office terminology, procedures and equipment;Ability to organize, interpret and apply legal principles and knowledge to the particular circumstances;
• Ability to understand and carry out oral and written directions;
• Ability to write legibly;
• Ability to meet and effectively deal with persons interested in legal matters under consideration;
• Mental alertness;
• High degree of accuracy;
• Neatness;
• Ability to uphold the integrity of the Authority at all time;
• Tact and courtesy;
• Physical condition commensurate with the demands of the position.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduation from law school with an LL.B* or J.D.* degree AND three (3) years of work experience in a legal, policy or compliance field as a lawyer, law clerk, policy analyst, confidential advisor/assistant, investigator or paralegal.

*SPECIAL NOTE: Education beyond the secondary level must be from an institution recognized or accredited by the Board of Regents of the New York State Education Department as a post-secondary, degree-granting institution.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENT: Possession of a license to practice law in the State of New York.

Albany Housing Authority provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.