General Counsel

Job Description

The Agency You’ll Join:
The NYC Mayor's Office administers all city services, public property, most public agencies, and enforces all city, state, and federal laws within New York City. New York City’s Mayor, Eric Adams is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. Mayor Adams has served the people of New York City as an NYPD officer, State Senator, and Brooklyn Borough President. The Adams’ Administration is leading the fight to make New York City’s economy stronger, reduce inequality, improve public safety, and build a stronger, healthier city that delivers for all New Yorkers. As an agency, we value fairness, helpfulness, transparency, leadership and build our teams around these values.


The Team You’ll Work With:
The NYC Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice (MOERJ) was established in in October 2023 and serves as New York City government’s centralized equity office. Focusing on developing critical, equity-driven strategies across our diverse communities, MOERJ includes the Commission on Gender Equity (CGE), the Young Men’s Initiative (YMI), and the NYC Unity Project (UP) as well as multi-agency bodies like the Pay Equity Cabinet (PEC) and the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE).

New York City voters passed three ballot measures in November 2022 to embed racial justice in the heart of City government. The Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice is hiring several new staff to develop and lead the successful implementation of these ballot measures and help realize a vision of racial equity in New York City.

Our staff develop innovative programs, policies, initiatives, and campaigns designed to measurably reduce disparities and promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility (DEI&A). As a critical part of the mayor’s efforts to build a stronger and healthier city, we work across City agencies and external partners to effect meaningful change. Every staffer plays an integral role in our unrelenting commitment to equity.


The Problems You’ll Solve
The Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice seeks a senior legal executive to serve as the General Counsel to the City’s inaugural Chief Equity Officer. As a member of the executive leadership team, you will provide direction that enables the Adams administration to successfully implement the letter and spirit of the racial justice ballot measures approved by NYC voters.

Legal Guidance – You will oversee legal operations of the Office. You will provide the executive leadership team with confidential, considered legal advice, often after discussions with the city Law Department or the Counsel to the Mayor team. You will draw from your considerable experience providing counsel to high-stakes entities that are in the public eye. You will carry the responsibility to navigate the Office through potentially uncharted legal territory as it embarks to transform the City toward racial justice. You will ensure the Office abides by statutory guidelines newly set forth through racial justice amendments to the city charter, as well as any other existing or forthcoming relevant legislation. Moreover, you will oversee the typically broad legal duties of government counsel, including advising on transparency, ethics, records, contracting, personnel matters, and potential litigation.

Strategic Guidance – As a key member of the executive team, you will advise and help shape the Office’s strategies to advance equity through structural government reform. The racial justice charter amendments envision a shift in the way city government does business. MOERJ will work across all city agencies to effectuate change. As General Council you will work closely with the team leverage legal, policy, and other levers to help move these strategies towards implementation and institutionalize within government.

RESPONSIBILITIES
- Oversee the legal operations of a new Office, establishing practices and protocols.
- Respond to routine legal requests, working closely with the Law Department and Mayor’s Council on a regular basis.
- Navigate a new agency through potentially uncharted legal landscape to meet the high expectations of the racial justice amendments to the city charter.
- Provide legal guidance to the MOERJ policy team in responding to legislation, preparing testimony, public comments, and other related materials.
- Works across MOERJ’s offices to ensure compliance with all statutory requirements.
- Work collaboratively across the team to provide legal review and legal guidance on major work product of Office.
- Provide legal and strategic guidance to help the office institutionalize equity through structural government reform.
- Represent the Office in meetings with City leadership, agency partners, external partners, and other forums as required.

About You
- A mi