Job Description

The New York City Commission on Human Rights seeks to help New York City become a place where everyone can live, work, and thrive free from discrimination. The Commission enforces the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL), develops policy initiatives, and engages in outreach and educational efforts to inform New Yorkers of their rights and promote compliance with the NYCHRL across all aspects of NYC life.

In enforcing the NYCHRL, the Commission uses investigations, litigation, and other tools to address allegations of discrimination, and proactively identifies patterns of discrimination through testing employers, housing providers, and providers of public accommodation.

The Commission also offers a free and voluntary mediation program that provides a neutral and empowering process for all parties to facilitate a quick, efficient, and mutually acceptable resolution of claims at various stages of the enforcement process. The Commission seeks an experienced Mediation Program Attorney, who will report to the Commission’s Director of Mediation and help ensure access to high-quality mediation services for members of the public.

Job Duties

• Conducting mediations of human rights complaints referred by the Commission’s Office of Civil Rights Enforcement (OCRE). This entails pre-mediation factual and legal analysis of complaint allegations, defenses, and party positions; legal research as needed; timely communications with parties and/or their attorneys to explain mediation processes, secure required participation agreements, and clarify negotiating positions; conducting joint virtual and in-person mediation sessions and shuttle negotiations between parties in mediation; and assisting parties with drafting settlement agreements for matters resolved in mediation.
• Careful, timely, and accurate mediation case management, including successful handling of competing and overlapping deadlines in a high-volume mediation docket across all case stages.
• Scheduling of and logistics management of video, telephone, and in-person meetings to process cases in mediation.
• Reporting of mediation data as needed and requested by the Director and/or the Commissioner.
• Assisting with other duties to advance the Commission’s mediation program, operations, and overall mission as directed.

EXECUTIVE AGENCY COUNSEL - 95005

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.