Job Description

Legal Specialist - Paralegal

POSITION DETAILS

The CUNY School of Medicine (SoM) located in the heart of Harlem, New York, is the only medical school in the City University of New York system and the only public medical school in Manhattan. Building upon 50 years of success as the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, the institution transitioned to the CUNY School of Medicine in 2016. The CUNY SoM offers an accelerated BS/MD degree (7-year program) and a Physician Assistant Master?s Degree (27 months program). True to its legacy of access, opportunity, and community transformation, the medical school?s mission remains to recruit highly talented students as diverse as New York City itself. CUNY SoM places a special emphasis on the recruitment of those who are underrepresented in the field of medicine and on training high quality, culturally competent health professionals and scientists equipped to address the healthcare needs of New York?s medically under-served communities. As a major priority, CUNY SoM also seeks to enhance the recruitment and retention of senior leadership, faculty, and staff to more closely reflect the diversity of our student body.

The SoM is currently seeking a Legal Specialist. The successful candidate will provide administrative and legal research support to the Executive General Counsel and Associate Legal Counsel on a wide range of employment law, contractual, policy, compliance, and other labor relations matters. This role will involve assisting in managing legal matters Involving the college and its affiliated entities, ensuring all duties align with the guidance provided by the Executive General Counsel.

Reporting to the Executive General Counsel & Labor Designee, the Legal Specialist?s duties include but are not limited to the following responsibilities:

• Assists in processing and tracking various legal matters, ensuring compliance with statutory deadlines and providing regular updates to the Executive General Counsel and Associate Legal Counsel. Draft summaries of interviews and prepare documentation related to intakes or reports filed with the office. Ensures all relevant information is accurately recorded and promptly communicated to the Executive General Counsel and Associate Legal Counsel.
• Assists the Executive General Counsel in responding to Freedom of Information Law ("FOIL") requests by analyzing, compiling, and organizing responsive records, ensuring accuracy and compliance with legal requirements. Ensure that FOIL responses are appropriately identified, redacted, disclosed in a timely manner, and do not violate any applicable statutes, confidentiality laws or restrictions; Save responsive records in an online accessible filing system for internal review and external production within the appropriate deadlines for FOIL.
• Assists in preparing arbitrations, litigation, hearings, and other proceedings; Conducts legal research and drafts opinions, reports, and summaries, utilizing such tools as Lexis Nexis Uni, Westlaw, and the internet. Research findings and drafts will be reviewed by the Executive General Counsel or Associate Legal Counsel.
• Maintain the security of highly confidential information per College and University policies and ensure that information is securely handled. Assists with processing contracts, affiliation agreements, litigation records and subpoena files, employee and student disciplinary actions, human rights complaints, and other matters.
• Compile and analyze legal data pertinent to cases; prepare summaries and assist Legal Counsel in the development, refinement, and daily operations of file management systems; Organize and maintain case or matter files and related documentation.
• Research, gather, and compile case data; study provisions and nuances of contracts, collective bargaining agreements, CUNY policies, and laws or regulations; Provide outreach on behalf of the Office of Legal Counsel to faculty staff and students; Conduct initial intake screening of matters related to discrimination, harassment, and sex-based misconduct.
• Manage schedule and calendar for the Executive General Counsel; Prepare monthly/quarterly/annual statistical and narrative reports and provide support with training, investigations, and legal programming.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Executive General Counsel & Labor Designee or designee.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor's Degree and four years' related experience required.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• J.D. and five years? of experience in a law firm or in-house legal department as an officially designated paralegal.
• Experience in conducting investigations
• Knowledge of trauma-informed best practices
• Must have demonstrated ability with a high level of effectiveness in the following:
• Writing, accuracy, and attention to detail
• Interpersonal communication and collaboration
• Personal organization and work habits
• Technology, including legal software (Westlaw, Lexis, Workshare Compare, Clearwell) and administrative tools (Zoom, MS Teams, Microsoft 365).
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously for different stakeholders and meet project deadlines.
• Ability to work well both independently and collaboratively in a diverse and rapid-paced academic medical environment. Strong understanding of the culture of academic medicine and the ability to address faculty concerns.
• Experience working with underrepresented, low-income, and marginalized students working in health-related or STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) fields or other health professional pipeline programs is highly desirable.
• Experience with quality curriculum development and assessment principles as they relate to health care disparities to improve the quality of care and health professional decision-making.
• Advanced understanding of the importance of diversity in academic medicine and the impact of educational and healthcare disparities on medicine.

CUNY TITLE OVERVIEW

Supports a College or University unit by providing research and managing documents for legal matters of various kinds.

• Supports a College or University unit in research and managing documents for legal matters of various kinds
• Performs research and writing activities; prepare opinions, reports and drafts of research activities
• Develops and drafts legal documents, filings, charges, grievance and disciplinary decisions, and similar items
• Assists in preparing for litigation or hearings; compiles and analyzes legal data pertinent to cases; prepares summaries
• Researches, gathers, and compiles case data; studies provisions and nuances of contract, collective bargaining agreements, CUNY policies, and laws or regulations and fulfills requests for information
• Files and indexes case studies, actions, contracts, decisions, and other legal documents
• May perform paralegal duties in a specialized unit, such as labor relations, contracts, or student immigration support
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Job Title Name: Legal Specialist - Paralegal

CUNY TITLE

Higher Education Assistant

FLSA

Non-exempt

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Salary Range: $82,928 - $99,532

Salary commensurate with education and experience.

CUNY's benefits contribute significantly to total compensation, supporting health and wellness, financial well-being, and professional development. We offer a range of health plans, competitive retirement/pension benefits and savings plans, tuition waivers for CUNY graduate study and generous paid time off. Our staff also benefits from the extensive academic, arts, and athletic programs on our campuses and the opportunity to participate in a lively, diverse academic community in one of the greatest cities in the world.

HOW TO APPLY

Visit access the employment page, log in or create a new user account, and search for this vacancy using the Job ID or Title. Select "Apply Now" and provide the requested information.

Candidates should provide a resume and cover letter.

CLOSING DATE

Open until filled. Review of resumes to begin on March 6, 2025.

JOB SEARCH CATEGORY

CUNY Job Posting: Managerial/Professional

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

CUNY encourages people with disabilities, minorities, veterans and women to apply. At CUNY, Italian Americans are also included among our protected groups. Applicants and employees will not be discriminated against on the basis of any legally protected category, including sexual orientation or gender identity. EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer.

Job ID

Location

CUNY School of Medicine

About CUNY School of Medicine

There is a continuing shortage of primary care physicians in this country, creating an urgent need for more family practitioners, general internists, pediatricians and obstetricians/gynecologists in many communities. The shortage of African-American, Hispanic, Native Americans and other underrepresented medical professionals in inner-city areas is particularly acute. Thus, recruiting and training a diverse workforce that represents the diversity of the patients being served in such communities is of utmost importance and ensures health equity across the continuum of care. Over forty years ago, CUNY and City College decided to make a difference by developing the most unique physician and physician assistant training programs in the nation – The Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education. Since its founding in 1973, The Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, now known as the CUNY School of Medicine/Sophie Davis Biomedical Education Program continues its original mission to recruit underrepresented populations into medicine, increased medical services in underserved areas, and increased the availability of primary care physicians and physician assistants that reflect the divers ... ity of our surrounding communities. This mission is currently served with an 85% enrollment rate of students from backgrounds that are Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM; e.g., African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American), greatly exceeding the current U.S. medical school average of 43%. The CUNY School of Medicine encompasses an innovative accelerated BS/MD program that combines a Bachelor of Science degree and an M.D. degree in seven years and a 28-month Physician Assistant Program that leads to a Masters degree in P.A. Studies and eligibility to take the physician assistant national certification examination (PANCE).

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