City Attorney Jobs in New York
City Attorney jobs in New York represent one of the most active municipal legal markets in the country, with demand at every level from newly admitted associates through senior counsel and department heads, concentrated in municipal government, public authorities, and large intergovernmental agencies. The heaviest hiring is in New York City, Albany, and Buffalo, where employers such as the New York City Law Department, the New York State Office of the Attorney General, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority maintain substantial legal workforces. The most sought-after specialties include land use and zoning, civil rights litigation, and labor and employment law. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 11+ City Attorney jobs
ORGANIZATION PROFILE: Pursuant to Article 18B of the County Law, the Assigned Counsel Plan (ACP), in consultation with the Presiding Justices of the Appellate Divisions in the First and Second Departments has been providing quality legal services to indigent persons since 1966. All services provided by the Office of the Assigned Counsel Plan are funded by the City of New York through the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. The ACP provides compensation to private attorneys for representing indigent clients charged with criminal offenses. Attorneys are assigned matters by the Court and the Administrator’s Office when a conflict exists prohibiting the institutional providers from providing representation. The Supervisory Attorney for Training, Assigned Counsel Plan will create, implement and manage a training, mentoring and continuing legal education (CLE) program for 18-B Panel attorneys on criminal law, evidence, criminal procedure, immigration and a variety of other areas that impact the representation of indigent persons charged with crimes. Under the direction of the Assigned Counsel Plan Administrators and working in partnership with the 1st and 2nd Appellate Divisions of New York State and the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, the Training Director will develop and implement innovative solutions to establish and maintain a comprehensive training program.
THE DESIRED CANDIDATE WILL
- Initiate outreach to 18-B Panel attorneys, the courts, bar associations and other organizations to assess training needs and to ensure that the Assigned Counsel Plan is conducting training and continuing legal education designed to prepare 18-B panel attorneys for representing indigent persons charged with crimes.
- Identify and engage presenters who have expertise in a variety of categories and working with those presenters to make classes useful and educational for 18-B panel attorneys.
- Develop training and CLE classes in a variety of formats, such as live training and webinars.
- Arrange for the recording of live programs and webinars and posting previously recorded sessions online.
- Create new and update existing materials for trainings.
- Implement pre and post-training assessments and use data from those assessments to guide future programming.
- Track registration and attendance by 18-B Panel attorneys at training and CLE programs and coordinate with the Office of Continuing Legal Education to meet state requirements.
- Inform 18-B Panel attorneys of training and CLE opportunities offered by bar associations, law schools, the courts and defender advocacy groups.
The types of trainings to be managed and directed by this position include, but are not limited to:
- Instruction in substantive areas of the law
- Skills Training
- Updates on new legislation
MINIMUM 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.
PREFERRED SKILLS
- Supervisory and management experience preferred.
- Extensive legal experience combined with being an effective self-starter, possessing both the capacity for independence and the ability to work cooperatively to advance the goals of the ACP.
- Proven ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a wide range of entities from government agencies, other prosecutorial and regulatory bodies, and community organizations.
- Effective and creative leadership ability with the capacity to work both independently and cooperatively to implement key strategies, evaluate new policies and analyze new legislation.
PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS
As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT
New York City Residency is not required for this position.
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.
SALARY RANGE
$72,038.00 – $175,000.00
ORGANIZATION PROFILE: Pursuant to Article 18B of the County Law, the Assigned Counsel Plan (ACP), in consultation with the Presiding Justices of the Appellate Divisions in the First and Second Departments has been providing quality legal services to indigent persons since 1966. All services provided by the Office of the Assigned Counsel Plan are funded by the City of New York through the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. The ACP provides compensation to private attorneys for representing indigent clients charged with criminal offenses. Attorneys are assigned matters by the Court and the Administrator’s Office when a conflict exists prohibiting the institutional providers from providing representation. The Supervisory Attorney for Training, Assigned Counsel Plan will create, implement and manage a training, mentoring and continuing legal education (CLE) program for 18-B Panel attorneys on criminal law, evidence, criminal procedure, immigration and a variety of other areas that impact the representation of indigent persons charged with crimes. Under the direction of the Assigned Counsel Plan Administrators and working in partnership with the 1st and 2nd Appellate Divisions of New York State and the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, the Training Director will develop and implement innovative solutions to establish and maintain a comprehensive training program.
THE DESIRED CANDIDATE WILL
- Initiate outreach to 18-B Panel attorneys, the courts, bar associations and other organizations to assess training needs and to ensure that the Assigned Counsel Plan is conducting training and continuing legal education designed to prepare 18-B panel attorneys for representing indigent persons charged with crimes.
- Identify and engage presenters who have expertise in a variety of categories and working with those presenters to make classes useful and educational for 18-B panel attorneys.
- Develop training and CLE classes in a variety of formats, such as live training and webinars.
- Arrange for the recording of live programs and webinars and posting previously recorded sessions online.
- Create new and update existing materials for trainings.
- Implement pre and post-training assessments and use data from those assessments to guide future programming.
- Track registration and attendance by 18-B Panel attorneys at training and CLE programs and coordinate with the Office of Continuing Legal Education to meet state requirements.
- Inform 18-B Panel attorneys of training and CLE opportunities offered by bar associations, law schools, the courts and defender advocacy groups.
The types of trainings to be managed and directed by this position include, but are not limited to:
- Instruction in substantive areas of the law
- Skills Training
- Updates on new legislation
MINIMUM 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.
PREFERRED SKILLS
- Supervisory and management experience preferred.
- Extensive legal experience combined with being an effective self-starter, possessing both the capacity for independence and the ability to work cooperatively to advance the goals of the ACP.
- Proven ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a wide range of entities from government agencies, other prosecutorial and regulatory bodies, and community organizations.
- Effective and creative leadership ability with the capacity to work both independently and cooperatively to implement key strategies, evaluate new policies and analyze new legislation.
PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS
As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT
New York City Residency is not required for this position.
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.
SALARY RANGE
$72,038.00 – $175,000.00
See All 11 City Attorney Jobs in New York
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Find City Attorney JobsCity Attorney Jobs by City in New York
Where New York roles are concentrated, by current openings.
City Attorney Job Market in New York
A snapshot from current New York openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- City of New York8
- New York City Department of Education2
- City University of New York1
Top Industries Hiring
- Government & Public Sector8
- Law & Legal Services8
- Education3
What New York Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in city attorney jobs across New York.
- Active admission to the New York State Bar in good standing required
- Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school required
- Experience in municipal law, government litigation, or public sector legal work preferred
- Strong legal research and writing skills demonstrated through prior work or clerkship
- Familiarity with New York General Municipal Law and state administrative procedures
- Ability to manage multiple matters and meet deadlines in a high-volume legal environment
City Attorney Jobs in New York: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a city attorney in New York?
To become a city attorney in New York, you must earn a Juris Doctor from an accredited law school and pass the New York State Bar Examination, which is administered by the New York State Board of Law Examiners. After passing, you register as an attorney through the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court in the department where you reside or work. Most municipal employers then seek candidates who have completed a clerkship, a government fellowship, or prior experience in public-sector legal work.
How much do city attorneys make in New York?
City attorneys in New York earn a median of about $207,860 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $85,200 for the lowest 10% to over $391,420 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire city attorneys in New York?
Employers hiring city attorneys in New York right now include City of New York, New York City Department of Education, and City University of New York, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. New York's depth of municipal and public-authority employers, from borough governments to regional transit and utility agencies, means city attorney openings surface across the state throughout the year.
Which New York cities have the most city attorney jobs?
Manhattan, New York, and Brooklyn consistently post the most city attorney openings in New York. New York City drives the largest share of demand through its sprawling municipal agencies and public authorities, while Albany concentrates state government and regulatory legal work, and Buffalo's growth in public infrastructure and regional government has expanded its municipal legal hiring in recent years.
Are there remote city attorney jobs in New York?
Yes, but they're rare. About 27% of city attorney openings tied to New York are remote or hybrid as of June 2026, reflecting the fact that municipal legal work frequently requires court appearances, in-person council meetings, and on-site collaboration with agency staff. The parts of the role most compatible with remote or hybrid arrangements are legal research, document drafting, and advisory work that does not require a physical presence.
How can I get hired as a city attorney in New York with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is securing a position as an assistant city attorney or staff attorney with a municipal law department through a new-graduate posting or a public-sector fellowship. The New York City Law Department runs a well-established honors fellowship program for recent law graduates, and the New York State Office of the Attorney General offers associate attorney roles that accept candidates without prior practice experience. Passing the New York Bar and completing a judicial clerkship or a public-interest clinic adds a meaningful edge for candidates without paid legal experience.
Where can I find and apply to city attorney jobs in New York?
You can find and apply to city attorney jobs in New York on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from municipal employers and public agencies across the state. Find the roles that fit your background and apply directly to the ones that match.
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