Legal Assistant or Trainee; NY HELPS - Consumer Frauds

NY HELPS

NY HELPS is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program. For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a non‑competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply.

At a future date (within one year of permanent appointment), employees hired under NY HELPS are expected to have their non‑competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. They will then be afforded all the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.

Legal Assistant 1 (CSEA, SG‑14, current starting salary $56,506, job rate $68,630)*:

Candidates must have:

• A minimum of two years of full‑time experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant (see “Definition” below).
• An associate degree (or higher) in Paralegal/Legal Assistant/Legal Studies or a certificate in a Paralegal/Legal Assistant program where the degree was granted from a regionally accredited college or university or one approved by the American Bar Association (ABA).
• An associate degree in any field where the degree was granted from a regionally accredited college or university or one approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) and one year of full‑time experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant (see “Definition” below).

Substitution: Graduation from an accredited (ABA approved) law school with a degree required for NYS Bar will be accepted as meeting the educational and experience requirements for this title.

Definition: A Paralegal/Legal Assistant is someone who applies knowledge of the law and legal procedures in rendering direct assistance to lawyers, clients, and courts; prepares and interprets legal documents and forms; researches, compiles, and uses information from legal materials to provide both written and verbal comments on their findings; and analyzes and handles routine procedural problems independently with minimal attorney oversight.

Non‑qualifying experience includes receptionist, records clerk, bookkeeper, and office manager.

Reachable on the Department of Civil Service eligible list for Legal Assistant 1 or Legal Assistant Trainee (see note below regarding traineeship requirements).

Eligible for a lateral transfer or eligible for transfer under Sections 70.1 of the Civil Service Law by having one year of permanent competitive service in an appropriate title. To determine if your current Civil Service title is eligible for transfer to this title, visit the Career Mobility GOT‑IT website.

Employees appointed via the NY HELPS program are restricted for promotional appointment until their position is covered into the competitive class by the New York State Civil Service Commission (CSC), or they otherwise obtain permanent competitive status. The CSC has recently covered‑in employees who were appointed via NY HELPS on a permanent or contingent permanent basis between June 26, 2024, and June 11, 2025.

Notification to employees regarding a change in their status is forthcoming. You may wish to apply if you received a permanent NY HELPS appointment to a qualifying title within these time frames and are interested in this opportunity. Your eligibility for promotion will be reviewed by Human Resources. Employees with a permanent NY HELPS appointment occurring effective June 12 2025 or later will be addressed with a subsequent cover‑in.

Trainees must successfully complete a set training and development program to be advanced to the full performance level of this title. If you are appointed as a Trainee 1 (CSEA, NS ≈ equated to SG‑11, current starting salary $47,695; job rate $58,447), upon satisfactory completion of the 12‑month training as a Trainee 1, you will automatically advance to Trainee 2 (CSEA, NS ≈ equated to SG‑13, current starting salary $53,413, job rate $65,061)*.

Upon satisfactory completion of the 12‑month training as a Trainee 2, you will advance to the full level of this title (CSEA, SG‑14) without further examination.