Located in the Hudson Valley region of New York, Ulster County is a short drive to both New York City and Albany. It is geographically the size of Rhode Island with approximately 188,000 residents. The county seat is Kingston, which was the first capitol of New York. Ulster County is also the home of Woodstock, NY which has a vibrant art and music community. Locals enjoy the many breweries and cider houses as well the many hiking trails and other outdoor activities such as farmer’s markets and craft fairs.

The County currently employs approximately 1300 full time employees, and has a 2019 budget of approximately $330 million dollars.

Under the general direction of the County Executive, the incumbent of this class oversees management and operations of the County Attorney’s Office of Ulster County. This position acts as advisor to the County Executive and serves as legal counsel to all County Officers, boards, departments and agencies.  Incumbent will prosecute and defend the County in civil legal actions and administrative proceedings, prepare and review legal documents, draft and review legislation and legal opinions, negotiate and draft County contracts, leases and other legal documents and advise County officials on legal matters pertaining to operations, policies and other aspects of County business. Supervision is exercised over professional and clerical employees.  Examples of responsibility include:

·  Formulates and reviews policies of the Department of Law and insures implementation by appropriate staff, providing professional guidance on legal strategies, case assignments, and pursuit of appeals;

·  Advises the County Executive, County Board of Legislators and County Officers on legal aspects of major issues and policies of Ulster County, both personally and through the Law Department staff attorneys;

·  Consults with County Officers and other County officials on the legal consequences of their acts and policies, and advises of their authority under Federal, State and local law;

·  Prosecutes and defends civil legal actions and proceedings brought by or against the County, including the Board of Legislators, and other County officials or employees acting within the scope of their employment, or assigns staff to handle litigation and appeals;

·  Participates in meetings and conferences as representative of the County and represents County interests, when appropriate;

·  Oversees the review and analysis of federal and state legislation to assess its impact on Ulster County and confers with officials to secure legislation favorable to the interests of the County or to avert unfavorable legislative action;

·  Negotiates, and reviews legal documents making amendments where necessary, to protect the interests of the County;

·  Advises legal staff and reviews proposed resolutions, acts and local legislation, and related documents, to assure compliance with the law and to protect best interests of the County;

·  Keeps abreast of developments in the field of civil law, with an emphasis on municipal law;

·  Directs the preparation of the annual budget of the department;

·  Confers with opposing counsel in complex legal issues;

·  Forecasts department staffing needs and requirements and initiates action to fulfill these goals.

Comprehensive knowledge of federal, state  and  municipal  laws,  particularly  litigation,  municipal  and contract laws governing the State of New York; thorough knowledge of the functions and programs of County government; ability to prepare for court proceedings and to conduct comprehensive court actions on behalf of the County; skill in establishing and maintaining effective professional relationships; strong interpersonal and managerial skills; ability to analyze legal issues and identify significant cases that may affect County government; ability to manage and direct the work of a legal staff; sound professional judgment; initiative; resourcefulness; dependability; physical condition commensurate with the requirements of the position.

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:  A Law Degree* and a minimum of ten (10) years’ experience in the practice of law.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT: Admission to the Bar of the State of New York at least ten years prior to appointment as County Attorney.

IF COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IS INDICATED; TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED AND SHOULD BE ATTACHED TO ALL APPLICATIONS RECEIVED.  A CANDIDATE LACKING THE REQUIRED TRANSCRIPTS WILL RECEIVE A CONDITIONAL APPROVAL PENDING THE RECEIPT OF TRANSCRIPTS. 

Special Requirement for appointment to Ulster County positions: In accordance with Ulster County Legislative Local Law Number 14 of 2007 or by other State and Federal Statutes, candidates for employment to all Ulster County positions must obtain clearance for appointment from the Department of Criminal Justice System or other mandated Federal and State regulatory authority based upon fingerprinting and a criminal history background check. 

ULSTER COUNTY IS AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER AND ALL CIVIL SERVICE LAW, RULES AND REGULATIONS APPLY 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, gender, creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, marital status, veteran status, disabled veteran status, or status as a member of any other protected group or activity.