OFFICE OF THE NASSAU COUNTY ATTORNEY 

John Ciampoli County Attorney

The Office of the Nassau County Attorney is located in Mineola, New York, across the street from the Nassau County Bar Association and a short walk to the state courts.  Approximately 110 Deputy County Attorneys represent the County Executive, the County Legislature and all County agencies in a wide range of primarily civil matters.  The only criminal matters handled by the County Attorney’s Office are juvenile prosecutions.  (Other criminal prosecutions are handled by the District Attorney’s Office).

The Office provides legal counsel and representation in such diverse areas as medical malpractice, tort, environmental, social services, employment law, juvenile criminal prosecutions, contract negotiations, real estate matters, insurance, property tax and municipal finance. The legal staff is comprised of federal and state trial, appellate, and transactional practitioners and attorneys whose primary responsibility is to advise the executive and legislative branches concerning municipal policy and law.  Support staff includes paralegals and professional investigators.

Deputy County Attorneys are assigned to one of twelve bureaus or assigned to serve as in-house counsel for various County departments and agencies, including Consumer Affairs, Recreation, Parks and Museums, Planning, Police, Sheriff and Corrections, Social Services, Assessment Review Commission, and County Assessor.  The Bureau Chiefs meet on a regular basis to ensure that Deputy County Attorneys are offered an experience that will support the goals of training, mentoring and retaining talented attorneys.  In addition, this active interchange allows the bureaus to work cooperatively on litigation and policy. 

The Office encourages the professional development of all attorneys and offers an outstanding in-house Continuing Legal Education (CLE) program that provides an average of twelve CLE credits per year through courses specifically geared toward municipal practice.  Lecturers and presenters include our own attorneys as well as private practitioners and public sector attorneys with particular expertise in substantive areas.

We are proud to announce that the Office of the Nassau County Attorney has been certified by the New York State Continuing Legal Education Board as an Accredited Provider of continuing legal education in the State of New York (January 1, 2009 - March 1, 2012). Please click on the link below to access an outline from a recent continuing legal education program provided by our office, in which Attorney Steven Leventhal, Counsel to the Nassau County Board of Ethics, addressed the ethical obligations of municial attorneys and officials.

Click Here for the Continuing Legal Education Program

Our attorneys are active participants and leaders in the New York State Bar Association and the Nassau County Bar Association where they lecture frequently in their areas of expertise and contribute articles to the bar association publications.

ORGANIZATION OF THE OFFICE

• The Appeals Bureau both brings appeals and defends appeals taken from state and federal court orders, as well as from administrative tribunals.  In addition, the Bureau intervenes in litigation with significant municipal implications.
  
  
• The Affirmative Litigation Bureau brings actions on behalf of the County to enforce County laws, recover monies from individuals, companies, and other government entities, and to effectuate policy, and redress civil rights and other violations.  Recent actions include the recovery of employee overpayments, collections, breach of contract and encroachment.
  
  
• The Family Court Bureau has three major areas of responsibility:  (1) Representing the Department of Social Services in child abuse and neglect actions against parents and caregivers. The attorneys are directly involved in the investigation of allegations, as they prepare cases for settlement conferences and trial. (2) Enforcing child support orders on behalf of out-of-state custodial parents and their children and on behalf of the Department of Social Services to recoup public assistance.(3) Investigating and prosecuting juveniles who have been arrested for crimes. In all areas, the Bureau handles complicated litigation that includes motions and trial practice.

Some attorneys work in multidisciplinary teams, participate in Family Treatment Court and a new Juvenile Treatment Court, and have opportunities to collaborate in community outreach and education projects.  The Bureau participates in strategies for effective treatment of offenders, and where appropriate, works toward the creative resolution of proceedings to preserve the family unit.

• The General Litigation Bureau handles federal litigation, including civil rights and employment discrimination cases, state court commercial and environmental matters, as well as state litigation including responding to Article 78 petitions, and assists the Department of Mental Health in bringing actions under Kendra’s Law.

The Bureau actively practices in all courts, aggressively defending the County through complicated motion practice, depositions, all phases of discovery and at trial.  Bureau motion practice is multi-faceted, including protective orders, privilege, and particular municipal issues such as Monell findings.  Experienced trial counsel represents the County in court at pre-trial conferences and at trial, from jury selection through verdict.  Newly admitted attorneys are actively engaged in motion practice and discovery.

• The Labor Bureau defends the County against employment and labor law claims as well as discrimination claims before federal, state and local human rights tribunals.  The Bureau also works closely with the Office of Labor Relations in defending the County against employment mployee grievances and union arbitrations.  Examples of complex municipal issues addressed by this Bureau include the interpretation of the County’s Military Leave police, Family Medical Leave Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, and employee safety and protection.
  
  
• The Legal Counsel Bureau drafts and comments on state and local legislation, and advises on implementation of state and local laws and initiatives. The Bureau also provides legal opinions to the Executive staff and every department of the County on such matters as compliance with the County’s Code of Ethics, the Freedom of Information Law, and procurement requirements, as well as on privacy issues (HIPAA and confidentiality), employment matters, and first amendment issues.
  
  
• The Municipal Finance Bureau handles all finance matters for the County, including the issuance of debt by the County or related entities such as the Nassau County Sewer and Storm Water Finance Authority.
  
  
• The Municipal Transactions Bureau represents the County on a broad range of contractual matters, including real estate, procurement of goods and services, concessions, and inter-municipal agreements.  The Bureau is instrumental in key County initiatives. In 2007, Bureau represented the County in its implementation of the Environmental Bond Act Program, which is targeted towardthe acquisition of open space.  The Bureau drafted inter-municipal agreements with different municipalities for various park improvement, sewer/storm water improvement and brownfield remediation projects, in addition to reviewing title, preparing documents and closing several of the transactions.  The Bureau also represented the County on its sale of 29 acres of land in Bethpage, including the former Grumman Building 5, for a purchase price of $19,500,000. Another significant Bureau project in 2007 was an inter-municipal transaction involving the transfer to the Town of North Hempstead of approximately 280 acres of parkland and other property, and 26 miles of roads, all as part of the County’s efforts to consolidate government services to save money.
  
  
• The Tax Certiorari and Condemnation Bureau handles real property tax review cases known as Article 7 proceedings for commercial and residential properties representing the County in Supreme Court on a regular basis. In addition to Article 7 proceedings, our Bureau also defends and litigates issues regarding tax exemption issues, restoration of taxes and corrections of errors. The Bureau also handles all condemnation proceedings and acquisitions of property on behalf of the County of Nassau.
  
  
• The Torts Bureau represents the County in personal injury cases from routine slip-and-fall matters to complex road design cases.  The Bureau aggressively defends the County against claims of municipal liability.  Relying upon traditional municipal defenses such as the lack of prior notice, assumption of risk, and emergency response, the Torts Bureau has an active motion practice as well as an excellent track record at trial.  In addition, the Torts Bureau pursues the County’s rights to defense and indemnification, where applicable.
  
  
• The Vehicle Forfeiture Unit brings forfeiture actions on behalf of the County with respect to vehicles operated by individuals charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated/impaired by drugs and/or alcohol.
  
  
• The Bureau of Claims Management is staffed with a Bureau Chief and paraprofessionals, who focus on the early settlement of claims and risk management.

RECRUITMENT

The County Attorney’s Office successfully recruits top law school students from a range of schools and is proud of its internship/externship programs that are a key component of its recruitment process.  Third year law students are interviewed during the fall on-campus recruiting season, and offers for post-graduate positions, in the title of “Law Assistant”, are generally extended in December and January, with employment beginning in September, immediately following the bar examination.  Students graduating mid-year may be brought on even earlier.  Under close supervision, and with the guidance of a mentor, Law Assistants assigned to one of our litigating bureaus quickly gain responsibility for conducting 50-h hearings and depositions, drafting motion papers, attending preliminary conferences and arguing pre-trial motions.  Law Assistants assigned to non-litigating bureaus draft contracts, research and draft legislation and policy statements, work on real estate transactions, and participate in economic development transactions.  Upon admission to the New York State bar, Law Assistants are promoted to Deputy County Attorneys and given a salary upgrade. 

The County Attorney’s Office also recruits and accepts applications from attorneys with experience in one of our practice areas. In addition to a record of professional success, we are interested in candidates who demonstrate strong academic performance in law school and have first-rate written and oral communication skills. Attorneys must be admitted to practice law in New York State or be eligible for admission without examination at the time they are hired. 

Since the Office expends extensive resources training the attorneys who join our staff as recent law school graduates as well as experienced attorneys, the Office requires a three-year commitment of all but the most experienced attorneys.

Law students interning at the Office of the Nassau County Attorney. Summer 2010 (click image for a larger view)

INTERNSHIP AND EXTERNSHIP PROGRAMS

Each summer, and throughout the school year, the Office offers unpaid internship and externship opportunities to law students.  In the summer program, 10-15 interns are assigned to specific bureaus, where they will acquire practical hands-on experience.  Depending on the bureau, their assignments might be: reviewing and drafting contracts, participating in transactional negotiating sessions, researching legal issues, drafting memoranda, helping to prepare witnesses for depositions and trials, participating in court conferences, document discovery and any other legal task that is routinely performed by first and second year associates.  Participation in these programs can sometimes be a path to permanent employment--current staff includes several former interns and externs.

APPLYING FOR A POSITION

Applications for all candidates should include a cover letter, resume, law school transcript (for candidates less than five years out of law school) and a short writing sample. Experienced attorneys should specify the bureau to which they are applying.

Materials should be sent via email to the Office of the Nassau County Attorney to the attention of:

Donna Cavazzini, Paralegal
Office of the Nassau County Attorney
dcavazzini@nassaucountyny.gov

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY--The County Attorney’s Office does not discriminate in employment on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, national origin, age, handicap, disability, sexual orientation, marital, parental or veteran status.  Recruitment of a diverse staff is a priority in all hiring.