Legal Affairs
Social Work Director, Assigned Counsel Plan
$98,159 to $105,000 a year
Posted until October 10, 2026 · posted August 11, 2026
Requirements
Other requirements
Exam
Non-competitive title
A job title where a competitive exam is not practical, so the agency checks that your qualifications meet the standard instead. You apply directly. On our job pages this shows as "No exam for this title".
From ≈ $47.19 an hour · $3,775 every 2 weeks, before taxes (40-hour weeks).
NYC minimum wage is $17/hr. This beats it by $30.19/hr, with health insurance and a pension on top.
What you'd have made
$3,762 If you'd started this job 2 weeks ago, at this pay, before taxes.
An hour of this job pays for about 15.7 subway rides ($3 fare).
Price anything in hours of this job
Overtime added $562 on average that year, and it isn't guaranteed. Base salary of active employees paid a yearly rate, fiscal year 2025 (July 2024 to June 2025). Source: NYC's payroll data
Check yourself
What they actually ask for.
Other requirements: read them on the posting
1. For Assignment Level I (only physical, biological and environmental sciences and public health) A master's degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.
Read the rest of the requirements
To be appointed to Assignment Level II and above, candidates must have:
- A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or
- A master's degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or
- Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in "2" above. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required in "1" and "2" above.
NOTE:
Probationary Period
Appointments to this position are subject to a minimum probationary period of one year.
Quoted word for word from the official posting. The label above is ours, read from this text; if they disagree, this text wins.
The work
What the job is.
ABOUT THE OFFICE: THE OFFICE OF THE ASSIGNED COUNSEL PLAN: Pursuant to Article 18B of the County Law, the Assigned Counsel Plan (ACP) has been providing quality legal services to indigent persons since 1966.
Read the rest, from the posting
These services are funded by the City of New York through the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice and provided with oversight of the 1st and 2nd Appellate Division Departments. 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 MAYOR’S OFFICE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE: The Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) advises the Mayor and First Deputy Mayor on criminal justice policy and is the Mayor’s representative to the courts, district attorneys, defenders, and state criminal justice agencies, among others.
The office designs, deploys, and evaluates citywide strategies to drive down crime, reduce unnecessary arrests and incarceration, and improve the system’s fairness.
MOCJ works with law enforcement and city agencies, non-profits, foundations, and others to implement data-driven strategies that address current crime conditions, prevent offending, and build the strong neighborhoods that ensure enduring safety.
ABOUT THE ROLE: The Social Work Director will provide support to 18-B attorneys advocating for clients facing misdemeanor and felony charges in the Criminal and Supreme Courts of New York City.
The Social Work Director will support best practices and will be responsible for ensuring oversight, support, and professional development for social workers and psychological forensic experts. The Social Work Director responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Oversee the development and work product of social workers and forensic experts.
- Work closely with 18-B attorneys to guide them in their efforts to communicate with clients and identify appropriate resources for clients.
- Direct attorneys to effectively utilize forensic and mitigation experts.
- Help attorneys and social workers identify state and non-profit programs, social workers, and other experts who can assist in client representation.
- Assist in the recruitment of experts.
- Coordinate with the Supervising Attorneys for Training to develop trainings for panel attorneys and social workers.
- Collaborate with other ACP Supervising Attorneys to identify and respond to practice gaps and/or deficiencies.
- Respond to client, community, and staff concerns.
- Other duties as assigned.
TO APPLY, PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR RESUME, COVER LETTER, AND REFERENCES.
Skills they'd like
- Master of Social Work
- Experience with indigent clients charged with crimes.
- Experience navigating federal and state benefits, including but not limited to healthcare, housing, and ACT teams.
- Ability to work comfortably with people at different levels within and outside ACP.
Before you apply
The fine print.
Where you have to live
Live in NYC within 90 days (usually)
New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.
How to apply, from the posting
To apply, please submit your resume, cover letter, and references.
Sources
Straight from the city.
Updated every day from the city's job data (last city update September 21, 2026). You apply through the official posting.
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