Description

Job Title:  University FOIL and Records Access Attorney

The City University of New York (CUNY) is seeking a public service attorney to fill a FOIL and Records Access Attorney position. The attorney will respond to requests for access to public CUNY Central Office records made under the New York State Freedom of Information Law (“FOIL”) and ensure compliance with Federal, State, local laws, and University policies and guidelines regarding the retention and disposition of records, and identification and preservation of records of historic importance. Working in coordination with the Office of the General Counsel and the Central Office Records Access Unit, the FOIL and Records Access Attorney will also assist with administering the records access and management program of Central Office. The University FOIL and Records Access Attorney will report to the University FOIL and Records Access Officer and will work with the University General Counsel to coordinate related FOIL and records access requests. The FOIL work involves responding to FOIL requests for access to CUNY Central Office public records and assisting the University FOIL and Records Access Officer with the collection of records and substantive responses to FOIL requests for access to the entire CUNY University public records. The records management work involves assisting with the coordination of continuous legal destruction of obsolete records per the CUNY Records Retention and Disposition Schedule. This includes updating existing policies and procedures, the development of new policies and procedures regarding records retention and disposition, training and advising employees on existing or new policies and procedures, conducting surveys and analyses of all records collection matters, performing ongoing checks of non-current and archival public records kept, made, filed or received by the offices and departments of the Central Office to determine their value, use, and most suitable methods of preservation, storage and disposition. In addition to the CUNY Title Overview information, other key duties include, but will not be limited to the following: receives FOIL requests for access to CUNY Central Office public records, ascertains the existence of requested public records, and reviews records for appropriateness, responsiveness and lawful redaction; evaluates and processes requests for access to public records, recommends determinations regarding the legal eligibility for release, and assists the University FOIL and Records Access Officer grant access or issues written denials of requests with the legal justification for withholding or denying records; corresponds with requestors about the status and progress of their FOIL requests and provides written acknowledgments with a time estimate for production or access; maintains the privacy and security of sensitive institutional information and assists the University FOIL and Records Access Officer to withhold certain requested records, or redacts identifying information in records, in accordance with legal data protections and privacy laws; prepares legal analyses and reports on FOIL and records retention activities; provides legal administrative support to the University FOIL and Records Access Officer, attorneys working on FOIL issues, and OGC attorneys on legal matters; assists attorneys and employees working on FOIL requests with access to the FOIL portal, GovQA, and with GovQA training materials; must be able to travel to various Central Office satellite locations and college campuses across the five boroughs of New York City; performs related duties as assigned. To qualify, applicants should possess the following criteria: a Juris Doctorate (JD) Degree from an ABA-accredited law school and three (3) years of FOIL experience or comparable experience required, and current New York State Bar membership in good standing required, or admission in another jurisdiction with eligibility for admission to the NYS bar through reciprocity. Compensation: $95,879 - $102,485. Posting closing date is October 20, 2025.

Click here to see the full job posting, qualifications, and apply with a cover letter and resume to Job ID # 29885