Albany Law School

Government & Public Service, Environmental, Health Law, Science & Technology

• Adjunct Clinical Professors: James Walsh and Troy Oechsner

The Government and Public Service Placements allow students to gain experience in public service in a variety of settings, including state government, federal government, local government and not-for-profit organizations. Included are legislative placements that allow students to help develop policy and law, government agency placements that allow students to work in a variety of regulatory and statutory fields, local government placements that allow students to experience the inner-workings of government at the local level, and not-for-profit agency placements that allow students to become involved with various areas of law and policy in a public, but non-governmental, setting. Each placement offers particular, specific and unique opportunities to obtain hands-on experience and to network with government and non-government attorneys. Students are required to participate in the weekly classroom session of the Government and Public Service class.

There are two government law classes offered. One class incorporates issues from environmental and energy law as part of government law practice. The other class incorporates issues and examples from health law. Students in environmental and health law placements are asked to select the class section accordingly. Students in all other government, public service, or science and technology placements may select either class.

Government Agencies, Legislature, County and Local Government, Public Service

County & Local Government

• City of Albany Corporation Counsel - Additional Information 
  Additional application requirements: writing sample is helpful, preference given to students willing to commit to two semesters.
  
• City of Watervliet Corporation Counsel - Additional Information 
• Town of Colonie Attorney's Office - Additional Information

NYS State Government - Executive

• Governor's Counsel, Executive Chamber - Additional Information ( Governor's posting)
  
• Governor's Executive Chamber, Office of Deputy Secretary for Labor Relations - Additional Information
  
• NYS Executive Chamber, Office of Deputy Secretary for General Services and Technology 

NYS State Government - Legislative

• NYS Assembly Majority Counsel's Office (Spring registration only)
  
• NYS Assembly Minority Counsel's Office (Spring registration only)
  

• NYS Senate Majority Counsel's Office - Senate Policy Group (Spring registration only) - Additional Information
  Additional application requirements: writing sample
  

• NYS Senate Minority Counsel's Office (Spring registration only) 
  

NYS State Government - Agencies

• NYS Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Fraud and Protection
  
• NYS Attorney General, Litigation Bureau  
  Additional application requirements: transcript, writing sample, and references.
  
• NYS Attorney General, Real Property -  Additional Information   
  
• NYS Attorney General, Sexual Offender Management Bureau - Additional Information
  Additional application requirements: resume, writing sample, transcript, 2 references, signed statement of confidentiality
  
• NYS Board of Elections
  
• New York Commission on Public Integrity (COPI) -  Additional Information 
  
• NYS Comptroller - Additional Information
  
• NYS Consumer Protection Board - Additional Information 
  Additional application requirements: resume, (3) references, brief writing sample  
  
• NYS Department of Economic Development 

NYS Department of Financial Services

• NYS Department of Health, Division of Legal Affairs, Bureau of Administrative Hearings - Additional Information (see also Health Law Placements)
  
• NYS Department of Labor   
  
• NYS Department of Motor Vehicles 
  
• NYS Department of State - Additional Information
  
• NYS Department of State: NYS Committee on Open Government - Additional Information
  
• NYS Department of State: Utility Intervention Unit, Division of Consumer Protection - Additional Information (Also see Environmental & Energy Placements)
  
• NYS Department of Taxation and Finance  - Additional Information
  
• NYS Department of Transportation, Office of Counsel   
  
• NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services -  Additional Information(See Criminal - District Attorney/Prosecution Placements)
  
• NYS Dormitory Authority  - Additional Information
  
• NYS Education Department
  
  • Office for Diversity, Ethics & Access - Additional Information
    
  • Office of Counsel - Additional Information
    
  • Office of Innovative School Models
    Additional Application Requirements: application
    
  • Office of Labor Relations- Additional Information
    
  • Office of State Review - Additional Information
    
• NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation (government contracts)
  
• NYS Governor's Office of Employee Relations
  
• NYS Law Revision Commission 
  
• NYS Liquor Authority - Additional Information 
  
• NYS Office of General Services
  
• NYS Office of the Inspector General - Additional Information (See Gov't & Public Service Placements)
  Additional application requirements: background check and office transcripts upon offer 
  
• NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation (OPRHP)
  
• NYS Public Employment Relations Board - Additional Information
  Additional application requirements: writing sample
  
• NYS Public Service Commission (See Environmental & Energy)
  
• NYS Racing and Wagering - Additional Information
  
• NYS Thruway Authority
  

NYS State Government - Public Service

• Center for Women in Government and Civil Society, SUNY Albany - Additional Information
• Civil Service Employees Association, Inc. (CSEA) - Additional Information
  
• Council 82 - Additional Information
• Government Law Center, Albany Law School 
  
• National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) - Additonal Information
• NYS United Teachers (NYSUT) - Additional Information
  
• The Research Foundation of SUNY
  
• SUNY System Administration, University Counsel's Office - Additional Information

Environmental and Energy 
Depending on the particular placement location, students will be assigned to work with attorneys on various legal tasks which may include cases in litigation and other environmental advocacy initiatives, including legislation. Subject areas may include toxic waste litigation, prosecuting environmental crimes, air and water pollution and Article 78 practice (e.g., defending in court administrative determinations of the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Adirondack Park Agency and other state agencies).

• NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (Albany) - Office of General Counsel - Additional Information
  Additional application requirements: Writing sample (5 pages or less). All applications are reviewed and considered -- preference given to third-year students and/or students with demonstrated interest in environmental law or technical or scientific background. References and transcript may be requested.  
  
• NYS Department of Environment Conservation - Office of Hearings and Mediation Services - Additional Information
  Additional application requirements: cover letter, transcript, writing sample
  
• NYS Attorney General, Environmental Protection Bureau - Additional Information 
  Additional application requirements: resume, writing sample, transcript showing class rank (applicants must be in the top half of their class), 3 references with addresses and telephone numbers, and a completed application form.
  
• NYS Energy Research & Development Authority - Additional Information (See Science & Technology)
  Additional application requirements: writing sample
  
• NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation (government contracts)

Health Law
In the Health Law Placement, students have the opportunity to explore health law practice in a variety of settings. Placements include litigation and enforcement settings in which students may assist attorneys in civil litigation against health plans, drug manufacturers, or other business engaged in illegal or deceptive practices, or in the investigation or prosecution health care crimes such as Medicaid fraud; State regulatory settings in which students assist counsel in developing initiatives or legislative proposals in such areas as universal health care, medical malpractice, consumer protection, or in implementing and enforcing of health regulations; and not-for-profit health care organizations in which students may assist in contract, regulatory compliance, and dispute resolution matter.   

• Attorney General, Health Care Bureau - Additional Information
  
• Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) - Additional Information
  Special requirements: resume, cover letter, writing sample, transcripts and a list of references
  
• Capital District Physician's Health Care Plan (CDPHP) - Additional Information
  
• Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) - Additional Information
  
• MVP Healthcare - Additional Information
  
• NYS Brain Injury Association - Additional Information
  
• NYS Department of Health, Bureau of Professional Medical Conduct, Division of Legal Affairs
  
• NYS Department of Health, Counsel's Office - Additional Information

NYS Department of Health, Division of Legal Affairs, Bureau of Administrative Hearings - Additional Information (see also Government Placements)

• NYS Insurance Department, Health Bureau - Additional Information
  
• NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services - Additional Information
  
• NYS Office of the Medicaid Inspector General   - Additional Information
  
• NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) - Additional Information
  
• NYS Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) - Additional Information
  Additional application requirements: writing sample, transcript, references
  
• Northeast Health - Additional Information

Science & Technology Placements

• NYS Chief Information Officer/Office of Technology (CIO/OFT) -Additional Information Additional application requirements: writing sample, may be fingerprinted pursuant to CIO/OFT security requirements.
  
• NYS Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination  -Additional Information
  Additional application requirements: All students will be required to undergo a background check and execute a non-disclosure agreement. We ask that students submit a writing sample as well as a resume. Given the tasks that are assigned to the interns, second and third year students with a foundation in research and legal writing have been most successful.
  
• NYS Energy Research and Development Authority - Additional Information (See Environmental Law)
  Additional application requirements: writing sample
  
• NYS Executive Chamber, Office of Deputy Secretary for General Services and Technology
  
• Research Foundation of SUNY
  
• RPI - Office of Technology Commercialization - Additional Information  
  
• Schmeiser, Olsen, & Watts, LLP
  Additional application requirements: Applicant should have an engineering or science degree and have taken the course Patent Prosecution and Claim Drafting