QUESTION
How is the New York City Law Department managing with decreasing staff levels?
1:52:48
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156 sec
The New York City Law Department is managing with decreasing staff levels by adjusting salaries and implementing strategies to attract younger attorneys.
- There has been a decrease in staff due to both aggressive pegs and significant attrition because of COVID.
- The department has made adjustments to salaries to compete better and attract interest from younger attorneys.
- Despite deficits in staffing, the department remains committed to doing the work on behalf of the city.
Lincoln Restler
1:52:48
1, f y24 exec plan, a limit in fiscal 24, the exec plan baseline cut 63 baseline positions were removed from the law department.
1:53:03
And there's a new no there was a new November peg that cut 56 more positions.
1:53:08
So that's a further 119 person staff reduction at the law department, which has already undergone significant staffing cuts in the last number of years.
1:53:18
How can the law department perform its essential functions with this historically low staffing levels that are continuing to significantly decline as a result of the mayor's aggressive pegs?
Judge Sylvia Hinds-Radix
1:53:35
I got Are you finished?
Lincoln Restler
1:53:36
I'm done.
1:53:37
I'm I like to speech it by a little too much.
1:53:39
But I but I'm but I'm serious and concerned about this.
Judge Sylvia Hinds-Radix
1:53:42
Well, they they they have been, of course, a a decrease in staff, and not not not just because of the bags, they've been significant attrition because of COVID.
1:53:55
There there is still an ability or inability to to get younger attorneys wanting to be able to work from home.
1:54:07
So there have been some pieces that have also now coming on place are I as we were looking at it yesterday and discussing the fact that we are now because of some adjustments that we have been made working with OMB, we've been we've been able to do something with our salaries and and and council member brokerage would tell you the last time I was here, she was talking about the law department salaries and our inability to compete.
1:54:35
We are we have been been able to make some of those adjustments.
1:54:40
And I believe it has made our department more attractive and and we are seeing now as we are recruiting, we're seeing the interest coming to the lot department.
1:54:55
So Those are things that we we have been working to put in place to do the work that we've doing.
1:55:01
We're doing.
1:55:01
And you said, and then we agree.
1:55:03
We We have a committed group of of of of of people who work for the law department, who are interested in doing city work, And in in spite of our deficits, we've been able to to meet get do the work that we're supposed to do on the behalf of the city.