Division of Regional Affairs
Harlem Regional Office
Student Mediator
Reference No. HRO_PUGS_2024
Application Deadline is December 15, 2023*
Paid, Part-Time Placement for Undergraduate Students
The Harlem Regional Office (HRO) of the Office of the New York State Attorney General has paid placements available for undergraduate students who are interested in working as student mediators. In addition to other legal matters, the HRO prosecutes businesses and individuals engaged in fraudulent, misleading, deceptive, or illegal trade practices, and mediates thousands of complaints each year from individual consumers. A large percentage of these complaints are successfully resolved through mediation. Student mediators play an integral role in the mediation process. Students serve as consumer advocates in negotiating complaints against merchants. Each mediator is assigned a docket of complaint files covering a broad range of consumer issues including retail sales, mail order transactions, credit transactions, immigration fraud, telemarketing, warranty matters, home repair, and automobile sales, among others.
As mediators, students are taught interviewing techniques and develop their analytical skills as they learn to focus on the underlying issues for each complaint. While each complaint is reviewed by a member of our professional staff, students typically exercise significant discretion and independent judgment. Professional staff and attorneys are always available to answer questions. The position provides students a high degree of responsibility and requires them to exercise sound judgment. Applicants must be articulate, analytical, and organized. No specific experience is required.
Placement Details
- The format of this placement is hybrid. Students who are working in a hybrid placement must be available to report to their designated workstation two or three (2-3) days per week. On the days student will be working remotely, they will need to have access to a reliable computer, a secure internet connection, a phone and a sufficiently quiet and private workspace to telework.
- To be eligible for a paid placement, applicants must be able to demonstrate they are full-time students in good academic standing as defined by their schools. Applications from students who started college/university during the 2023-24 academic year will not be considered. Student who are available to work the 2024 spring semester and into the summer are strongly preferred.
- The undergraduate student hired for this placement will work part-time (15-30 hours/week). The undergraduate student will be hired as a student assistant and paid the hourly rate of $16.73.
- Applications will be received online until December 15, 2024, and paid placement offers will be made on a rolling basis.*
- U.S. citizenship and New York State residency are not required, but applicants must be eligible to be employed in the U.S.
- Applicants are encouraged to learn more about the OAG prior to submitting their applications by visiting the Divisions and Bureaus and Press Releases sections of the OAG’s website.
HOW TO APPLY
The following section provides detailed information about the application process and application requirements. Please review the complete list of instructions prior to preparing and submitting your application materials online.
- Applications for spring placements must be submitted online. To apply, please visit www.ag.ny.gov/job-postings
- Applications are submitted separately for each bureau/regional office, and an applicant’s candidacy for each application is determined separately by each bureau/regional office.
- The application deadline is December 15, 2023, but please be advised paid placements will be filled on a rolling basis.*
- The following four (4) documents are required for each application that is submitted:
- Cover Letter
- You may choose to address to the Legal Recruitment Unit, 28 Liberty Street, New York, NY, 10005.
- Indicate why you are interested in a placement with the OAG and what makes you a strong candidate.
- Resume
- Ensure your resume is complete and current prior to submitting your application.
- List of three (3) references.
- Submit only professional (i.e., supervisor or professor) references.
- Indicate the nature and duration of your relationship to each reference.
- Include contact information and email addresses for each reference.
- Please note, your references will not be contacted until after you interview for the placement.
- Writing Sample
- Select a sample from an assignment you prepared for school that demonstrates your ability to analyze and organize information into an effective document.
- We recommend submitting a sample that is 3-6 pages in length.
- Failure to submit a complete application will delay the consideration of your candidacy.
- Please submit your application for a spring placement at least three (3) weeks prior to any deadlines that could impact your candidacy and note this in your cover letter.
If you have questions about a placement with the OAG, the application process, or need assistance with submitting your application, please contact Legal Recruitment via email at recruitment@ag.ny.gov.