New York City Corporation Counsel Sylvia O. Hinds-Radix. Courtesy Photo NYC Corporation Counsel Unveils 2 New Divisions on Ethics and Risk Management The Law Department is actively hiring to staff its new ethics and compliance and risk management divisions. April 13, 2023 at 03:29 PM 2 minute read State and Local Government Emily Saul Emily Saul More from This Author The New York City Law Department on Thursday announced the creation of two new legal divisions: ethics and compliance and risk management. The divisions build out preexisting areas within the Corporation Counsel, which is actively recruiting to fill the new positions. “The Law Department is known for integrity and high ethical standards. Our new Ethics and Compliance Division will support that great tradition and provide a resource for attorneys across City government,” New York City Corporation Counsel Sylvia O. Hinds-Radix said in a statement. “The Risk Management Division will build upon the existing work of our Risk Unit within the Tort Division, which has worked for years to monitor trends in Tort litigation to reduce issues that give rise to lawsuits.” The Ethics and Compliance Division will expand past work to train and counsel Law Department employees, in addition to elected officials and employees of any New York City agency regarding legal ethics, privilege, representation, and any matters involving sanctions. The unit will also provide counsel on a number of federal, state and local compliance matters in attempts to reduce risk to city finances and operations. The division will serve as the Conflict Interest Board liaison, verifying that Law Department employees remain in compliance with Chapter 68 of the city charter. Chapter 68 addresses conflicts of interest. Any city lawyers appearing before the Attorney Grievance Committee will be represented by counsel from the division, as will the five district attorney’s offices and the Special Narcotics Prosecutor’s Office in any proceedings before the New York State Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct. The Risk Management Division will work with city agencies to try and reduce the potential for harm, and, therefore, future lawsuits against the city. To do that, the unit will coordinate with the Law Department’s E-Discovery Division to grow its current preservation program, and train agencies and staff regarding the importance of early preservation of evidence and the creation and maintenance of data that can be used to defend against future actions.