Paid Student Mediator Internship Resolve Consumer Complaints

Division of Regional Affairs

Westchester Regional Office

Student Mediator

Reference No. WES_PUGS_2024

Application Deadline is August 9, 2024*

Paid, Part-Time Placement for Undergraduate Students

The Office of the New York State Attorney General’s (OAG) Westchester Regional Office (WES) has a paid placement available for an undergraduate student who is interested in working as a student mediator. In addition to other legal matters, the WES 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. Applicants must have immediate availability.

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 may 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.
• Applications from students who are starting their first year of college/university during the 2024 fall semester will not be considered.
• To be eligible for a paid placement, applicants must be able to demonstrate they are full-time undergraduate students in good academic standing as defined by their schools.
• Applicants must be available to work 15-30 hours per week during regular business hours. We are seeking applicants who are available to work the full fall term. Please be advised rehire for an additional term is possible but neither automatic nor guaranteed.
• The selected candidate will be hired as a student assistant and paid hourly at the undergraduate student rate, which is $17.23.
• U.S. citizenship and NYS residency are not required, but applicants must be eligible to be employed in the U.S.
• Applications must be submitted online, and this placement will be filled on a rolling basis.*
• Applicants are encouraged to learn more about the OAG prior to submitting their applications by visiting the Divisions and Bureaus and News and Media sections of the OAG website.

Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

The OAG is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to workplace diversity.

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 paid placements must be submitted online. To apply, please click on the following link: WES_PUGS_2024
• The following four (4) application documents are required:

1. Cover Letter

• You may address your letter to the Legal Recruitment Unit.
• Indicate your availability and preferred work schedule.
• Indicate why you are interested in a placement with the OAG and what makes you a strong candidate. You may wish to include information about what life experiences you will bring to the position that will enhance the OAG’s ability to better serve the diverse population of this state.

1. Resume

• Ensure your resume is complete and current prior to submitting your application.

1. List of three (3) references.

• Submit only professional (i.e., supervisor or professor) references.
• For each reference, indicate the nature and duration of your relationship.
• Include contact information and email addresses for each reference.
• Please note that your references will not be contacted until after you interview for the placement.

1. Writing Sample

• You may choose to submit a paper that you completed for school or a writing sample that you produced during an internship or externship.
• Submit a sample 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.
• If needed, please include a cover page providing the reviewer with any relevant background information or context.
• Failure to submit a complete application will delay the consideration of your candidacy.
• Please submit your application for this 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.