N.Y. County Law § 500

§ 500. County attorney; term. 1. The board of supervisors of each\ncounty shall appoint a resident attorney-at-law as county attorney for\nthe term of office for which the then members of such board were\nelected. In any county having no resident attorney-at-law available, the\nboard of supervisors may employ an attorney-at-law residing in another\ncounty.\n 2. The head of any county legal department created under the\nprovisions of this chapter shall have and exercise all the powers and\nduties of the county attorney.\n