N.Y. County Law § 502

§ 502. Assistant county attorneys. 1. The board of supervisors shall\nhave power to authorize the county attorney to appoint one or more\nassistant county attorneys. Every appointment of an assistant county\nattorney shall be in a writing filed and recorded in the office of the\ncounty clerk. The person so appointed shall take the prescribed oath of\noffice and furnish any required official undertaking. Any such\nappointment may be revoked by the county attorney at any time by filing\na written revocation in the office of the county clerk.\n 2. The assistant county attorney shall perform such duties pertaining\nto the office as may be directed by the county attorney.\n 3. The assistant, during the absence or inability of the county\nattorney, shall perform the powers and duties of the office of county\nattorney.\n 4. In the event of a vacancy in the office of county attorney, the\nassistant shall perform the powers and duties of the office of county\nattorney until a successor is appointed and has qualified.\n 5. If more than one assistant county attorney shall be appointed, the\ncounty attorney shall designate in writing and file in the office of the\ncounty clerk and clerk of the board of supervisors the order in which\nsuch assistants shall exercise the powers and duties of the office in\nthe event of a vacancy or the absence or inability of such county\nattorney to perform the duties of the office.\n