Legal Advocate (Attorney or Paralegal)
About The Position
The Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee (MHLAC) seeks an attorney or paralegal to work on advocacy projects and collaborate with staff to defend the rights of people with mental health concerns. The Advocate joins project teams addressing systemic issues that negatively affect significant numbers of clients, often involving discrimination or other mistreatment. The work spans the stages of litigation and legislative or administrative advocacy campaigns, from inception to conclusion, and may include community outreach, legal or social science research, investigation, drafting, and oral advocacy. MHLAC is a state agency of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, established by the legislature in 1973. It provides free legal assistance to indigent people with mental health challenges throughout Massachusetts and works to identify and address shared client issues, often with advocacy organizations and community groups. Its strategies may include class-based or targeted individual litigation, legislative, administrative, and public advocacy. MHLAC also serves as a statewide resource on mental health law and policy by producing legal and policy materials, testifying on proposed laws and regulations, and providing education and training. This is a full-time, non-civil-service staff position based in Quincy, Massachusetts. The listed salary is $3,099.29–$4,636.76 biweekly, or $80,581.54–$120,555.76 annually if employed for at least 12 full months, commensurate with experience and qualifications. The position offers access to Massachusetts’ retirement plan for state employees. The start date is December 1, 2026. Willingness to travel independently within Massachusetts is required.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- Willingness to travel independently within Massachusetts required.
- Ambition to make positive change for significant numbers of clients by undertaking the most potentially effective strategies available.
- Ability to work efficiently and multitask.
- Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with clients and coworkers, including under sometimes stressful circumstances.
Nice To Haves
- Experience delivering legal services to indigent persons.
- Experience working with people with mental health issues and/or institutionalized persons.
- Ability to communicate in a language used by significant numbers of potential clients.
Responsibilities
- Advocate on behalf of indigent adults, adolescents, and children who have or are perceived to have mental health concerns on a range of civil legal matters.
- Interact and collaborate with community groups and others concerned about the rights of people with mental health concerns.
- Identify and interview people and otherwise investigate systemic public and private practices that negatively affect substantial numbers of clients.
- Engage in litigation or pursue other advocacy approaches, including legislative, administrative, or public advocacy.
- Participate in collective office processes, including determining advocacy priorities and case strategies.
- Perform other tasks deemed necessary by supervisory staff to advance MHLAC’s work.
- Contribute to advocacy campaigns through outreach and community engagement, legal or social science research, investigation, drafting, and oral advocacy.
Benefits
- Access to Massachusetts’ retirement plan for state employees.
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
