Litigation Support Attorney - Children and Family Law Division

Commonwealth of Massachusetts•Boston, MA

1d•Remote

About The Position

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the Massachusetts public defender agency, is seeking a Litigation Support Attorney for the Children and Family Law Division (CAFL). This role is crucial for supporting trial and appellate advocacy for CPCS clients in family regulation/child welfare cases. The agency is dedicated to fighting for equal justice and human dignity by supporting clients in achieving their legal and life goals, zealously advocating for their rights, and promoting just public policy. CPCS is committed to protecting constitutional and human rights through zealous advocacy and excellent legal representation, embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion as core values. The agency provides representation in various legal matters, including criminal, delinquency, family regulation, and more, for individuals who cannot afford legal counsel. The Children and Family Law Division specifically represents children, young adults, and indigent parents in civil matters such as care and protection, termination of parental rights, child requiring assistance, and guardianship cases. CAFL's multidisciplinary teams defend families against unwarranted governmental interference and protect clients' rights, ensuring they receive necessary support and services.

Requirements

Eligible to practice law in Massachusetts, either as a member of the Massachusetts bar in good standing or as a member of the bar in another jurisdiction eligible to engage in limited Massachusetts practice under Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:04.
Access to reliable transportation in order to travel to various training locations and courts across the Commonwealth.
Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely.
A minimum of 3 years’ full-time experience representing children and parents in child welfare/family regulation matters.
Strong writing, research, organizational, collaborative, and communication skills.
Some appellate experience (including work on final or single justice appeals).
The ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously, both independently and collaboratively.
The capacity for close attention to detail.
Strong interpersonal and analytical skills.
A demonstrated commitment to the principle of zealous advocacy in the representation of indigent persons in family regulation/child welfare cases.

Nice To Haves

Some training or teaching experience.

Responsibilities

Drafting, collecting, organizing, disseminating, and training on model legal motions, researching memoranda on legal and clinical topics, and other materials to improve the advocacy of CAFL trial panel attorneys, appellate panel attorneys, staff attorneys, and social workers.
Conducting legal and clinical research on new and existing legal trial and appellate strategies.
Collecting, generating, and assessing the need for new legal and non-legal resources for staff and private panel attorneys.
Maintaining, organizing, and further developing a bank/library system for storing, organizing, and disseminating resources.
Designing and delivering training workshops for staff and private panel attorneys regarding newly-created and currently-available resources.
Collaborating with private counsel (including resource attorneys and mentors) and staff on projects related to these functions.
Assisting the CAFL Trial Panel Support Unit, the CAFL Appellate Panel Support Unit, and CAFL Training in other training events, as needed.
Regularly attending CAFL APSU and TPSU unit meetings.
Assisting with analyzing, drafting, and responding to proposed policies, regulations, and court rules.
Advising trial and appellate panel members about case strategy.
May maintain a small caseload of child welfare trial and/or appellate clients.
Other duties as assigned.