Oversight Counsel - Appellate Panel Support Unit, CAFL

Commonwealth of Massachusetts•Boston, MA

About The Position

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the Massachusetts public defender agency, is seeking an experienced attorney to help promote the high-quality representation of children and adults in family regulation/child welfare appeals. The attorney will be a core member of the Children and Family Law Division’s Appellate Panel Support Unit (APSU), which provides support, oversight, and training for approximately 150 private attorneys who represent children and adults in family regulation/child welfare appellate matters. The selected attorney may be seated in Boston, Worcester, or at another CPCS office location, depending on the needs of the APSU, the attorney, and available and appropriate space. We fight for equal justice and human dignity by supporting our clients in achieving their legal and life goals. We zealously advocate for the rights of individuals and promote just public policy to protect the rights of all.

Requirements

Be eligible to practice law in this jurisdiction as a member of the Massachusetts bar in good standing, or as an attorney in another jurisdiction who is eligible to engage in limited Massachusetts practice under Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:04.
Have a minimum of five (5) years of experience as an attorney;
Oversight Counsel positions may require travel and must have access to reliable transportation throughout the state; and,
Have access home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

Nice To Haves

Seven (7) years of legal experience, including at least four (4) years of experience in family regulation/child welfare matters, and at least three (3) years of appellate experience;
Experience drafting and filing of several briefs, single justice petitions, and other appellate pleadings;
Have a commitment to serve racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse low-income populations;
Be able to maintain a professional and supportive relationship with the private bar and be ready to serve as a leader when working with the courts, the Department of Children and Families, and professional and community organizations;
Some administrative and managerial experience;
Private CPCS panel or other private practice experience;
Excellent writing, litigation, and oral presentation skills; and,
The ability to maintain an optimistic outlook along with the humor, integrity, patience and perseverance necessary to advance APSU efforts to ensure that clients are provided high-quality legal services.

Responsibilities

Overseeing and assessing the performance of appellate panel members;
Monitoring panel members’ compliance with performance standards;
Advising trial and appellate panel members about case strategy;
Overseeing the appellate panel mentor program and evaluating panel members to determine graduation from the program;
Assigning final and interlocutory appeals to panel members;
Reviewing briefs, moot-courting panel members, and evaluating oral arguments;
Reviewing applications for admission to the panel certification training;
Delivering training programs, both in person and remotely, on family regulation/child welfare trial and appellate issues for panel members and staff attorneys;
Drafting appellate bulletins and providing other resources for trial and appellate panel members, including a legal research/motion resource bank and a single justice pleadings resource bank;
Serving as liaison with the clerks’ offices at the trial courts, the Appeals Court, and the Supreme Judicial Court;
Administering appellate panel operational activities, including recruitment, certification, appellate assignments, billing, and the assignment of appellate mentors;
Supervising student workers (intern/coop/other);
Drafting Division/agency amicus curiae briefs;
Other duties as assigned.
The Oversight Counsel may also maintain a small care and protection trial and/or appellate caseload.