Senior Legal Counsel

Commonwealth of Massachusetts • Boston, MA

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) is an independent executive branch agency with oversight and ombudsperson responsibilities, established by the Massachusetts Legislature in 2008. The OCA's mission is to ensure that children receive appropriate, timely, and quality state services, with a particular focus on ensuring that the Commonwealth's most vulnerable and at-risk children can thrive. Through collaboration with public and private stakeholders, the OCA identifies gaps in state services and recommends improvements in policy, practice, regulation and/or law. The OCA also serves as a resource for families who are receiving, or are eligible to receive, services from the Commonwealth. Working under the supervision of the OCA’s General Counsel, the Senior Legal Counsel (SLC) provides structured thinking on legal and policy issues arising from the execution of the OCA’s mission. The SLC provides consultation to OCA staff on matters related to the OCA’s oversight responsibilities as well as consultation on issues brought to the agency’s attention. The SLC will support the General Counsel in the management of interagency initiatives and projects. The OCA is seeking an attorney who has competence in issues related to education (particularly special education) to contribute to the OCA’s subject-matter expertise. Additionally, this SLC position will provide support to the OCA’s Center on Child Wellbeing and Trauma (CCWT). CCWT is a unit of the OCA that supports state agencies and their community-based partners in their journey towards becoming trauma-informed and responsive through the creation and delivery of in-person and virtual trainings.

Requirements

• A working knowledge of state agencies under the Massachusetts executive branch.
• Familiarity with child protection, juvenile justice, education, and other child-related fields.
• Ability to conduct comprehensive legal research, ability to analyze legal precedent and apply it to factual circumstances.
• Ability to present clear, concise, and cogent legal arguments and analysis.
• Ability to exercise the utmost discretion in handling confidential information.
• Ability to independently determine specific tasks needed to accomplish an assignment, to prioritize work assignments, complete assignments in a timely and satisfactory manner, and coordinate competing interests to carry out multiple assignments simultaneously while working under time constraints.
• Ability to work at a high level of productivity, including handling a variety of tasks, and ability to stay on task with frequent interruptions.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with a team.
• Excellent interpersonal skills including professionalism, collegiality, ability to take direction, and ability to compromise.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and other computer software applications.
• Juris Doctorate from an accredited school of law
• Member in good standing with the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers

Nice To Haves

• Experience with education law is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Participate in strategic planning activities and provide thought partnership to the General Counsel, including finalizing goals and activities and effectively implementing them and translating to assigned staff.
• Advise OCA staff on Complaint Line calls and other individual case reviews that raise legal issues. Provides legal consultation as well as a structured-thinking approach to OCA project work completed by other OCA divisions.
• Draft memorandums of understanding and internal policies.
• Supports the General Counsel in evaluation of policy and practices of agencies external to the OCA.
• As guided by the General Counsel, manage interagency initiatives and projects through convening and facilitating various groups. Lead and/or execute OCA project work with internal or external-facing deliverables.
• Active member of the OCA investigation team, reviewing case-specific confidential information and drafting summaries or reports as necessary.
• Conducts legal research to support the OCA’s mission and project-based work. Maintains knowledge of relevant legal, policy, and practice changes in the fields relevant to the OCA’s mission.
• As needed, represents OCA at external meetings (e.g. advisory boards, conferences, briefings).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior