Trial Attorney - LGBTQ+ Liaison - CAFL Transition Age Youth Office
About The Position
The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is establishing a new Transition Age Youth (TAY) Office within the Children and Family Law Division. This office aims to improve representation and advocacy for transition-age youth involved in the family regulation system. The LGBTQ+ Liaison will serve as a primary contact for issues related to the representation of LGBTQ+ youth, providing expertise and support to other attorneys. The TAY Office will initially operate as a fully remote unit, with a future office location anticipated in the Framingham or Greater Boston area. CPCS is dedicated to upholding constitutional and human rights through zealous advocacy and community-oriented defense, valuing courage, accountability, respect, and excellence. The agency is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring its staff reflects a broad range of human differences and experiences and fostering a respectful and supportive work environment.
Requirements
- Must be committed to serving a culturally diverse, low-income population
- Must be eligible to practice law in Massachusetts, either as a member of the Massachusetts bar in good standing, or as the member of the bar of another jurisdiction eligible to engage in limited Massachusetts practice under Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:04
- Access to an automobile in order to travel to courts, clients, and investigation locations that are not easily accessible by public transportation
- Access to a personal computer with home internet access sufficient to work remotely
Nice To Haves
- Trial experience in termination of parental rights cases as counsel for a parent and/or as counsel for a child or children or substantial experience working with adolescents or young adults
- A demonstrated commitment to the principle of zealous advocacy in the representation of indigent persons
- A demonstrated expertise in LGBTQ+ youth representation and a commitment to improving the representation of LGBTQ+ youth in Massachusetts
- Strong interpersonal and analytical skills
- Foreign language skills are desirable
- Ability to work in a community and defense-oriented capacity, both independently and collaboratively
Responsibilities
- Visiting and interviewing adolescents, young adults, and their sibling clients
- Pre-trial investigation and discovery, including locating and interviewing witnesses, reviewing documentary evidence, and consulting with experts and other service providers
- Legal research and writing, including preparing papers for National conferences, with publishing opportunities
- Advocating through the internal DCF administrative processes
- Representing clients in pretrial proceedings, hearings, trials, and interlocutory appeals
- Advocating with DCF and other providers for appropriate services for clients and other family members
- Coordinating advocacy with CPCS, CAFL, and FJA social work staff
- Providing direct support to child welfare attorneys through advisory case support, requests for assistance, and ongoing regionally based training
- Training FJA staff and others on the representation of LGBTA+ youth
- Advising and consulting with FJA and CAFL private panel attorneys on cases that involve LGBTQ+ youth
- Assisting with the creation of annual plans for young adult and transition age youth advocacy training programs and projects
- Participating in state and local coalitions to drive policy reform
- Maintaining strong working relationships with the local Juvenile Court, Probation, DYS, DCF, DESE, community agencies, and other stakeholders in the Juvenile and Child Welfare systems
- Other duties as assigned
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
