Trial Attorney - LGBTQ+ Liaison - CAFL Transition Age Youth Office
About The Position
The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the public defender agency for Massachusetts, is establishing a new Transition Age Youth Office within the Children and Family Law Division. This office, part of the Family Justice Advocates (FJA), will focus on improving representation and advocacy for transition-aged youth navigating the family regulation system. The LGBTQ+ Liaison will serve as a key resource for the FJA and private panel CAFL attorneys, addressing issues related to the representation of LGBTQ+ youth. Initially, the office will operate remotely, with a future physical location anticipated in the Framingham or surrounding Metro West/Greater Boston areas. CPCS is dedicated to upholding constitutional and human rights through zealous advocacy and promoting just public policy. The agency values courage, accountability, respect, and excellence, and is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in its workforce and client representation. CPCS provides legal representation to individuals who cannot afford an attorney in various case types, including criminal, delinquency, family regulation, and mental health matters. The agency emphasizes the importance of cultural competence among its staff to effectively serve a diverse client base. The Transition Age Youth (TAY) Office is a new unit offering multidisciplinary support for transition-aged youth, aiming to address their complex needs through case support, training, and limited direct client representation. The TAY Office attorneys focus on Care and Protection cases (ages 14-22), Children Requiring Assistance, and Permanency for Young Adult cases. The office will consist of an Attorney in Charge, trial attorneys, a social worker, an administrative assistant, and a peer support specialist. The TAY Office is part of FJA, which provides legal representation in family regulation cases where conflicts prevent standard CAFL staff attorneys from representing a party. The office will initially be remote, with a future physical location in the Framingham or surrounding Metro West/Greater Boston areas.
Requirements
- Committed to serving a culturally diverse, low-income population
- 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
- Substantial experience working with adolescents or young adults
- Demonstrated commitment to the principle of zealous advocacy in the representation of indigent persons
- 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
