Trial Attorney - LGBTQ+ Liaison - CAFL Transition Age Youth Office

Commonwealth of Massachusetts•Framingham, MA

11d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the public defender agency for Massachusetts, is seeking an attorney to serve as Trial Attorney/LGBTQ+ Liaison in the Transition Age Youth (TAY) office, an exciting new initiative of the Children and Family Law (CAFL) Division. The TAY office will be fully remote until office space is procured. The final office location is expected to be in Framingham but may be in another MetroWest or Greater Boston area location. These positions may be sited in FJA Offices in Springfield or Worcester depending on available space and the needs of the office and candidate. These positions are eligible for hybrid work schedules. CPCS is committed to protecting the fundamental constitutional and human rights of our assigned clients through zealous advocacy, community-oriented defense, and the fullness of excellent legal representation. CPCS is the state agency in Massachusetts responsible for providing an attorney when the state or federal constitution or a state statute requires the appointment of an attorney for a person who cannot afford to retain one. The agency provides representation in criminal, delinquency, youthful offender, family regulation, guardianship, mental health, sexually dangerous person, and sex offender registry cases, as well as in appeals and post-conviction and post-judgment proceedings related to those matters. The Transition Age Youth (TAY) office is a new, statewide advocacy unit dedicated to improving the experiences and outcomes for youth and young adults (ages 14-22) navigating the Massachusetts family regulation system. TAY provides specialized training, case consultation, and limited direct client representation. The team will include an Attorney in Charge, four attorneys, a social worker, a peer support advocate, and an administrative assistant. TAY is part of Family Justice Advocates (FJA), the “CAFL conflicts offices.” FJA has separate physical offices, management, computer systems, and other mechanisms in place to ensure its independence and separation from all other CPCS offices for conflict-of-interest purposes. The TAY office will be fully remote until office space is procured. The final office location is expected to be in Framingham but may be in another MetroWest or Greater Boston area location. These positions may be sited in FJA Offices in Springfield or Worcester depending on available space and the needs of the office and candidate. These positions are eligible for hybrid work schedules.

Requirements

Attorneys must be committed to serving a culturally diverse, low-income population and 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 reliable transportation in order to travel to courts, clients, and other locations throughout the state;
Access to home internet sufficient to work remotely.

Nice To Haves

Three years of experience representing youth, young adults, or parents in C&P, CRA, and/or PYA cases is preferred (however, candidates with fewer years of experience who demonstrate strong knowledge of transition age youth, initiative, and the ability to manage an active caseload will be fully considered);
Experience representing LGBTQ+ youth is preferred;
Experience with the juvenile court system and/or DCF;
A demonstrated commitment to the principle of zealous advocacy and to improving the representation of, and outcomes for, LGBTQ+ youth throughout Massachusetts;
Strong interpersonal and analytical skills;
Excellent litigation, writing, and oral presentation skills;
Foreign language skills are desirable;
Ability to work in a community and defense-oriented capacity, both independently and collaboratively.

Responsibilities

Providing direct representation of transition age youth in all aspects of CAFL cases at the trial level, including C&P, CRA, and PYA cases. Direct representation includes but is not limited to, visiting and interviewing clients, investigation and discovery, consulting with experts, negotiation, motion practice, biannual foster care reviews, evidentiary hearings, administrative and interlocutory appeals, and post judgment representation;
Developing and delivering training and resources on the representation of LGBTQ+ youth and other topics;
Advising and consulting with FJA staff and CAFL private panel attorneys on cases that involve LGBTQ+ youth;
Conducting legal research and writing;
Keeping up to date on practice issues and emerging laws and policies affecting transition age youth;
Working on projects related to improving legal representation and outcomes for transition age youth;
Maintaining strong working relationships with CAFL practitioners, assigned Juvenile Courts, and community agencies;
Working with stakeholders on issues related to the representation of LGBTQ+ youth;
Assisting with the development of annual work plans for TAY training programs and projects;
Other duties as assigned.