Trial Attorney - YAD Springfield

Commonwealth of Massachusetts • Springfield, MA

8d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Youth Advocacy Division (YAD) of the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the Massachusetts public defender agency, is seeking to find a Trial Attorney for its Springfield Office. CPCS is dedicated to fighting for equal justice and human dignity by supporting clients in achieving their legal and life goals, zealously advocating for the rights of individuals, and promoting just public policy. CPCS is the state agency in Massachusetts responsible for providing legal representation to individuals who cannot afford an attorney, covering a wide range of cases including criminal, delinquency, child welfare, and mental health matters. The Youth Advocacy Division specifically focuses on juvenile defense, ensuring zealous legal representation for indigent children in delinquency, GCL Revocation, juvenile murder, juvenile appeals, and youthful offender cases. The YAD Springfield office covers juvenile courts in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties, requiring the attorney to travel and be flexible with court assignments.

Requirements

• Must be committed to serving a culturally diverse, low-income population.
• Must be eligible to practice law in Massachusetts (member of the Massachusetts bar in good standing, law school graduate under Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:03, or member of the bar of another jurisdiction eligible for limited Massachusetts practice under Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:04).
• Access to an automobile for travel to courts, clients, and investigation locations not easily accessible by public transportation.
• Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with criminal defense, especially youth defense.
• Experience with a community-oriented defender practice.
• Ability to provide trauma-informed and culturally competent representation.
• Knowledge of adolescent development.
• Demonstrated commitment to social justice issues and experience working with individuals of diverse backgrounds.
• Knowledge of positive youth development.
• Knowledge of state and local resources for juvenile defendants.
• Understanding of juvenile justice practice and policy issues.
• Experience with educational system advocacy.
• Experience with the child welfare system.
• Experience working with children and youth.
• Fluency in Spanish is strongly preferred.
• Lawyers with four or more years of experience are encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

• Provide zealous legal representation on delinquency and youthful offender cases using the Positive Youth Development Approach.
• Utilize all necessary criminal defense skills for practice in district and superior courts.
• Provide post-dispositional advocacy and support to DYS committed youth.
• Engage in school-based advocacy.
• Work on projects aimed at improving legal representation and outcomes for court-involved children.
• Play a leadership role in efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile legal system.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed