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

Committee for Public Counsel•Framingham, MA

2d•Remote

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, part of the Family Justice Advocates (FJA), aims to improve the representation and advocacy for young adults and transition-age youth navigating the family regulation system. The TAY Office will provide multidisciplinary support, including direct client representation, legal training, and consultation to attorneys across the state. Initially operating as a fully remote office, the final location is expected to be in the Metro West or Greater Boston area. The agency's mission is to fight for equal justice and human dignity by supporting clients in achieving their legal and life goals through zealous advocacy and promoting just public policy. CPCS is the public defender agency for Massachusetts, providing legal representation when required by constitution or statute for individuals who cannot afford an attorney. The agency handles a wide range of cases including criminal, delinquency, family regulation, and mental health matters. The TAY Office specifically focuses on Care and Protection cases for youth aged 14-22, Children Requiring Assistance, and Permanency for Young Adult cases. The TAY Office will consist of an Attorney in Charge, trial attorneys, a social worker, an administrative assistant, and a peer support specialist. The Trial Attorney positions will have responsibilities across all areas of the TAY Office's work. The LGBTQ+ Liaison role, within this position, will serve as the primary contact for issues related to the representation of LGBTQ+ youth, involving training, mentorship, consultation, and collaboration with stakeholders.

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 or substantial experience working with adolescents or young adults is preferred
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