Trial Attorney - Children & Family Law Statewide Offices

Commonwealth of Massachusetts • Boston, MA, United States • $200k - $250k / year • 1m ago

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Job Description - Trial Attorney - Children & Family Law Statewide Offices (2400088P)

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the public defender agency for Massachusetts, is seeking attorneys to represent children and parents in family regulation cases. CPCS provides legal representation for those unable to afford an attorney. The Children and Family Law Division (CAFL) provides legal representation to children and indigent parents in family regulation matters, including care and protection (C&P) proceedings, children requiring assistance (CRA) cases, actions to terminate parental rights, guardianship-of-a-minor cases, and any other child custody proceeding where the Department of Children and Families (DCF) is a party or where the court is considering granting custody to DCF.

We fight for equal justice and human dignity by supporting our clients in achieving their legal and life goals. We zealously advocate for the rights of individuals and promote just public policy to protect the rights of all.

Responsibilities

The duties of the Trial Attorney include:

Interviewing adult clients;
Visiting and interviewing child clients;
Conducting legal research and writing;
Conducting pre-72-hour hearing investigation including reviewing pleadings and exhibits, locating and interviewing witnesses, preparing witnesses, gathering facts from the Department of Child Families social worker and other collateral providers, consulting with other parties' counsel regarding their position, collecting and reviewing documentary evidence, identifying objections to testimonial and documentary evidence, and drafting appropriate motions;
Obtaining entire DCF file, reviewing DCF action plans, proposing plan changes, advising client on whether to sign, meeting with court investigator, preparing client to meet with court investigator, and preparing motions to strike inadmissible evidence contained in the court investigator report;
Preparing necessary motions regarding outstanding discovery, identifying matters requiring further hearing (e.g., services, DCF reasonable efforts, visitation), preparing pre-trial memo, and developing trial strategy with client;
Preparing for Foster Care Reviews;
Reviewing DCF's permanency plans and filing objections, if necessary;
Investigating and representing client's position in extraordinary medical treatment hearings;
Filing motions challenging DCF decisions;
Conducting care and protection trials and termination of parental rights trials;
Representing clients in interlocutory proceedings;
Working with the legal team, including social workers and paralegals;
Conducting post-judgment representation; and,
Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Entrance Requirements

A Trial Attorney 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, as a law school graduate under Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:03, or as an attorney licensed in another jurisdiction who is covered by Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:04. A recent law school graduate who is ineligible to practice under SJC Rule 3:03 will be hired as a paralegal with the understanding that they will be promoted to trial attorney once admitted to practice in Massachusetts;
All Trial Attorney positions require travel; access to reliable transportation throughout the state is necessary;
Access to a personal computer with home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

To apply, please submit a resume and personal mission statement of no more than two pages detailing your interest in the position, your personal qualities, background, and skills, and what you hope to achieve in your work.

EEO Statement

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran or military status, genetic information, gender identity, or sexual orientation as required by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other applicable federal and state statutes and organizational policies.