Attorney In Charge, Children & Family Law Division – CPCS

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MISSION STATEMENT

CPCS is committed to protecting the fundamental constitutional and human rights of its clients by providing zealous advocacy, community-oriented defense, and excellent representation. In fulfilling its mission, CPCS is committed to fostering diversity at all levels of the agency. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients, to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. In striving always to achieve those goals, CPCS embraces diversity and inclusion as core values and is steadfast in our commitment to: (1) ensuring that CPCS management and staff members represent a broad range of human difference and experience; (2) providing a work climate that is respectful and that supports success; and (3) promoting the dignity and well-being of all staff members. CPCS’s leadership is responsible for ensuring excellence, diversity, and inclusion. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us.

POSITION OVERVIEW

CAFL provides legal representation and advocacy throughout Massachusetts to children and indigent parents in care and protection, child requiring assistance, termination of parental rights, and guardianship-of-a-minor cases. The Attorneys in Charge manage CAFL offices and represent individual clients. They will also play a leadership role in CPCS’s efforts to provide high-quality representation to children and indigent parents in all CAFL cases.

– Training, supervising, and evaluating trial attorneys
– Supervising support staff and assisting with the supervision of a staff social worker
– Assigning cases and other work within the office
– Maintaining the office’s library, including sample pleadings and memoranda
– Generating management reports
– Attending meetings with CAFL administrative staff and staff in other CAFL offices to discuss management issues
and child welfare policy and practice issues
– Assisting attorneys in other CAFL offices
– Helping private attorney through trainings and providing technical assistance
– Developing and maintaining working relationships with local courts, bar associations, CAFL Resource Attorneys,
the Department of Children and Families, along with other organizations and individuals working in child welfare
law
– Identifying systemic problems and developing strategies for addressing those problems
– Identifying and creating professional development opportunities for trial office attorneys and support staff.

Client Representation Responsibilities:

– Interviewing adult clients
– Visiting and interviewing child clients
– Pre-trial investigation and discovery, including locating and interviewing witnesses, reviewing documentary
evidence, and consulting with service providers
– Legal research and writing
– Representing clients in pretrial proceedings, hearings, trials, and interlocutory appeals
– Advocating for appropriate services for clients and other family members
– Coordinating advocacy with CAFL social work staff

– Must be eligible to practice law in Massachusetts, either as a member of the Massachusetts bar in good standing
or as a member of the bar of another jurisdiction eligible to engage in limited Massachusetts practice under
Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:04, and
– A minimum of seven years’ experience as an attorney, including at least five years in child welfare law.

Qualifications/Skills:

– Extensive litigation experience is preferred;
– Able to administer and manage a law office and provide supervision for legal, social work, and support staff;
– Able to maintain a professional and supportive relationship with the private bar and be ready to serve as a leader
in working with the courts, other attorneys, the Department of Children and Families, and professional and
community organizations
– Be committed to serving a culturally diverse, low income population; and,
– Access to an automobile in order to travel to courts, clients, and investigation; locations that are not easily
accessible by public transportation

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. Applicants who have questions about equal employment opportunity or who need reasonable accommodations can contact the Director of Human Resources Management, Lisa Bacon, at lbacon@publiccounsel.net

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