Description

The Department of Children and Families seeks dedicated child welfare professionals who are committed to upholding the Department’s fundamental mission of protecting children from abuse and neglect to ensure they are able to grow and thrive in a safe and nurturing environment. The Department’s vision is that all children have the right to grow up in a nurturing home, free from abuse and neglect, with access to food, shelter, clothing, health care and education. DCF works toward establishing the safety, permanency and well-being of the Commonwealth’s children by: stabilizing and preserving families; providing quality temporary alternative care when necessary, safely reunifying families; and when necessary and appropriate, creating new families through kinship, guardianship or adoption. Preferred applicants will possess a demonstrated commitment to the core practice values: 1) child-driven, 2) family-centered, 3) community-focused, 4) strength-based, 5) committed to diversity/cultural competency, and, 6) committed to continuous learning.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES:

Acts as a lawyer for the Massachusetts Child Welfare Agency.   Represents the agency in Juvenile and Probate Court in custody, termination of parental rights, guardianship and adoption cases.

EXAMPLE OF DUTIES:

1. Interprets laws, court decisions and opinions, rules and regulations applicable to the agency;
2. Prepares and litigates custody, termination of parental rights and guardianship court cases.
3. Prepares petitions, affidavits, memorandum of law, discovery motions, findings of fact and other legal documents for agency court involved cases.
4. Prepares opinions and advises clinical agency staff on legal procedures and requirements for agency cases which are pending in the courts.
5. Conducts training of agency staff on legal issues pertaining to agency work, litigation processes, changes to law, regulation or policy, or other topics as needed.
6. Assists in preparing appellate briefs, orders, opinions, rules and regulations related to the administration and enforcement of laws within the jurisdiction of the agency.

Pre-Offer Process:

Please ensure that you attach a resume with your application submission to this requisition. 

A criminal background check will be completed on the recommended candidate as required by the regulations set forth by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services prior to the candidate being hired. For more information, please visit http://www.mass.gov/hhs/cori and click on “Information for Job Applicants”.

As part of the hiring process, the Office of Human Resources will be verifying any college-level degrees conferred to the selected candidate. Additionally, any licensure required for the position will be verified. Information provided as part of the hiring process is subject to the Massachusetts Public Record Law and may be published on the Commonwealth’s website.

• Education, licensure and certifications will be verified in accordance with the Human Resources Division’s Hiring Guidelines.
• Education and license/certification information provided by the selected candidate(s) is subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law and may be published on the Commonwealth’s website.

For questions, please contact the CYF Office of Human Resources at 1-800-510-4122 and select option #2.

Qualifications

First consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must have a Juris Doctor (JD) degree, admission to the Massachusetts Bar and some experience in legal research, legal writing, and legal procedures and processes.

Incumbents may be required to have a current and valid Motor Vehicle Driver’s License at a Class level specific to assignment.

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer.  Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Official Title: Counsel I

Primary Location

: United States-Massachusetts-Lawrence – 280 Merrimack St

Job

: Legal Services

Agency

: Department of Children & Families

Schedule

: Full-time

Shift

: Day

Job Posting

: Jul 9, 2018, 10:16:51 AM

Number of Openings

: 1

Salary

: 60,096.14 – 87,045.14 Yearly

If you have Diversity, Affirmative Action or Equal Employment Opportunity questions or need a Reasonable Accommodation, please contact Diversity Officer / ADA Coordinator: Diane Chang – 617-748-2104

Bargaining Unit: 06-NAGE – Professional Admin.

Confidential: No