Colorado Judicial Branch
Courtesy Posting: Carrie Ann Lucas Civil Rights Director
Colorado Judicial Branch, Denver, Colorado, United States, 80285
Courtesy Posting: Carrie Ann Lucas Civil Rights Director
JOB CODE
EU00502
LOCATION
Denver / Denver County
DEPARTMENT
Other
POSTED
01-Nov-2024
CLOSES
01-Dec-2024
POSITION INFORMATION***This is a courtesy posting for the Office of Respondent Parents' Counsel (ORPC)***
Salary:
$124,292 – $180,224 per year.
MISSION STATEMENTABOUT THE ORPC
The Office of Respondent Parents’ Counsel (ORPC) is an independent agency within the State of Colorado Judicial Branch vested with the oversight and administration of legal representation for indigent parents in child welfare cases across Colorado. To learn more, please visit our website at https://www.coloradoorpc.org/.
The ORPC supports Colorado parents in the fight to preserve families, their dignity, and the constitutional right to parent in dependency and neglect cases. We recruit and train attorneys statewide, advocate for family centered policies, and promote equity and transparency in the system through data. As a result of our work, more families are reunified and stronger together.
The ORPC has identified five essential pillars that inform its work:
Systems are Fair and Followed – Procedural fairness occurs when parents receive access to excellent interdisciplinary teams through engagement, recruitment, and retention of contractors who have access to the resources necessary to give dignity and fairness to families and to ensure procedures are followed
Family Voice Leads – Family voice is strong when parents are engaged and present at every stage of their case and supported by their family defense team, so they may be heard by the system and play an active role in their case planning.
Trauma to Children is Decreased – Trauma to children is reduced when parents are provided with preventative or in-home supports to keep children with their family of origin, when unnecessary removals are rare, and when children can safely stay with their family.
Family Defenders Have a Strong Community – Parents have better representation when there is a strong community of family defenders who have access to training, access to litigation and practice support, and who are celebrated for every kind of success in their parent advocacy.
ORPC is Recognized, Respected, Productive and its Staff is Strong – The ORPC achieves its statutory mandate when its reputation, performance, staff strength, and adherence to its values have a positive impact on the child welfare system.
STATEMENT OF DUTIESPosition Purpose and Objectives/Definition of Work
:
Carrie Ann Lucas was a leading advocate for parents with disabilities who served as ORPC’s Case Strategy Director at the time of her death. She lived with a rare form of muscular dystrophy for over 30 years. Originally planning to go into ministry, she shifted to law after facing discrimination due to her disability while adopting her niece from foster care.
Carrie Ann’s advocacy led to changes in Colorado law, ensuring that a parent’s disability cannot be the sole reason for denying custody, adoption, foster care, or guardianship. She also fought for reasonable accommodations for parents with disabilities to reunite with their children. As State Senator Julie Gonzales said, “Carrie Ann Lucas is a testament to doing everything that you can with what you’ve got.”
The ORPC recognizes that poverty, race, and disability are inextricably linked in our child welfare system. Nearly half of all parents the ORPC serves have disabilities. The ORPC’s data shows that parents with disabilities are 225% more likely to face permanent family separation through termination of parental rights and 70% less likely to reunify with their children. Families of color and people with disabilities have a greater chance of encountering the child welfare system and experiencing poor outcomes than White families and people without disabilities. Black, Latinx, and Native American children also overrepresented in all aspects of the child welfare system.
The Carrie Ann Lucas Civil Rights Director will advance equity and justice for Colorado's parents and families by coordinating strategic support, driving policy advocacy, and delivering training to challenge discriminatory practices rooted in race, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, and other historically oppressed identities.
Reports To:
This is a full-time position, reporting to the ORPC’s Director of Engagement.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTSHow to Apply:
The ORPC is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodations to apply for or interview for this position, please direct your timely inquiries to Jill Cohen, Director of Programs, at jcohen@coloradoorpc.org or 720-574-9735.
All candidates must complete the online application located at this link: https://fs7.formsite.com/ORPCColorado/form32/form_login.html
The online application will require a cover letter that shares your ideas for how to approach civil rights advocacy in cases and in policy work and should include anything you choose to share about your own lived experience relevant to this work, a resume, and a list of three professional references.
Applications are due by 11:59pm on December 1st, 2024, and may only be submitted through this online application: https://fs7.formsite.com/ORPCColorado/form32/form_login.html
You may submit the required information through the online application only. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Successful applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONSSkills :
Civil Rights Advocacy
Collaborate with staff attorneys and social workers to provide litigation support on civil rights issues to interdisciplinary parent representation teams with a focus on intersectional discrimination affecting parents navigating dependency and neglect cases in Colorado.
Support ORPC contractors in understanding and addressing systemic discrimination against parents and children with disabilities and in identifying strategies to challenge ableism.
Support ORPC contractors in identifying and addressing racial justice issues.
Recruit and develop expert witnesses related to support civil rights claims in dependency and neglect cases.
Identify opportunities to file federal civil rights complaints to further family defense goals and support defense teams in filing complaints.
Build partnerships with external civil rights organizations to enhance awareness of the intersections between family regulation and systemic oppression, advocating for policy and legislative changes.
Recruitment and Training
Support outreach, recruitment, and retention of diverse, historically underrepresented contractors for family defense teams.
Track changes in civil rights laws at state and federal levels, providing regular updates to ORPC contractors.
Assist in evaluating attorney applications and the performance of ORPC contractors.
Visit contractors statewide, offering support through local meetings, training, and court observations.
Coordinate with the Training Director to deliver in-person and virtual training for contractors.
Support efforts to foster an inclusive, welcoming culture for contract attorneys and interdisciplinary team members.
Policy Advocacy and Community Engagement
Analyze data on the effects of racism, ableism, and other forms of discrimination on indigent parents and use findings to shape the agency’s advocacy, including committee involvement, legislative initiatives, and national policy efforts.
Lead coalition-building efforts with communities and professional organizations to drive policy changes that reflect the needs and voices of impacted communities.
Co-present educational programs aimed at informing communities about parental rights and responsibilities within the family regulation system.
Represent the ORPC at local and national public speaking events, conferences, and on committees to advocate for marginalized communities in the family regulation system.
Administrative Responsibilities
Draft and prepare legal memoranda, briefs, and other documents.
Assist in the preparation of the annual budget request, performance reports, commission reports, and other agency documentation.
Work collaboratively with ORPC staff on various projects and tasks.
Travel frequently within Colorado for contractor observations, training sessions, and conferences.
Perform other duties as assigned to support the ORPC’s mission.
The ORPC will prioritize candidates who have:
A strong commitment to confronting systems of oppression, institutional racism, and implicit bias, with a willingness to engage in transformative, equity-focused work.
Outstanding analytical, research, writing, and public speaking skills.
Proven dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion, demonstrated through a personal and professional approach that honors individual differences across race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, religion, and socio-economic status.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS CONT.How to Apply:
The ORPC is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodations to apply for or interview for this position, please direct your timely inquiries to Jill Cohen, Director of Programs, at jcohen@coloradoorpc.org or 720-574-9735.
All candidates must complete the online application located at this link: https://fs7.formsite.com/ORPCColorado/form32/form_login.html
The online application will require a cover letter that shares your ideas for how to approach civil rights advocacy in cases and in policy work and should include anything you choose to share about your own lived experience relevant to this work, a resume, and a list of three professional references.
Applications are due by 11:59pm on December 1st, 2024, and may only be submitted through this online application: https://fs7.formsite.com/ORPCColorado/form32/form_login.html
You may submit the required information through the online application only. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Successful applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONSMinimal Educational / Professional Qualifications:
Juris Doctor from an accredited law school.
Licensed attorney in Colorado or eligible for licensure upon motion.
Minimum of 5 years of litigation experience, including substantial trial or appellate work in federal and state courts.
Experience in respondent parent representation, public defense, civil rights or related areas.
Substantive knowledge of civil rights law with demonstrated ability to use litigation and nonlitigation strategies to advance advocacy goals.
Ability to thrive in a hybrid, decentralized work environment with regular statewide travel (approximately 20% in-state travel).
Physical Demands:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to sit and reach with hands and arms and perform repetitive motions with wrists, hands, and fingers. The employee is occasionally required to be mobile. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
Work Environment:
This position is subject to many interruptions and may require handling multiple calls, inquiries, and job priorities at once. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
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JOB CODE
EU00502
LOCATION
Denver / Denver County
DEPARTMENT
Other
POSTED
01-Nov-2024
CLOSES
01-Dec-2024
POSITION INFORMATION***This is a courtesy posting for the Office of Respondent Parents' Counsel (ORPC)***
Salary:
$124,292 – $180,224 per year.
MISSION STATEMENTABOUT THE ORPC
The Office of Respondent Parents’ Counsel (ORPC) is an independent agency within the State of Colorado Judicial Branch vested with the oversight and administration of legal representation for indigent parents in child welfare cases across Colorado. To learn more, please visit our website at https://www.coloradoorpc.org/.
The ORPC supports Colorado parents in the fight to preserve families, their dignity, and the constitutional right to parent in dependency and neglect cases. We recruit and train attorneys statewide, advocate for family centered policies, and promote equity and transparency in the system through data. As a result of our work, more families are reunified and stronger together.
The ORPC has identified five essential pillars that inform its work:
Systems are Fair and Followed – Procedural fairness occurs when parents receive access to excellent interdisciplinary teams through engagement, recruitment, and retention of contractors who have access to the resources necessary to give dignity and fairness to families and to ensure procedures are followed
Family Voice Leads – Family voice is strong when parents are engaged and present at every stage of their case and supported by their family defense team, so they may be heard by the system and play an active role in their case planning.
Trauma to Children is Decreased – Trauma to children is reduced when parents are provided with preventative or in-home supports to keep children with their family of origin, when unnecessary removals are rare, and when children can safely stay with their family.
Family Defenders Have a Strong Community – Parents have better representation when there is a strong community of family defenders who have access to training, access to litigation and practice support, and who are celebrated for every kind of success in their parent advocacy.
ORPC is Recognized, Respected, Productive and its Staff is Strong – The ORPC achieves its statutory mandate when its reputation, performance, staff strength, and adherence to its values have a positive impact on the child welfare system.
STATEMENT OF DUTIESPosition Purpose and Objectives/Definition of Work
:
Carrie Ann Lucas was a leading advocate for parents with disabilities who served as ORPC’s Case Strategy Director at the time of her death. She lived with a rare form of muscular dystrophy for over 30 years. Originally planning to go into ministry, she shifted to law after facing discrimination due to her disability while adopting her niece from foster care.
Carrie Ann’s advocacy led to changes in Colorado law, ensuring that a parent’s disability cannot be the sole reason for denying custody, adoption, foster care, or guardianship. She also fought for reasonable accommodations for parents with disabilities to reunite with their children. As State Senator Julie Gonzales said, “Carrie Ann Lucas is a testament to doing everything that you can with what you’ve got.”
The ORPC recognizes that poverty, race, and disability are inextricably linked in our child welfare system. Nearly half of all parents the ORPC serves have disabilities. The ORPC’s data shows that parents with disabilities are 225% more likely to face permanent family separation through termination of parental rights and 70% less likely to reunify with their children. Families of color and people with disabilities have a greater chance of encountering the child welfare system and experiencing poor outcomes than White families and people without disabilities. Black, Latinx, and Native American children also overrepresented in all aspects of the child welfare system.
The Carrie Ann Lucas Civil Rights Director will advance equity and justice for Colorado's parents and families by coordinating strategic support, driving policy advocacy, and delivering training to challenge discriminatory practices rooted in race, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, and other historically oppressed identities.
Reports To:
This is a full-time position, reporting to the ORPC’s Director of Engagement.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTSHow to Apply:
The ORPC is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodations to apply for or interview for this position, please direct your timely inquiries to Jill Cohen, Director of Programs, at jcohen@coloradoorpc.org or 720-574-9735.
All candidates must complete the online application located at this link: https://fs7.formsite.com/ORPCColorado/form32/form_login.html
The online application will require a cover letter that shares your ideas for how to approach civil rights advocacy in cases and in policy work and should include anything you choose to share about your own lived experience relevant to this work, a resume, and a list of three professional references.
Applications are due by 11:59pm on December 1st, 2024, and may only be submitted through this online application: https://fs7.formsite.com/ORPCColorado/form32/form_login.html
You may submit the required information through the online application only. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Successful applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONSSkills :
Civil Rights Advocacy
Collaborate with staff attorneys and social workers to provide litigation support on civil rights issues to interdisciplinary parent representation teams with a focus on intersectional discrimination affecting parents navigating dependency and neglect cases in Colorado.
Support ORPC contractors in understanding and addressing systemic discrimination against parents and children with disabilities and in identifying strategies to challenge ableism.
Support ORPC contractors in identifying and addressing racial justice issues.
Recruit and develop expert witnesses related to support civil rights claims in dependency and neglect cases.
Identify opportunities to file federal civil rights complaints to further family defense goals and support defense teams in filing complaints.
Build partnerships with external civil rights organizations to enhance awareness of the intersections between family regulation and systemic oppression, advocating for policy and legislative changes.
Recruitment and Training
Support outreach, recruitment, and retention of diverse, historically underrepresented contractors for family defense teams.
Track changes in civil rights laws at state and federal levels, providing regular updates to ORPC contractors.
Assist in evaluating attorney applications and the performance of ORPC contractors.
Visit contractors statewide, offering support through local meetings, training, and court observations.
Coordinate with the Training Director to deliver in-person and virtual training for contractors.
Support efforts to foster an inclusive, welcoming culture for contract attorneys and interdisciplinary team members.
Policy Advocacy and Community Engagement
Analyze data on the effects of racism, ableism, and other forms of discrimination on indigent parents and use findings to shape the agency’s advocacy, including committee involvement, legislative initiatives, and national policy efforts.
Lead coalition-building efforts with communities and professional organizations to drive policy changes that reflect the needs and voices of impacted communities.
Co-present educational programs aimed at informing communities about parental rights and responsibilities within the family regulation system.
Represent the ORPC at local and national public speaking events, conferences, and on committees to advocate for marginalized communities in the family regulation system.
Administrative Responsibilities
Draft and prepare legal memoranda, briefs, and other documents.
Assist in the preparation of the annual budget request, performance reports, commission reports, and other agency documentation.
Work collaboratively with ORPC staff on various projects and tasks.
Travel frequently within Colorado for contractor observations, training sessions, and conferences.
Perform other duties as assigned to support the ORPC’s mission.
The ORPC will prioritize candidates who have:
A strong commitment to confronting systems of oppression, institutional racism, and implicit bias, with a willingness to engage in transformative, equity-focused work.
Outstanding analytical, research, writing, and public speaking skills.
Proven dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion, demonstrated through a personal and professional approach that honors individual differences across race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, religion, and socio-economic status.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS CONT.How to Apply:
The ORPC is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodations to apply for or interview for this position, please direct your timely inquiries to Jill Cohen, Director of Programs, at jcohen@coloradoorpc.org or 720-574-9735.
All candidates must complete the online application located at this link: https://fs7.formsite.com/ORPCColorado/form32/form_login.html
The online application will require a cover letter that shares your ideas for how to approach civil rights advocacy in cases and in policy work and should include anything you choose to share about your own lived experience relevant to this work, a resume, and a list of three professional references.
Applications are due by 11:59pm on December 1st, 2024, and may only be submitted through this online application: https://fs7.formsite.com/ORPCColorado/form32/form_login.html
You may submit the required information through the online application only. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Successful applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONSMinimal Educational / Professional Qualifications:
Juris Doctor from an accredited law school.
Licensed attorney in Colorado or eligible for licensure upon motion.
Minimum of 5 years of litigation experience, including substantial trial or appellate work in federal and state courts.
Experience in respondent parent representation, public defense, civil rights or related areas.
Substantive knowledge of civil rights law with demonstrated ability to use litigation and nonlitigation strategies to advance advocacy goals.
Ability to thrive in a hybrid, decentralized work environment with regular statewide travel (approximately 20% in-state travel).
Physical Demands:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to sit and reach with hands and arms and perform repetitive motions with wrists, hands, and fingers. The employee is occasionally required to be mobile. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
Work Environment:
This position is subject to many interruptions and may require handling multiple calls, inquiries, and job priorities at once. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
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