Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Trial Attorney - CAFL FJA Springfield
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Springfield, Massachusetts, us, 01119
ALERTEffective January 25, 2024, Executive Order #627 cements the Commonwealth's well-established practice of skills-based hiring, paving the way to a more equitable hiring process. The Commonwealth is committed to ensuring a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees feel respected, valued, and empowered to serve our citizens. Join us today!Job Description - Trial Attorney - CAFL FJA Springfield (240007XJ)
The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the public defender agency for Massachusetts, is seeking attorneys to work in the office of Family Justice Advocates (FJA), CPCS’s Children and Family Law Division Hampden County Conflicts Trial Office, located in Springfield. FJA provides legal representation to children and indigent parents in family regulation cases, including care and protection (C&P) proceedings, child 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.POSITION OVERVIEW
FJA’s legal advocacy plays a critical role in cases that affect families. For a parent involved in a care and protection case, having a skilled FJA lawyer may mean the difference between the family’s reunification and the termination of parental rights – the “death penalty of family law.” For a teenager who is the subject of a truancy CRA case, FJA’s advocacy may secure the special education services that enable the client to succeed in school and avoid being placed in a foster home. For siblings looking for stability after the court has freed them for adoption, an FJA attorney will fight to ensure that they are provided a permanent home – one that allows them to stay together.New Trial Attorneys in the FJA office and the non-conflict CAFL Offices begin their CPCS career with a nationally recognized, comprehensive, skills-based training course to ensure they are ready to represent their clients to their full capabilities. Continuing legal education programs for new and experienced Trial Attorneys are held periodically to ensure that our Trial Attorneys are up to date on the law and have the skills necessary to provide zealous representation to their clients.RESPONSIBILITIES
The duties of the FJA 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 DCF social workers 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 and reviewing the DCF file, obtaining the DCF action plan and reviewing it with the client, preparing the client to meet with the court investigator, and preparing motions to strike inadmissible portions of DCF records and the court investigator report;Drafting and filing necessary motions regarding discovery, reasonable efforts, services, placement, visitation, and other matters;Preparing pre-trial memoranda, preparing the client for trial, and developing a trial strategy with the client;Preparing for and attending Foster Care Reviews;Reviewing DCF’s permanency plans and filing objections, if necessary;Representing the client at hearings regarding extraordinary medical treatment;Representing the client at care and protection, termination of parental rights, guardianship of a minor, and other trials in the juvenile courts and the probate and family courts;Representing clients in interlocutory appeals;Representing clients in post-trial and post-judgment matters;Working with the entire Conflict Office legal team, including social workers and paralegals;Other duties as assigned.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;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.QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS
Foreign language skills are desirable;Trial experience in termination of parental rights cases as counsel for a parent and/or as counsel for a child or children is preferred;A demonstrated commitment to the principle of zealous advocacy in the representation of indigent persons in child welfare cases;Strong interpersonal and analytical skills;Ability to work in a community and defense-oriented capacity, both independently and collaboratively.Primary Location
United States-Massachusetts-Springfield - 1350 Main StreetJob
Legal ServicesAgency
Committee for Pub Counsel SrvcSchedule
Full-timeShift
DayJob Posting
Sep 9, 2024, 1:11:32 PMNumber of Openings
1Salary
$72,000.00 - $122,163.00 YearlyIf you have Diversity, Affirmative Action or Equal Employment Opportunity questions or need a Reasonable Accommodation, please contact Diversity Officer / ADA Coordinator: Sandra DeBow-Huang - 6174826212Potentially Eligible for a Hybrid Work Schedule: Yes
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The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the public defender agency for Massachusetts, is seeking attorneys to work in the office of Family Justice Advocates (FJA), CPCS’s Children and Family Law Division Hampden County Conflicts Trial Office, located in Springfield. FJA provides legal representation to children and indigent parents in family regulation cases, including care and protection (C&P) proceedings, child 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.POSITION OVERVIEW
FJA’s legal advocacy plays a critical role in cases that affect families. For a parent involved in a care and protection case, having a skilled FJA lawyer may mean the difference between the family’s reunification and the termination of parental rights – the “death penalty of family law.” For a teenager who is the subject of a truancy CRA case, FJA’s advocacy may secure the special education services that enable the client to succeed in school and avoid being placed in a foster home. For siblings looking for stability after the court has freed them for adoption, an FJA attorney will fight to ensure that they are provided a permanent home – one that allows them to stay together.New Trial Attorneys in the FJA office and the non-conflict CAFL Offices begin their CPCS career with a nationally recognized, comprehensive, skills-based training course to ensure they are ready to represent their clients to their full capabilities. Continuing legal education programs for new and experienced Trial Attorneys are held periodically to ensure that our Trial Attorneys are up to date on the law and have the skills necessary to provide zealous representation to their clients.RESPONSIBILITIES
The duties of the FJA 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 DCF social workers 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 and reviewing the DCF file, obtaining the DCF action plan and reviewing it with the client, preparing the client to meet with the court investigator, and preparing motions to strike inadmissible portions of DCF records and the court investigator report;Drafting and filing necessary motions regarding discovery, reasonable efforts, services, placement, visitation, and other matters;Preparing pre-trial memoranda, preparing the client for trial, and developing a trial strategy with the client;Preparing for and attending Foster Care Reviews;Reviewing DCF’s permanency plans and filing objections, if necessary;Representing the client at hearings regarding extraordinary medical treatment;Representing the client at care and protection, termination of parental rights, guardianship of a minor, and other trials in the juvenile courts and the probate and family courts;Representing clients in interlocutory appeals;Representing clients in post-trial and post-judgment matters;Working with the entire Conflict Office legal team, including social workers and paralegals;Other duties as assigned.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;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.QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS
Foreign language skills are desirable;Trial experience in termination of parental rights cases as counsel for a parent and/or as counsel for a child or children is preferred;A demonstrated commitment to the principle of zealous advocacy in the representation of indigent persons in child welfare cases;Strong interpersonal and analytical skills;Ability to work in a community and defense-oriented capacity, both independently and collaboratively.Primary Location
United States-Massachusetts-Springfield - 1350 Main StreetJob
Legal ServicesAgency
Committee for Pub Counsel SrvcSchedule
Full-timeShift
DayJob Posting
Sep 9, 2024, 1:11:32 PMNumber of Openings
1Salary
$72,000.00 - $122,163.00 YearlyIf you have Diversity, Affirmative Action or Equal Employment Opportunity questions or need a Reasonable Accommodation, please contact Diversity Officer / ADA Coordinator: Sandra DeBow-Huang - 6174826212Potentially Eligible for a Hybrid Work Schedule: Yes
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