2027 Children and Family Law Division Trial Attorney - Statewide Positions

About the role

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.

Our mission and values

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.

Our Values: Courage, Accountability, Respect, Excellence.

CPCS is committed to protecting the fundamental constitutional and human rights of our assigned clients through zealous advocacy, community-oriented defense, and the fullness of excellent legal representation. We are dedicated to building and maintaining strong professional relationships, while striving to accept, listen to and respect the diverse circumstances of each client, as we dedicate ourselves to meeting their individual needs. We embrace and endorse diversity, equity and inclusion as our core values as we maintain a steadfast commitment to: (1) Ensure that CPCS management and staff members represent a broad range of human differences and experience; (2) Provide a work climate that is respectful and supports success; and (3) Promote the dignity and well-being of all staff members.

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, parent advocates, paralegals, and investigators
• Conducting post-judgment representation
• Other duties as assigned

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 home internet access sufficient to work remotely

Qualifications and 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 family regulation cases
• Strong interpersonal and analytical skills
• Ability to work in a community and defense-oriented capacity, both independently and collaboratively

Pay and schedule

• Salary: $75,000.00
• Full-time, shift day
• Potentially eligible for a hybrid work schedule