Deputy Regional Counsel - Northern Legal

About the role

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is seeking an experienced legal professional and Member of the Massachusetts Bar Association to fill the role of Deputy Regional Counsel. Reporting to the DCF Regional Counsel, the selected candidate will oversee all related legal activities of the region and supervise Assistant Regional Counsels.

Responsibilities

• Assist Regional Counsel with coordinating and supervising the legal activities of Legal Region.
• Assist Regional Counsel in assuming the timely completion of trial court and appellate cases, through both direct litigation and supervision of Assistant Regional Counsel.
• Act as the liaison between the areas, the region, and central office in matters pertaining to legal issues to ensure effective communication between clinical and legal staff.
• Act as the liaison with Juvenile and Probate and Family Courts as well as the Defense Bar concerning agency litigation and staff.
• Provide technical assistance to Regional and Area office staff regarding interpretation and implementation of Massachusetts General Laws, Massachusetts Regulations, and Department policy.
• Develop, establish, and implement systems and procedures for effective law office management which includes the use of available management reports.
• Provide in-service training on legal issues to Regional and Area Office staff in the areas of child welfare law, privacy, confidentiality, access to records, court rules and procedures, and other related areas.
• Represent the Department in Juvenile, Probate and Superior Court regarding Department records or other litigation matters.
• Provide supervision to the legal staff and assist in framing litigation issues.
• Participate in recruitment and hiring of legal staff.

Qualifications

• Thorough knowledge of the laws of the Commonwealth and of Federal laws.
• Ability to supervise the legal operations of a DCF Region utilizing effective law office management principles and techniques.
• Thorough knowledge of the laws and regulations governing DCF.
• Ability to supervise the legal activities of staff attorneys.
• Ability to direct legal research and the preparation of reports thereon.
• Ability to direct the preparation and trial of complex court cases, direct hearings and pass on recommendations, and to confer with judicial officials.
• Ability to file answers, prepare briefs, effect settlement, prepare instrumental documents, and plan Department legal activities.
• Ability to interact effectively with people.
• Ability to identify and resolve issues as necessary and appropriate.

Minimum Entrance Requirements

Applicants must have at least (A) five (5) years of full-time or equivalent part-time professional, administrative, supervisory, or managerial experience in a particular specialty (i.e. scientific, professional, or technical) and must possess current license and/or registration requirements established for the performance of the position, of which (B) at least one (1) year must have been in a project management, supervisory or managerial capacity or (C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and substitutions below.

Substitutions:

• A certificate in a relevant or related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required (A) experience.
• A Bachelor's degree in a related field may be substituted for two (2) years of the required (A) experience.
• A Graduate degree in a related field may be substituted for three (3) years of the (A) required experience.
• A Doctorate degree in a related field may be substituted for four (4) years of the (A) required experience.