Trial Attorney - CAFL Lowell

About the role

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the public defender agency for Massachusetts, is seeking an attorney to work in the Children and Family Law Division (CAFL) Lowell Office. CAFL provides legal representation to children and indigent parents in family regulation matters.

Responsibilities

• 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 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 the 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 and paralegals;
• Conducting post-judgment representation;
• and, Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• 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, 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 home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

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.

EEO Statement

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran or military status, genetic information, gender identity, or sexual orientation as required by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other applicable federal and state statutes and organizational policies. Applicants who have questions about equal employment opportunity or who need reasonable accommodations can contact the Chief Human Resources Officer, Sandra DeBow-Huang, at sdebow@publiccounsel.net.