Staff Counsel II - CAFL Trial Panel Support Unit

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) the Massachusetts public defender agency is seeking a skilled and experienced child welfare attorney to serve as Staff Counsel II in the Children and Family Law Divisions (CAFL) Trial Panel Support Unit (TPSU). The TPSU provides leadership oversight and support to the 800plus private attorneys who represent CPCS clients in family regulation/child welfare cases and other civil matters involving children young adults and their families. Staff Counsel II in the TPSU help CAFL private panel attorneys throughout the state provide highquality zealous representation to children young adults and indigent parents in all CAFL cases.

The Staff Counsel II is eligible for a hybrid work schedule. The TPSU is located in Boston but the position may be seated in a designated office based on the candidate and offices need. Attorneys who have practiced in the Boston Juvenile Court Worcester County Juvenile Courts or Bristol County Juvenile Courts are highly encouraged to apply.

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

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MISSION STATEMENT

CPCS is committed to protecting the fundamental constitutional and human rights of our assigned clients through zealous advocacy communityoriented 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. It is our CPCS mission to achieve these goals and in furtherance thereof we embrace and endorse diversity equityand 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 wellbeing of all staff members. CPCS leadership is responsible for ensuring equity diversity and inclusion. The ability to achieve these goals with any level of certainty is ultimately the responsibility of each member of the CPCS community.

AGENCY OVERVIEW

CPCSis the state agency in Massachusetts responsible for providing an attorney when the state or federal constitution or a state statute requires the appointment of an attorney for a person who cannot afford to retain one. The agency provides representation in criminal delinquency youthful offender family regulation guardianship mental health sexually dangerous person and sex offender registry cases as well as in appeals and postconviction and postjudgment proceedings related to those matters.

The clients we represent are diverse across every context imaginable and bring many unique cultural dimensions to the matters we address. This reality creates a critical need for CPCS staff to be culturally competent and able to work well with people of different races ethnicities genders and/or sexual orientation identities abilities and limited English proficiency among other protected characteristics.

CHILDREN AND FAMILY LAW DIVISION OVERVIEW

CPCSs Children and Family Law Division provides attorneys to children and adults in care and protection termination of parental rights child requiring assistance and guardianshipofaminor cases as well as in other civil matters involving children and young adults in which there is a right to an attorney. At the trial level the vast majority of CAFL clients are represented by private attorneys who are part of CAFLs trial panel and most triallevel CAFL cases are heard in the Juvenile Court.

CAFLs clientdirected legal advocacy plays a critical role in cases involving families. CAFL private attorneys and staff protect the rights of parents and children to remain together whenever possible and their right to be reunited quickly when children are removed from their homes. Our legal teams provide clients a voice and work to ensure that the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and other agencies provide children young adults and parents the support and services they need and to which they are entitled under the law. For a parent involved in a C&P case having a skilled CAFL attorney may mean the difference between the familys reunification and the termination of parental rights. For a teenager who is the subject of a truancy case CAFLs advocacy may secure the special education services that enable the client to succeed in school and avoid being placed in a foster home or in congregate care. For siblings who are at risk of being separated CAFLs legal team will fight to ensure that they can stay together.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The TPSU Staff Counsel II provides support and oversight to attorneys on CAFLs private attorney trial panel while working to ensure that they are provided the resources and tools they need to advocate for their clients. Staff Counsel II engage directly with trial panel attorneys and courts in their assigned counties. Staff Counsel II regularly meet with and observe trial panel attorneys in courtroom practice to provide feedback and support.

As a member of the TPSU the Staff Counsel II also work with other members of the team to promote courageous multidisciplinary representation statewide support and review the performance of individual attorneys respond to advice calls from private trial panel members work with CAFL Resource Attorneys in each county to support the private panel attorneys and oversee the CAFL mentor program. The Staff Counsel II will also have opportunities to work on various CAFL and interagency initiatives to improve representation and outcomes for our clients.

The Staff Counsel II reports to the CAFL Trial Panel Director.

MINIMUM APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

• Applicants must be eligible to practice law in this jurisdiction as a member of the Massachusetts bar in good standing or as an attorney in another jurisdiction who is eligible to engage in limited Massachusetts practice under Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:04;
• Applicants must have a minimum of five years legal experience including at least four years of family regulation/child welfare experience;
• Applicants must have access to reliable transportation throughout the state; and
• Applicants must have access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS

• Ten years of legal experience including at least seven years of experience in family regulation/child welfare matters;
• Have practiced in Boston Juvenile Court Worcester County Juvenile Courts or Bristol County Juvenile Courts.
• Demonstrated commitment to serve racially ethnically and culturally diverse lowincome populations;
• Ability to maintain and foster a professional and supportive relationship with the private bar and to serve as a leader when working with the courts the Department of Children and Families and professional and community organizations;
• Significant litigation and trial experience;
• Private attorney trial panel experience;
• Willingness to travel within Massachusetts;
• Excellent writing litigation and oral presentation skills;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word Excel Outlook PowerPoint) and ; and
• Ability to maintain an optimistic outlook along with the humor integrity patience and perseverance necessary to advance TPSU efforts and to ensure that CAFL clients are provided high quality legal services across Massachusetts.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Interested candidates must submit:

• a written statement of interest;
• a resume;
• legal writing sample and
• the names of at least two (2) professional references (who are not judges).

The statement of interest should include a description of the candidates trial appellate administrative and other experience. Candidates are asked to describe any ties to and practice experience in the Boston Juvenile Court Worcester County Juvenile Courts or Bristol County Juvenile Courts.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Duties of the Staff Counsel II include but are not limited to:

• Supporting and overseeing CAFL trial panel attorneys including helping to ensure that panel attorneys comply with the CAFL Performance Standards including through the use of caserelated data;
• Conducting and coordinating performance reviews of CAFL panel attorneys investigating complaints regarding CAFL trial panel attorneys and providing advice and technical assistance to CAFL panel attorneys;
• Using collected data to analyze and identify issues attorneys face in their efforts to advance client objectives;
• Coordinating the CAFL Mentoring Program in assigned counties;
• Working with Resource Attorneys in assigned counties to help meet the needs of the local bar and facilitate communication with the local courts;
• Evaluating applications for CAFL Certification Trainings;
• Assisting the CAFL Training Unit in presenting programs;
• Preparing and providing information about administrative changes and policies to private attorneys;
• Assisting in developing and updating resource materials for the CPCS/CAFL website;
• Serving as a CAFL representative on various work groups and interagency initiatives;
• Assisting in drafting and publicizing CAFL Performance Standards;
• Assisting with developing agency policies regarding qualification training and performance requirements billing processes and other procedures related to the assignment and compensation of private panel attorneys;
• Creating and managing counsel shortage incentive programs; and
• Other duties as assigned.

Staff Counsel II in this unit may maintain a small caseload of child welfare trial and/or appellate clients.

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 DeBowHuang at