Job Description - Trial Attorney - CAFL Pittsfield (240007XE)
Description
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) Pittsfield Office.
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.
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 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.
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, 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 family regulation cases;
- Strong interpersonal and analytical skills;
- Ability to work in a community and defense-oriented capacity, both independently and collaboratively.
Job: Legal Services
Agency: Committee for Public Counsel Services
Schedule: Full-time
Shift: Day
Job Posting: Sep 9, 2024, 12:29:21 PM
Number of Openings: 1
Salary: $72,000.00 - $122,163.00 Yearly
If you have Diversity, Affirmative Action or Equal Employment Opportunity questions or need a Reasonable Accommodation, please contact Diversity Officer / ADA Coordinator: Sandra DeBow-Huang - 617-###-####
Potentially Eligible for a Hybrid Work Schedule: Yes
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