Job Description

Overview

CAFLs legal advocacy plays a critical role in cases that affect families. For a parent involved in a Care & Protection case, having a skilled CAFL lawyer may mean the difference between the familys reunification and the termination of parental rights. For a teenager who is the subject of a truancy Child Requiring Assistance 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. For siblings looking for stability after the court has freed them for adoption, CAFL a CAFL attorney will fight to ensure that they are provided a permanent home one that allows them to stay together.

New Trial Attorneys in the CAFL Offices begin their CPCS career with a nationally recognized, comprehensive, skills-based training course to ensure they are ready to represent their clients to their full capabilities. Continuing legal education programs for new and experienced Trial Attorneys are held periodically to ensure that our Trial Attorneys are up to date on the law and have the skills necessary to provide zealous representation to their clients.

Attorneys interested in applying for these positions are invited to submit an application, as further described below.

Positions will be filled as our FY26 & FY27 budgets allow. This posting does not guarantee that we will be filling Trial Attorney positions.

These positions have an expected start date in early September 2026.

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 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, 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; and,
• Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

To apply, please submit a resume and personal mission statement of no more than two pages detailing your interest in the position, your personal qualities, background, and skills, and what you hope to achieve in your work.

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.

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

All applicants must apply directly through the CPCS iCIMS website. If you apply through Mass Careers and do not complete the CPCS iCIMS application, you will not be considered for this position. Please use the following link to apply (copy and paste into your browser if the link does not work):

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