Description

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the Massachusetts public defender agency, is seeking an experienced attorney to fill a Staff Counsel I position in its EdLaw Project in Springfield. The EdLaw Project is a dynamic team-oriented group that provides a wide variety of experiences to the attorneys who work here from direct client representation to work on policies that affect the practice of education law across the Commonwealth. EdLaw provides the opportunity for attorneys to work specifically at the intersection of school and court to fight against the school to prison pipeline.  

This attorney position will be housed in the YAD Springfield office.  The YAD Springfield office covers juvenile courts in the four most western counties in the state:  Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire.  The EdLaw attorney position will provide direct representation, training, and support on education matters in Springfield and surrounding areas. 

The duties of the Staff Counsel I include, but are not limited to:

• Providing direct support to delinquency and child welfare attorneys through advisory case support, requests for assistance, and ongoing regionally based training; 
• Meeting with clients and conducting intake interviews; 
• Providing direct representation in all areas of education advocacy including school-based meetings, special education team meetings, school discipline hearings and appeals (including possible appeals to district and superior court), state complaints, and other collateral consequences of school failure;
• Providing direct representation in administrative hearings before the Bureau of Special Education Appeals; 
• Maintaining strong working relationships with the local Juvenile Court, Probation, DYS, DCF, DESE, community agencies, and other stakeholders in the Juvenile and Child Welfare systems;
• Participating in state and local coalitions to drive education policy reform;
• Keeping up to date on practice issues and emerging laws to be able to provide appropriate and timely training and assisting with researching, preparing, and publishing training materials, legal outlines, practice guides, and practice advisories;
• Conducting legal research and writing, including preparing papers for National conferences, with publishing opportunities; 
• Mentoring attorneys from area law firms on pro bono education matters; 
• Working on projects related to improving legal representation and outcomes for court involved children; 
• Assisting with the creation of annual plans for education advocacy training programs and projects; and,
• Other duties as assigned.

APPLICATION LINK HERE.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS

• 2-5 years’ experience with education law;
• Experience with the juvenile court system;
• Experience with a community-oriented defender practice;
• Ability to provide trauma informed and culturally competent representation;
• Knowledge of adolescent development;
• A demonstrated commitment to social justice issues and experience working with individuals of diverse backgrounds;
• Knowledge of positive youth development;
• Knowledge of state and local resources of use to youth defendants;
• Understanding of juvenile legal practice and policy issues;
• Experience with the child welfare system;
• Experience working with children and youth; and,
• Fluency in Spanish is strongly preferred.

APPLICATION LINK HERE.