Closing Date: 2nd April, 2024
Description:
Overview:The Immigration Impact Unit of the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is seeking to fill the position of Staff Counsel I to provide immigration advice, training, and litigation support to court appointed Child and Family Law (CAFL) attorneys throughout Massachusetts. The position allows for a hybrid work schedule.
Position Overview:
The IIU supports CPCS staff attorneys and bar advocates in all divisions of CPCS to provide equitable, client-centered representation to immigrant clients and to provide technical assistance on related immigration issues. This position will specialize in the interplay of immigration and child welfare/family regulation law and focus on issues involving immigrant clients represented by attorneys in the Children and Family Law (CAFL) Division of CPCS. The attorney will work with CAFL training and leadership to identify missing resources and support and work to fill those gaps. The attorney will support individual CAFL attorneys in their direct representation and will also provide support on systemic issues.
The Staff Counsel I position will report to the Director of the Immigration Impact Unit and will work in close collaboration with other staff counsel in the IIU.
The position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule.
Qualifications:
Minimum Entrance Requirements:
- Staff Counsel I 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 in good standing, or as the member of the bar of another jurisdiction eligible to engage in limited Massachusetts practice under Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:04;
- Experience in child welfare/family regulation law experience, including trial experience representing both parents and children in C&P cases;
- Access to reliable transportation is required in order to travel to courts, meetings, and training locations that are not easily accessible by public transportation; and,
- Access to a personal computer with home internet access sufficient to work remotely.
Candidates should possess the following attributes for this position:
- At least three years of prior child welfare/family regulation law experience strongly preferred;
- Prior immigration law experience is preferred, especially experience in the interplay of immigration law and child welfare/family regulation law;
- Awareness and experience of cultural competency and language access issues within the child welfare system;
- Excellent analytic and writing skills;
- Prior in person and remote training experience, as well as video editing skills, are highly preferred;
- Proficiency with Excel and data analysis is strongly preferred; and,
- Candidates must be able to work independently and collaboratively and must be committed to working with indigent immigrant clients.
Responsibilities:
The duties of the Staff Counsel I include, but are not limited to:
- Providing immigration advice and expertise on individual cases to court appointed CAFL attorneys throughout Massachusetts, and conducting outreach to increase awareness of the IIU as a resource;
- Developing and preparing written resources, training materials, and practice advisories on relevant issues related to immigrants in the child welfare/family regulation system;
- Collaborating with CAFL management, staff, and training unit to identify and address ongoing needs for support and training of CAFL attorneys;
- Developing and presenting trainings that respond to identified needs of CAFL attorneys with immigrant clients;
- Providing mentoring in cases involving Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, including collaboratively screening for eligibility and reviewing drafts of state court motions, affidavits, and proposed orders;
- Litigating or providing amicus support on cases that raise significant and/or systemic issues impacting CAFL immigrant clients;
- Other duties as assigned.
