Temporary Attorney - Family Law Project

Description:

Description:
MHLAC is a state agency of the Supreme Judicial Court, created by the legislature in 1973. It seeks an attorney to help discharge its mission of providing legal representation to persons who have or are perceived to have mental health concerns. The person hired will work on our Family Law Project, handling direct representation cases involving child custody and parenting time under the supervision of an experienced family law attorney. The person hired will also directly supervise the Project's full-time AmeriCorps Legal Advocate. The position will last from approximately February 17, 2026, until October 16, 2026, as a temporary full-time attorney filling in for the current Family Law Project staff attorney while on parental leave.

MHLAC offers free legal assistance to indigent people with mental health challenges throughout the Commonwealth. MHLAC's experienced and talented staff focus on identifying and addressing issues faced by significant numbers of clients in common. Approaches to solving client problems depend on the issue itself and the best strategy for accomplishing results. Tactics include class-based and targeted individual litigation, as well as legislative, administrative, and public advocacy. MHLAC's family law practice is designed, and specifically funded, to, through individual case advocacy, combat the perception that persons with a psychiatric history cannot effectively parent.

References and writing samples will be requested of finalists. A criminal background check will be completed for the selected candidate.

How to Apply:
Please submit resume and cover letter via email to hiring@mhlac.org, with the Subject line – “Family Law Attorney position”. Submissions received after January 5, 2026 may not be considered.

Email submissions are strongly encouraged. We will accept submissions mailed, emailed or faxed to our office. Contact Abby Selter at aselter@mhlac.org if further accommodations are necessary:
Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee

100 Hancock Street, Suite 1002
Quincy, MA 02171
ATTN: Hiring
617-338-2347 FAX

The Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee is an Equal Opportunity Employer. As the representative of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its residents, the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee strives to ensure that those working in our office reflect the broad diversity of the communities we serve. The Committee encourages applicants from a broad spectrum of backgrounds to apply for the positions. We will gladly assist applicants who need reasonable accommodations.

Qualifications:
Qualifications:

• Membership in the Massachusetts bar required;
• Law degree from an accredited law school required;
• Experience litigating family law cases strongly preferred;
• Experience in the delivery of legal services to indigent persons preferred;
• Experience with persons with mental health issues, psychiatric disabilities and/or institutionalized persons preferred but not required;
• Ability to work efficiently and multi-task
• Ability to focus attention on detail in all facets of work (writing, interviewing, case presentation, etc.);
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with clients and co-workers under sometimes stressful circumstances;
• Fluency in a foreign language used by significant numbers of MHLAC clients a plus;
• Ability to travel to court hearings and to meet clients required.

Duties:

• Screen new requests for legal assistance from indigent persons with a child custody and parenting time case who have or are perceived to have mental health concerns and/or psychiatric disabilities;
• Interview prospective clients and conduct informal investigations to determine whether potential cases are consistent with office priorities and have legal merit;
• Collect and review documents, pleadings, court orders and other materials relevant to review and consideration of cases;
• Provide legal advice, referrals, brief service and advocacy in the areas of family law (divorces, unmarried parent cases involving custody and parenting time of minor children), restraining orders and domestic violence, and in occasional child welfare involved cases;
• Provide limited assistance representation in some of the aforementioned substantive case areas;
• Litigate cases for clients accepted for representation – conduct discovery and research, engage in motion practice, engage in alternative dispute resolution activities, negotiate with other parties and opposing counsel, identify creative solutions for interventions for families and in settlement negotiations, and handle all aspects of Pre-trial hearings, contested evidentiary hearings and trials;
• When called upon, and in concert with the Supervising Attorney, engage in training and presentations regarding the Family Law Project's advocacy;
• With the assistance of the Supervising Attorney, prepare grant reports and materials to support said reports;
• Supervise the family law case work of interns and AmeriCorps legal advocate.

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