The Youth Advocacy Division (YAD), the juvenile defender division of CPCS, is seeking an attorney for its Fall River Office. YAD Trial Attorneys provide zealous legal representation on delinquency and youthful offender cases using the Positive Youth Development Approach, as well as using all the same criminal defense skills needed to practice in district and superior courts. They also provide post dispositional advocacy and support to DYS committed youth, as well as school-based advocacy.
We fight for equal justice and human dignity by supporting our clients in achieving their legal and life goals. We zealously advocate for the rights of individuals and promote just public policy to protect the rights of all.
Our Values
Courage • Accountability • Respect • Excellence
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MISSION STATEMENT
CPCS is committed to protecting the fundamental constitutional and human rights of our assigned clients through zealous advocacy, community-oriented defense, and the fullness of excellent legal representation. We are dedicated to building and maintaining strong professional relationships, while striving to accept, listen to and respect the diverse circumstances of each client, as we dedicate ourselves to meeting their individual needs. It is our CPCS mission to achieve these goals, and in furtherance thereof, we embrace and endorse diversity, equity and inclusion as our core values as we maintain a steadfast commitment to: (1) Ensure that CPCS management and staff members represent a broad range of human differences and experience; (2) Provide a work climate that is respectful and supports success; and (3) Promote the dignity and well-being of all staff members. CPCS leadership is responsible for ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion. The ability to achieve these goals with any level of certainty is ultimately the responsibility each member of the CPCS community.
AGENCY OVERVIEW
CPCS is the state agency in Massachusetts responsible for providing an attorney when the state or federal constitution or a state statute requires the appointment of an attorney for a person who cannot afford to retain one. The agency provides representation in criminal, delinquency, youthful offender, family regulation, guardianship, mental health, sexually dangerous person, and sex offender registry cases, as well as in appeals and post-conviction and post-judgment proceedings related to those matters.
The clients we represent are diverse across every context imaginable and bring many unique cultural dimensions to the matters we address. This reality creates a critical need for CPCS staff to be culturally competent and able to work well with people of different races, ethnicities, genders and/or sexual orientation identities, abilities, and limited English proficiency, among other protected characteristics.
OFFICE OVERVIEW
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. As of 2020 Fall River's population was 94,000 at the making it the tenth-largest city in the state. Located along the eastern shore of Mount Hope Bay at the mouth of the Taunton River, the city gained recognition during the 19th century as a leading textile manufacturing center in the United States. While the textile industry has long since moved on, its impact on the city's culture and landscape is still prominent. Fall River's official motto is "We'll Try", dating back to the aftermath of the Great Fire of 1843. Nicknamed The Scholarship City after Irving Fradkin founded Dollars for Scholars there in 1958. Fall River is known for its numerous 19th-century textile mills and Battleship Cove, home of the world's largest collection of World War II naval vessels (including the battleship USS Massachusetts).
DIVISION/POSITION OVERVIEW
The Youth Advocacy Division (YAD), the juvenile defender division of CPCS, is committed to ensuring that every indigent child in Massachusetts has access to zealous legal representation in delinquency, GCL Revocation, juvenile murder, juvenile appeals, and youthful offender cases from a diverse and ever improving community of juvenile defenders consisting of both private assigned counsel and staff public defenders. YAD provides leadership, training, support, and oversight to the indigent juvenile defense bar in Massachusetts.
The YAD Fall River office currently is comprised of an AIC, three staff Trial Attorneys, a Social Services Advocate, and an Administrative Assistant, all dedicated to fully address the legal and developmental needs of our clients. The Fall River office is also co-located with the Fall River Child and Family Law Office (CAFL) and the attorneys are expected to collaborate with CAFL regarding crossover representation of clients. The office covers the juvenile courts within Bristol County which includes Fall River, New Bedford, Taunton and Attleboro.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Trial Attorneys provide zealous legal representation on delinquency and youthful offender cases using the Positive Youth Development Approach, as well as using all the same criminal defense skills needed to practice in district and superior courts. They also provide post dispositional advocacy and support to DYS committed youth, as well as school-based advocacy. Trial Attorneys also work on projects related to improving legal representation and outcomes for court involved children. In addition, Trial Attorneys play a leadership role in working towards reducing the racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system.
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 in good standing, as a law school graduate under Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:03, or as the member of the bar of another jurisdiction eligible to engage in limited Massachusetts practice under Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:04;
• Access to an automobile in order to travel to courts, clients, and investigation locations that are not easily accessible by public transportation; and,
• Access to a personal computer with home internet access sufficient to work remotely.
QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS
• Experience with criminal, especially juvenile defense;
• 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 juvenile defendants;
• Understanding of juvenile justice practice and policy issues;
• Experience with educational system advocacy;
• Experience with the child welfare system;
• Experience working with children and youth; and,
• Lawyers with four or more years of experience are encouraged to apply.
This position will remain open until filled. Candidates who apply prior to September 5, 2023 will be given priority.
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.
To be considered for this position, please apply at: https://careers-publiccounsel.icims.com/jobs/2391/trial-attorney---yad-f...