Committee for Public Counsel Services
Staff Counsel - EdLaw
Committee for Public Counsel Services, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
Overview
The Youth Advocacy Division of the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the Massachusetts public defender agency, is seeking to fill a Staff Counsel position in its EdLaw Project. The EdLaw Project is a dynamic team seeking to shut down the school to prison pipeline. EdLaw attorneys engage in direct client representation, provide extensive technical assistance and mentoring to CPCS attorneys and bar advocates, and engage in statewide education policy advocacy and litigation.
This position may be seated anywhere in the Commonwealth in available CPCS office space.
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
Position Overview The EdLaw Project of CPCS is seeking an education attorney to join our team. The EdLaw Project provides direct representation to children and young people involved with the juvenile court, legal training and support to attorneys and social workers, and free advice and consultation to families across the state. The education attorney position will have responsibilities across all areas listed above. Attorneys with a minimum of five years of experience are encouraged to apply. The attorney will report to the Director of Education Advocacy or to the EdLaw Supervising Staff Attorney depending on level of experience.
Qualifications MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS
Attorneys 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;
Access to an automobile to travel to courts, clients, and school locations that are not easily accessible by public transportation; and,
Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely.
QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS
Candidates should possess the following attributes for the position of Staff Counsel:
Experience providing direct education law representation (five or more years preferred). Candidates with fewer years of experience who demonstrate strong knowledge, initiative, and the ability to manage an active caseload will be fully considered.
Experience with the juvenile court system;
Experience with the child welfare system;
Experience with state agencies such as DCF, DMH and DDS;
Ability to provide trauma informed and culturally competent representation;
A demonstrated commitment to justice;
Experience working with children and young people of diverse backgrounds;
Knowledge of state and local resources of use to children and young people;
Understanding of juvenile legal practice and policy issues; and,
Fluency in Spanish, Portuguese or Haitian‑Creole is strongly preferred.
Responsibilities RESPONSIBILITIES
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.
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
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This position may be seated anywhere in the Commonwealth in available CPCS office space.
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
Position Overview The EdLaw Project of CPCS is seeking an education attorney to join our team. The EdLaw Project provides direct representation to children and young people involved with the juvenile court, legal training and support to attorneys and social workers, and free advice and consultation to families across the state. The education attorney position will have responsibilities across all areas listed above. Attorneys with a minimum of five years of experience are encouraged to apply. The attorney will report to the Director of Education Advocacy or to the EdLaw Supervising Staff Attorney depending on level of experience.
Qualifications MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS
Attorneys 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;
Access to an automobile to travel to courts, clients, and school locations that are not easily accessible by public transportation; and,
Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely.
QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS
Candidates should possess the following attributes for the position of Staff Counsel:
Experience providing direct education law representation (five or more years preferred). Candidates with fewer years of experience who demonstrate strong knowledge, initiative, and the ability to manage an active caseload will be fully considered.
Experience with the juvenile court system;
Experience with the child welfare system;
Experience with state agencies such as DCF, DMH and DDS;
Ability to provide trauma informed and culturally competent representation;
A demonstrated commitment to justice;
Experience working with children and young people of diverse backgrounds;
Knowledge of state and local resources of use to children and young people;
Understanding of juvenile legal practice and policy issues; and,
Fluency in Spanish, Portuguese or Haitian‑Creole is strongly preferred.
Responsibilities RESPONSIBILITIES
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.
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
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