Overview The Children and Family Law Division of the Committee for Public Counsel Services, the public defender agency for Massachusetts, is seeking a full-time Paralegal for our Trial Panel Support Unit. The Unit provides leadership, oversight, and support to the 800-plus private attorneys who represent CPCS clients in family regulation matters involving children, young adults, and their families. This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule and while the office is located in Boston, it may be possible to situate this position in an office outside of Boston. 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 of 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. DIVISION AND OFFICE OVERVIEW The Children and Family Law Division provides attorneys to children, young adults, and indigent parents in care and protection (C&P), termination of parental rights (TPR), child requiring assistance (CRA), and guardianship-of-a-minor cases, as well as in other civil matters involving children and young adults in which there is a right to an attorney. The vast majority of CAFL clients are represented by trial panel attorneys. Most CAFL cases are heard in the Juvenile Court. CAFL assignments, however, also require a significant amount of out-of-court advocacy, primarily with the Department of Children and Families, but also with schools and with other state and private agencies. The Trial Panel Support Unit provides leadership, support and oversight to the 800-plus private attorneys who represent CPCS clients in matters involving children, young adults, and their families. POSITION OVERVIEW The Paralegal will work in the CAFL Administration Trial Panel Support Unit (TPSU) in Boston to assist the attorneys and other staff in the CAFL Division in their efforts to improve the representation of children and parents in care and protection, termination of parental rights, and other proceedings in the Juvenile Court and the Probate and Family Court. As a member of the TPSU, the Paralegal works with other members of the team to track child client contact by attorneys and maintain the performance evaluation process of private panel attorneys. The Paralegal will also coordinate the TPSU data management system including utilizing PICK and other databases to identify research needs and providing data and reports to CAFL Administration and other stakeholders. This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule and while the office is located in Boston, it may be possible to situate this position in an office outside of Boston. The Paralegal reports to the CAFL Trial Panel Director. Qualifications MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS Candidates must have: * A Bachelor's degree or Paralegal certificate; and, * Access to a personal computer with home internet access sufficient to work remotely. Substitution: Two years of paralegal experience may be substituted for the degree/certificate. QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS * A strong interest in seeking sustainable systemic and institutional reform on behalf of CPCS's indigent clients in all practice area; * A Bachelor's degree in criminology, sociology, public administration, computer science, statistics, mathematics, economics, or related field is preferred; * Experience with data analysis, particularly in public policy; * Facility with MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook; * Excellent organizational skills; * Ability to perform factual research via internal records, public records and on-line databases; * Ability to perform data analysis; * Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing; * Skills and experience in interacting with persons of various social, racial, cultural economic and educational backgrounds; * Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and persuasively orally and in writing; and, * Ability to work independently and as part of a team. Responsibilities RESPONSIBILITIES The duties of the Paralegal include, but are not limited to: * Tracking and maintaining records of child client contact by private panel attorneys; * Monitoring attorney compliance with client contact reporting requirements; * Managing performance evaluation system of private panel attorneys including scheduling and managing return of information; * Communicating with private panel attorneys regarding performance reviews; * Supporting TPSU Staff Counsel by initiating and tracking responses to performance evaluation process; * Coordinating the TPSU data management systems, including identifying research needs and providing studies, reports, and data; * Supporting TPSU attorneys with FOIA and other data requests as appropriate; * Supporting TPSU staff in managing the private panel attorney Continuing Legal Education requirements; * Preparing reports for the Deputy Chief Counsel as needed; * Working collaboratively with the IT Department on data management; 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