Children and Family Law Division Trial Attorney - Statewide Positions

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Job Description - 2026 Children and Family Law Division Trial Attorney - Statewide Positions (250006X3)

CAFL’s legal advocacy plays a critical role in cases that affect families. For a parent involved in a Care & Protection case, having a skilled CAFL lawyer may mean the difference between reunification and termination of parental rights. For a teenager in a Child Requiring Assistance case, CAFL’s advocacy may secure necessary services. For siblings seeking stability after court action, CAFL advocates for permanent homes where they can stay together.

New Trial Attorneys begin with a comprehensive training program and ongoing continuing legal education to ensure zealous representation.

Attorneys interested in applying for these positions are invited to submit an application as described below.

Positions will be filled as budgets allow. This posting does not guarantee filling Trial Attorney positions. These positions have an expected start date in early September 2026.

• Interviewing adult clients
• Visiting and interviewing child clients
• Conducting legal research and writing
• Conducting pre-72-hour hearing investigations, including reviewing pleadings and exhibits, interviewing witnesses, gathering facts, reviewing documentation, and drafting appropriate motions
• Obtaining and reviewing the DCF file and action plans; proposing plan changes; advising clients on whether to sign; meeting with court investigators; preparing clients for meetings; preparing motions to strike inadmissible evidence
• Preparing motions regarding discovery; identifying matters requiring hearings; drafting pre-trial memos; developing trial strategy with the client
• Preparing for Foster Care Reviews; reviewing DCF’s permanency plans and filing objections if necessary
• Investigating and representing clients in extraordinary medical treatment hearings
• Filing motions challenging DCF decisions
• Conducting care and protection trials and termination of parental rights trials
• Representing clients in interlocutory proceedings
• Collaborating with the legal team, including social workers and paralegals
• Conducting post-judgment representation
• Performing other duties as assigned

• 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, as a law school graduate under Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:03, or as an attorney licensed in another jurisdiction under SJC Rule 3:04. A recent law school graduate ineligible to practice under SJC Rule 3:03 may be hired as a paralegal with the understanding that they will be promoted once admitted to practice in Massachusetts
• All Trial Attorney positions require travel; access to reliable transportation throughout the state is necessary

Access to home internet suitable for remote work is required.

To apply, please submit a resume and a personal mission statement of no more than two pages detailing your interest in the position, your personal qualities, background, and skills, and what you hope to achieve in your work.

• Foreign language skills are desirable
• Trial experience in termination of parental rights cases as counsel for a parent and/or as counsel for a child or children is preferred
• Demonstrated commitment to zealous advocacy for indigent persons in family regulation cases
• Strong interpersonal and analytical skills
• Ability to work in a community- and defense-oriented capacity, both independently and collaboratively

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 applicable laws. Applicants who have questions about equal employment opportunity or who need reasonable accommodations can contact the Chief Human Resources Officer, Sandra DeBow-Huang at

Agency: Committee for Public Counsel Services

Schedule: Full-time

Shift: Day

Job Posting: Sep 25, 2025, 9:45:51 PM

Number of Openings: 1

Salary: 75,000. Yearly

Potentially eligible for a Hybrid

Work Schedule:

Yes