Staff Attorney - Family Law And Guardianship

POSITION: Staff Attorney ? Family Law and Guardianship

DAYS/HOURS: Monday ? Friday, 8:30 a.m. ? 4:30 p.m. (w/ some evening trainings)

REPORTS TO: Geraldine Gruvis-Pizarro, Esq., Director of Advocacy and Pro Bono

UNIT(S): Family Law and Guardianship

LOCATION: 7 Winthrop Square, Second Floor, Boston, MA 02110 * Hybrid

SALARY: Starting at $70,000-$80,000, Commensurate with experience.

• This position is hybrid that also requires in person attendance to weekly Family Law and Guardianship clinics in Boston and Woburn

This application will remain open until the position has been filled.

SUMMARY OF POSITION:

The Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association (VLP) is a non-profit legal services organization that provides free civil legal assistance to low-income residents of Greater Boston, primarily through the pro bono services of private attorneys. We are seeking a full-time staff attorney with a dedicated commitment to the communities and people we serve to work in our family law and guardianship units. The Staff Attorney will conduct training, answer substantive questions from volunteers, identify appropriate referrals as well as participate in weekly Family Law & Guardianship clinics as well as rotate as an on-call attorney at our call center.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION/TRAINING:

• Law degree from an accredited law school.
• Admission to and good standing in Massachusetts bar

PREFERRED EDUCATION/TRAINING/KNOWLEDGE: Highly Preferred

• Highly Preferred Bilingual Spanish
• Experience with Legal Server case management software

REQUIRED MENTAL/PHYSICAL ABILITITES/SKILLS:

• 1-3 years in full-time family law and guardianship practice, including litigation
• Proficiency in use of Microsoft Office Suite
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong organizational skills and ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines
• Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues and with staff at outside organizations
• Ability to effectively engage with the private bar to recruit, train and mentor volunteer attorneys
• Ability to use a computer several hours per day
• Ability to communicate in person, by telephone, and by computer
• Ability to travel to courthouses and other clinic locations in Greater Boston

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• Maintain updated substantive knowledge in family law and guardianship law
• Attend weekly unit case review meetings
• Effectively and efficiently handle a small caseload
• Provide substantive family law and guardianship supervision at weekly clinics, including answering questions and reviewing advice and drafts of documents and closing cases
• Supervise and mentor interns and pro bono attorneys
• Review cases for merit and alignment with priorities
• Conduct training for volunteers, often during evening hours
• Prepare cases for pro bono assignment, including reviewing memos and documents
• Assist in placement of cases with pro bono attorneys
• Monitor pro bono cases to ensure quality and competent representation
• Other responsibilities as needed

Practice Areas & Specialty

Family Law, Litigation