STAFF ATTORNEY - Family Law Unit

Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) is committed to fair employment practices. We are proud to employ a staff with the cultural and linguistic competency to work within a variety of communities.

Greater Boston Legal Services seeks an attorney with at least two years of experience to join one of our interdisciplinary Response Teams representing families who are involved with the Department of Children and Families (DCF). We call this project the Family Preservation Project (FPP). The FPP works in three-person “Response Teams” that include a lawyer, a case manager, and a parent advocate.

The FPP works with families at-risk of foster care removal by providing both legal representation to parents in poverty-related legal matters like custody, 209A abuse prevention proceedings, housing, and public benefits, appealing adverse DCF decisions, and by providing non-legal help related needs, such as preparing to meet with DCF workers and applying for needed services and benefits. The goal of the FPP is to prevent foster care removal and promote physical, financial, and emotional safety for custodial parents and their children.

Greater Boston Legal Services seeks to have a work force that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage people of all backgrounds to apply. We believe that a variety of professional and personal experiences will help us to create strong, insightful, and trusted teams.

Responsibilities:

• Managing a caseload of family law and DCF administrative law matters that will include full representation cases, as well as counsel and advice and brief service matters;
• Representing clients at all levels of litigation, including trials and Administrative Appeals, and Superior Court;
• Working in coordination with other team members, including non-legal team members and client service providers;
• Providing culturally competent and trauma informed services to all clients;
• Engaging in public education activities, including making and delivering presentations and staffing Q&A sessions;
• Maintaining up-to-date knowledge and skills in family law, DCF regulations and policies, and trial practice;
• Maintaining up-to-date knowledge in other areas that impact GBLS family law clients in order to provide appropriate referrals or advice.

Qualifications:

• This position is for an attorney with 2 or more years of experience;
• The candidate must be admitted to the Massachusetts bar or have comity to be admitted;
• The candidate must have excellent oral and written communication skills;
• The candidate must have the ability to handle and prioritize multiple tasks and to work collaboratively with other attorney and non-attorney staff and partners;
• This position requires the ability to travel to courts and other community locations within our service area;
• Prior family law and/or trial experience is preferred, as this is a litigation heavy position;
• Prior family law and/or trial experience in Massachusetts is a plus;
• Prior experience working with survivors of domestic violence is helpful;
• Prior experience working with low-income families in crisis is helpful
• Fluency in one or more of the languages in addition to English spoken by GBLS clients, such as Spanish, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Cantonese, or Mandarin, is helpful.

Salary & Benefits:

Salary is based on a union scale. As of July 1, 2025, the salary for an attorney with 2 years of experience will be $79,000. GBLS offers generous benefits, retirement contribution, student loan repayment assistance for eligible attorneys, and generous Paid Time Off (PTO) leave.

Candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and brief writing sample to the Human Resources Team via e-mail at jobs@gbls.org. Please refer to the Job Code: FLU-FPP-ATT when applying. Deadline for applications is April 10, 2025, or until position is filled.

At GBLS, we recognize our strength comes from the unique contributions of each team member. We invite candidates from all walks of life and backgrounds to apply.