News

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Equal Justice America Immigration

Post-Graduate Fellowship at Greater Boston Legal Services

The deadline for applications is February 2, 2019 or until position is filled. The position will begin fall 2019 and will end fall 2021

Since 1993, Equal Justice America has provided opportunities for law students and lawyers to work with legal aid programs across the country.

For more than 100 years, Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) has provided free civil legal assistance to people living in poverty in the Greater Boston area.   Each year GBLS’s attorneys, staff, and volunteers help resolve legal problems, including immigration, domestic violence, consumer fraud, unfair evictions, and juvenile expungements.

THE JOB

Equal Justice America (EJA) is funding a two-year fellow from Harvard Law School to  be responsible for representing clients in a variety of immigration matters, including removal defense, defensive and affirmative asylum claims, special immigrant juvenile status petitions, VAWA self-petitions, U and T visas, as well as other immigration matters before the USCIS, EOIR and federal and state courts. In addition, the fellow will assist in coordinating pro-bono representation; conduct outreach to various community based organizations and attend trainings and maintain up-to-date knowledge of current legal issues surrounding immigration law.

The Fellow will also work closely with GBLS Immigration advocates by collaborating on inter-practice group projects, which could involve shared outreach or legal casework, or developing new strategies for servicing our common clients. The Fellow will be required to provide detailed quarterly reports to Equal Justice America and to blog on at least a weekly basis about their work for EJA’s website.

Qualifications:  Applicants must have graduated with a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School by May 2017, but no later than May 2018; must be a member of the Massachusetts Bar or sit for the Massachusetts Bar Exam no later than July 2018; have a demonstrated commitment to immigration issues affecting GBLS clients; strong oral and writing skills; and team-centered work experience. Prior work experience with matters of immigration law is a plus.  Fluency in Spanish, Haitian Creole or another language spoken by GBLS’s clients is highly desirable. The successful applicant will be collegial, well-organized, and demonstrate a commitment to working with people living in poverty in Greater Boston’s’ large and diverse immigrant community.

Salary and benefits: Salary is based on union scale. Generous benefits package, including 100% paid health and dental insurance for full-time employees and student loan repayment assistance plan for eligible attorneys. GBLS is an AA/EO/Handicapped employer committed to diversity in the workforce and regards differences as assets.

To Apply:  Candidates should email a resume, cover letter describing any prior public interest legal work and a writing sample to: Sonia Marquez, Director of Human Resources at jobs@gbls.org.  Please refer to Job Code: IMM/EJA Fellow. The deadline for applications is February 2, 2019 or until position is filled. The position will begin fall 2019 and will end fall 2021.

L-R:  Lindsay Gilman, Cathy Spaulding, Greg Sneed, Marie Chafe, Christine Knipper and Michelle Schaffer 

PRACTICAL SKILLS SEMINAR

BIAS IN THE COURTROOM:

HOW TO IDENTIFY AND AMELIORATE ITS IMPACT IN COURT

FOR DISTRICT COURT AND SUPERIOR COURT PRACTITIONERS

FREE TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE BAR

NO PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED

ALL ATTORNEYS WELCOME

Wednesday, June 6, 2018 – 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Main Courtroom, Norfolk Superior Court

THE PROGRAM

-Cognitive Bias and its Effect on Expert Testimony

-A View from the Bench: The Judiciary’s Efforts to Reduce the Impact of  Race and Implicit Bias

-Trial Lawyers addressing Bias in the Courtroom Today: Voir Dire and other Strategies 

FEATURED PANELISTS

Hon. Thomas Connors,

Norfolk Superior Court Regional Administrative Justice

Hon. Julieann Hernon, Circuit Justice, District Court

Hon. Peter Krupp,  Associate Justice, Superior Court

Hon. Rosalind Miller, Associate Justice, Superior Court

Ira Gant, Esq., Innocence Program, Committee for Public Counsel Services  

Charlotte Glinka, Esq.,  Keches and Mallen

Mark Lee, Esq., Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office

Francis J. (Jay) Lynch, III, Esq., Lynch and Lynch 

Christian Williams, Esq., Committee for Public Counsel Services

Hosted by the Superior Court and District Court Bench-Bar Committees

of the Norfolk Bar Association

Please come prepared with questions, or email them in advance to mary.hickey@jud.state.ma.us

3 CLE Credits available to Bar Advocates

The Judicial Nominating Commission has requested Applications:

 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Superior Court* - Application Deadline: May 21, 2018                           

Various 2018 Vacancies           

 

*In anticipation of mandatory and potential voluntary retirements in 2018, we are posting Superior Court as open for applications. 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The following has been reposted:

Probate and Family Court – Application Deadline: April 17th   

Barnstable 
The Honorable Robert A. Scandurra
(July 13, 2018)

 

Contact for Questions:

Olga Shulman

Deputy Director

Judicial Nominating Commission

Office of the Governor

olga.shulman@state.ma.us  

(617) 725-4031

Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) seeks to hire two attorneys to fill temporary, full time positions in its Family Law Unit; one attorney to provide family law legal services to and on behalf of victims of domestic violence in contested matters in the Probate and Family Courts in GBLS services area (Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, and Plymouth Counties) and in related legislative, administrative and systemic efforts; and one generalist attorney to work with a team that provides civil legal aid under a grant supporting the collaborative delivery of services to victims of crime across Massachusetts. LTT Generalist Attorney: April 1 – December 31, 2018. The Generalist Attorney will provide legal services in multiple areas of substantive law including but, not limited to, landlord/tenant, public benefits, employment benefits, consumer law, and family law. The attorney will also act as the coordinator of all services delivered pursuant to this grant and play a role in the greater collaboration with other legal services programs across the state. Employment requirements: Admitted to the Massachusetts Bar; Minimum three (3) years’ and no more than five (5) years’ experience in at least three of the noted subject areas. Job Code: LTT-GA Family Law Attorney: May 1, 2018 – April 30, 2019.The attorney will work in the Family Law Unit to provide legal services to and on behalf of victims of crime in contested matters in the Probate and Family Courts in GBLS’s service area (Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, and Plymouth Counties) and in Abuse Prevention Proceedings in all courts in the GBLS service area. Employment requirements: Admitted to the Massachusetts Bar; minimum three (3) years’ but not more than five (5) years’ experience in Family Law; experience working with low income clients. Job Code: LTT-ATT Other information: The time period for these positions have the potential to be extended depending on program needs. Bilingual capacity a plus. Must be able to drive to courts and events in other counties and parts of the state. Salary is based on a union scale. Generous benefits package, including 100% paid health and dental for full-time employees and student loan repayment assistance plan for eligible attorneys. Candidates should submit a cover letter, resume and brief writing sample to Sonia Marquez, Director of Human Resources, via e-mail at jobs@gbls.org. Please refer to the Job Codes as stated above when applying for these positions. Deadline is April 10, 2018 or until the position is filled.

The Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association is hiring for 4 positions: a full-time Legal Advocate at our Eastern Region Legal Intake (ERLI) unit; a part-time Technology Project Assistant (24-month position); and two full-time Staff Attorneys to work in our Family Law, Housing, and Bankruptcy units.

 Jobs descriptions are posted at https://www.vlpnet.org/about/item.8158-Employment_Opportunities. 

Colleagues,

We are still far short of the number of judges we need to run this tournament.  

This is the tournament to decide which New England law school teams will represent us in the National Championships in Texas, the Superbowl of law school trial advocacy competitions.  Thirteen New England Law Schools are competing.  These students have practiced and trained for months for this moment.  Please give three or four hours of your time to make this event a success.

On February 8-11, 2018, thirteen of the 15 ABA-accredited law schools in New England will compete for the New England Championship of the National Trial Competition.  

As in past years, we need your help to score the advocates.  We need trial lawyers to act as presiding judges and to score  from the jury box.  Without your help, this competition cannot go on.

Trials will be in the Suffolk County Superior Courthouse on Thursday Feb 8 and Friday Feb 9 at 4 pm and Saturday Feb 10 at 9 am and 1 pm.  

Here is a link to the website for you to sign up:

http://www.suffolk.edu/law/student-life/75302.php

I really appreciate your help.  

See you there!

Professor Timothy Wilton

Suffolk University Law School

120 Tremont Street

Boston, MA 02108-4977

617-573-8214

Director, Trial and Appellate Advocacy Concentration

Head Coach, National Trial Team

PART-TIME PARALEGAL POSITION

Asian Outreach Project                                             

Greater Boston Legal Services is looking to hire a part-time (60%) paralegal to work in the Asian Outreach Project.

Deadline for applications is August 7, 2017 or until the position is filled.

The Asian Outreach Project, housed in the Employment Unit,  works closely with community based organizations to educate and advocate for the legal rights of indigent clients and in particular, immigrant clients.

The paralegal will conduct outreach/intake activities, provide community legal education, represent individual clients in administrative proceedings, and represent community-based client groups.  The paralegal will be a generalist, providing legal assistance in substantive law areas such as housing, employment, family, immigration, and public benefits. 

GBLS is looking for a paralegal who is bilingual in Chinese (Mandarin and/or Cantonese fluency is required; additional dialects are welcome).  An understanding of Asian/Asian American history and culture, and experience working with Asian immigrant communities is preferred.  Strong interpersonal skills and a commitment to working with low-income immigrants with limited-English proficiency are required.

GBLS is an AA/EO/Handicapped accessible employer committed to diversity in the workforce. Salary is based on union scale. Generous benefits package includes pro-rated (60%) paid health and dental insurance.

Interested candidates should submit a resume with a cover letter describing any prior public interest legal work and/or experience working with the Asian immigrant community to:  Sonia Marquez, Director of Human Resources, at Greater Boston Legal Services, 197 Friend Street, Boston, MA 02114 or via email at jobs@gbls.org. 

Please refer to Job Code: AOU/EU- Para.  Deadline for applications is August 7, 2017 or until the position is filled.

STAFF ATTORNEY POSITIONS

Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) seeks three full time staff attorneys to work as a team to provide civil legal aid under a grant supporting the collaborative delivery of services to victims of crime across Massachusetts.

Deadline is July 25, 2017 or until positions are filled.

Generalist Attorney: The Generalist Attorney will provide legal services in multiple areas of substantive law including but, not limited to, landlord/tenant, public benefits, employment benefits, consumer law, family law, and immigration law. The attorney will also act as the coordinator of all services delivered pursuant to this grant and play a role in the greater collaboration with other legal services programs across the state. Employment requirements: Admitted to the Massachusetts Bar for no more than 5 years; and at least 3 years of experience in multiple substantive practice areas.  Job Code: CLAVC-GA

Family Law Attorney: The attorney will work in the Family Law Unit to provide legal services to and on behalf of victims of crime in contested matters in the Probate and Family Courts in GBLS’s service area (Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, and Plymouth Counties) and in Abuse Prevention Proceedings in all courts in the GBLS service area. Employment requirements: Admitted to the Massachusetts Bar for no more than 2 years; and experience working with low income clients. Job Code: CLAVC-FLA

Immigration Attorney: The attorney will provide a wide variety of immigration law services to victims of crime including, but not limited to, VAWA petitions; U-Visa; adjustment of status; Special Immigrant Juvenile matters. Employment requirements: Admitted to the Massachusetts Bar for no more than 3 years; and at least 2 years of Immigration Law experience. Job Code: CLAVC-IMMA

Other information: These positions are guaranteed for two years with a strong possibility of a third year of grant funding. Bilingual capacity in Spanish, Haitian-Creole, Cantonese, Mandarin, or Portuguese strongly desired. Must be able to drive to courts and events in other counties and parts of the state.

GBLS is an AA/EO/Handicapped accessible employer committed to diversity in the workforce and regards differences as assets.  Salary is based on union scale. 

Generous benefits package, including 100% paid health and dental for full-time employees and student loan repayment assistance plan for eligible attorneys. 

Candidates should submit a cover letter, resume and brief writing sample to Sonia Marquez, Director of Human Resources, via e-mail at jobs@gbls.org.  Please refer to the Job Codes as stated above when applying for these positions. 

Deadline is July 25, 2017 or until the position is filled.

Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) seeks a staff attorney to work in the CORI & Re-entry Project. The position will be available on September 1, 2017.  

Applications accepted by July 10, 2017 or until position is filled.

The attorney will provide legal services to people who face barriers stemming from their criminal records related to housing, occupational licensing, employment, training and other opportunities following involvement in the criminal justice system.

The attorney will provide direct legal representation and assistance to low-income clients, including but not limited to: petitioning for criminal record remedies (sealing of  records, correcting inaccurate public and private criminal record reports and recall of incorrect warrants; enforcing federal and state protections that mandate accurate and fair criminal history reporting in the commercial criminal background checks ; advocate with the court or governmental agencies  for people charged with or convicted of offenses that affect their driver's or occupational licenses;  address other collateral consequences of criminal histories. In addition the attorney will engage in legislative and systemic law reform activity, including but not limited to reform of the criminal justice system, occupational licensing, barriers to housing, and record sealing time limits; will collaborate and coordinate with community organizations to connect clients with other services needed to remove barriers to housing, training, employment, and other opportunities and perform community outreach and community legal education.

Requirements: Admission to the Massachusetts Bar;  4 or less years of experience assisting indigent clients in court in expungement matters; experience conducting community outreach events and assisting diverse low income clients  on criminal record sealing issues; experience managing independent projects or assignments; knowledge of Massachusetts CORI laws, EEOC and HUD guidelines related to CORI, and Massachusetts anti-discrimination laws related to criminal records; strong writing, communication, interpersonal, organizational skills; and the ability to work as a team member in a variety of contexts. Bi-lingual ability in a language commonly spoken by GBLS’ clients is preferred but not required.

GBLS is an AA/EO/Handicapped-accessible employer, committed to diversity in the workforce and regards differences as assets. 

Candidates should submit letter of interest and resume to: Sonia Marquez, Director of Human Resources, at Greater Boston Legal Services, via e-mail at jobs@gbls.org. Please refer to Job Code: CORI-ATT when applying for this position. 

Applications accepted by July 10, 2017 or until position is filled.