Overview As Supervising Staff Attorney in YAD (Springfield), you provide zealous delinquency and youthful offender defense while mentoring staff attorneys and helping cultivate a constructive office culture. You will handle a reduced caseload, coordinate coverage across Western Massachusetts Juvenile Courts, and contribute to positive youth development. Your leadership supports racial and ethnic equity within the juvenile system and advances strong, court-based advocacy. This role blends direct client representation with supervision and program improvements that shape outcomes for youth in our care.
Responsibilities- Provide zealous defense in delinquency and youthful offender matters with a reduced caseload
- Supervise staff Trial Attorneys and coordinate court coverage across Western Massachusetts Juvenile Courts
- Engage in post-dispositional advocacy and school-based advocacy
- Lead efforts to foster a positive, inclusive office culture
- Work on projects to improve legal representation and outcomes for court-involved youth
- Help reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile legal system
- Conduct client interviews, arraignment and bail advocacy, legal research and writing
- Perform pretrial investigations, motions, and memoranda; dispositional advocacy
- Participate in trials and interlocutory representations; provide supervision of staff and interns as assigned
- Deliver annual performance evaluations and contribute to in-office trainings
Key requirements- Eligible to practice law in Massachusetts (Mass. bar in good standing, or equivalent admission under SJC Rules 3:03/3:04)
- Minimum five years' experience representing youth in delinquency and youthful offender cases
- Access to automobile for court/investigation travel and home internet for remote work
- Commitment to serving culturally diverse, low-income populations
- Preferred seven or more years' experience; fluency in Spanish is strongly preferred
- Experience with juvenile defense, community-oriented defender practice, trauma-informed representation, and understanding of adolescent development
- strong interpersonal skills
- trauma-informed approach
- cultural competence
- juvenile defense
- criminal defense
- education system advocacy
