Supported Decision Making Staff Attorney
The Center for Public Representation (CPR) seeks a staff attorney with up to 3 years of legal experience who is committed to advancing the civil and decision-making rights of people with disabilities and who is dedicated to racial and social justice. This attorney would join our systemic litigation and policy team to promote civil rights, self-determination, community integration, and improvements in services for people with disabilities throughout the country. This attorney would also be an integral part of CPR’s Supported Decision-Making Initiatives, which focuses on ensuring people with disabilities exercise choice in all aspects of their lives.
CPR considers the right to exercise choice as perhaps the most fundamental right people have as human beings. We have long worked to promote guardianship reform and, since 2014, have primarily focused our efforts to promote meaningful alternatives to guardianship, including Supported Decision-Making (SDM). CPR has been a national leader in promoting SDM across the country and internationally with its ground-breaking pilot projects, training, technical assistance, and resource development. CPR provides technical assistance support on SDM throughout the national Protection and Advocacy (P&A) network. CPR also is a lead partner in the Center on Youth Voice, Youth Choice, a national resource center that supports state teams in promoting alternatives to guardianship for youth with intellectual or developmental disabilities. In addition, CPR recently received a grant to make SDM more available to linguistically, ethnically, and culturally diverse communities in Massachusetts and is committed to intentionally integrating its Racial Equity Initiative into its SDM work. More information on CPR’s SDM initiatives is available at https://supporteddecisions.org/ [1].
In this role, you will:
· Be part of a team that initiates, develops, and litigates complex civil rights cases, including both injunctive and damage actions
· Be a key contributor to CPR’s systemic reform initiative agenda
· Incorporate racial equity and SDM principles into litigation, systemic reform efforts, policy advocacy, and CPR priorities
· Advance SDM through training, technical assistance, resource development, and litigation and policy initiatives
· Partner with community-based advocacy and reform coalitions
· Learn and develop expertise in subject matter areas that impact people with disabilities
· Be part of a supportive, collaborative, and creative team that works together to promote community integration, racial equity, and choice for people with disabilities
Qualifications:
Required:
· Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school.
· Member of a state bar
· 0 to 3 years of legal experience
· Demonstrated commitment to people with disabilities
· Strong experience or interest in learning civil rights litigation and advocacy
· Ability to work with and learn from people from a broad range of diverse, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds
· Strong research, writing, and communication skills
· Ability to work independently and within a team
· Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects with supervision
· Working knowledge of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
· Ability to travel
Preferred:
· License to practice law in Massachusetts
· Clinical or litigation experience on behalf of low-income and/or people with disabilities
· Public speaking and facilitation experience
· Bilingual skills
Location
This position can be fully remote or located in our Easthampton, MA office.
Salary and Benefits:
CPR offers a fixed salary scale based on experience. For example, the salary for an attorney with one year of legal experience after law school would be $83,000 and 3 years of such legal experience would be $89,000. CPR offers a unique benefit package, including health, dental, life and disability insurance; paid time off including vacation, sick, personal days and retreat time for individuals, a flexible spending account; and a 403(b)-retirement plan.
CPR’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
In our work on behalf of people with disabilities and in our work together as an organization, we value dignity, respect, and belonging for everyone. To help us achieve our goals and mission, we encourage applications from people with disabilities, people of color, LGBTQI+ community, women, and people who believe they can add unique value to our staff and our mission.
Application
Please send cover letter, resume, and writing sample to Cathy Costanzo (she/hers), Center for Public Representation, 5 Ferry Street, Suite 314, Easthampton, MA 01027, or by e-mail to hiring@cpr-ma.org [2].
Deadline
This position is open until September 30, 2023, or until it is filled. If you are having technical difficulties, or need assistance/accommodations to complete your application, please call (413) 586-6024.