At Mass Law Reform Institute, we work hard to advocate for justice — and we need a diverse and committed team to fulfill that mission.
CURRENT OPEN POSITIONS
Child Welfare Attorney
The Opportunity:
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) seeks an experienced attorney to lead its statewide child welfare advocacy. The attorney will lead and support strategic campaigns to prevent children and parents from entering the MA child welfare system and to create a well-resourced community-based system of support so Massachusetts children and families can thrive without involuntary state intervention. In addition, the attorney will support the statewide MA Family Preservation Project (FPP) by providing technical assistance, trainings and other forms of substantive support to project attorneys and other advocates in civil legal services programs across the state who are representing families involved in or at risk of involvement in the child welfare system. This position will report to the Deputy Director of Advocacy/Supervising Attorney of the Families & Children practice group.
About MLRI:
Founded in 1968, MLRI is a nationally recognized nonprofit poverty law and policy center that provides statewide advocacy and leadership in advancing laws, policies, and practices that secure economic, racial, and social justice for low-income people and communities. We pursue systems change through litigation, legislative and administrative advocacy, coalition building, community lawyering, and other strategies that address systemic harm to low-income people. MLRI is also the statewide multi-issue poverty law support center for the Massachusetts civil legal aid delivery system; our advocates provide substantive expertise and technical assistance to frontline legal aid field program advocates and to many other advocates and providers who serve low-income people and communities in Massachusetts. See www.mlri.org
Job Responsibilities:
- Lead MLRI’s statewide child welfare/regulatory system policy advocacy, through legislative and administrative advocacy, litigation, coalition building, working with community groups and individuals with lived expertise, and trainings.
- Support the MA Family Preservation Project (FPP), including facilitating monthly workshops and trainings, answering substantive questions from project attorneys related to DCF policies/practices/regulations, managing the FPP listserv, providing guidance and technical assistance on data collection.
- Help drive racial justice advocacy in the child welfare/regulatory system in Massachusetts and integrate a race equity lens connecting the child welfare/regulatory system with other substantive areas of advocacy.
- Lead, engage in or support law reform litigation in the child welfare area.
- Provide or update child welfare related content as needed for external legal information websites (e.g., MassLegalHelp.org, MassLegalServices.org).
- Work with the Massachusetts child welfare coalition to identify long-standing and emerging issues and strategize solutions to advance a collective agenda.
- Cultivate and strengthen relationships with community-based groups and individuals with personal experiences with the child welfare/regulatory system to inform and direct MLRI’s work and support the work of community-based partners.
- Participate in national child welfare advocacy through the State Policy and Advocacy Resource Center (SPARC) and other groups.
- Provide client assistance to child welfare system-involved individuals.
- Assist with financial and other resource development including grant development.
- This job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee; others may be assigned.
Desired Experience & Qualifications:
- J.D. and admission to, or eligible for admission to, the Massachusetts bar.
- Minimum 7 years legal experience.
- Demonstrated experience or background in child welfare law/regulatory system policy and advocacy.
- Experience working with families involved in the child welfare/family system and interacting with the Department of Child and Families (DCF) and with the Court system especially Care and Protection Cases.
- Experience in supporting other advocates through training, provision of information, consultation, and other forms of technical assistance.
- Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to racial justice advocacy including an ability to confront, identify, and develop strategies to dismantle structural racism, bias, and oppression.
- Ability to lead diverse groups effectively and prioritize responsibilities.
- Demonstrated ability to work with people living in poverty, people of color, people with diverse backgrounds and experiences, individuals involved with the child welfare/regulatory system, or community-based organizations and coalitions.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, listening, research and writing skills.
- Ability to think and act strategically, creatively, and collaboratively.
- Bold and creative thinker with a passion for advocacy to change the child welfare/regulatory system.
- Commitment to MLRI’s mission to serve low-income and marginalized populations and to advance an anti-racist, community-driven child welfare advocacy agenda.
Salary and Benefits:
- MLRI offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment.
- MLRI provides a very generous benefits including health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, 403(b) employer match, 403(b) plan employer contribution of 5% after 6 months of employment, as well as vacation, holiday, and family leave.
- MLRI’s Staff Attorney salaries are based on scale and are commensurate with skills and years of relevant post-JD attorney experience. For example, for this position the annual salary range is $70,000 -$91,800 depending on applicant level of experience. Internal equity considerations and average salary of the peer range will be reviewed and taken into consideration. MLRI is currently operating on a hybrid schedule.
How to Apply:
To apply, please email a cover letter, resume and a legal writing sample with “Child Welfare Attorney” in the subject line to: humanresources@mlri.org In your cover letter, please describe your relevant experience with the child welfare/regulatory system and your understanding of the role that racial justice plays in effective child welfare advocacy, and/or that child welfare advocacy plays in achieving racial justice.
Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. Qualified candidates are encouraged to submit their application materials promptly.
Housing and Homeless Staff Attorney
Deadline for Submission:
Application materials will be reviewed and interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis; this is a fast-track hire and qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to submit their application materials as soon as possible.
The Position:
MLRI seeks an experienced, dynamic, and strategic attorney with a background in housing law and policy to join its Housing Practice Group and advocate on behalf of low-income and marginalized people statewide.
Primary Responsibilities:
Coordinate statewide advocacy on the Emergency Assistance family shelter system and rental assistance programs, including legislative and administrative advocacy and trainings. Coordinate and oversee development and updating of community legal education on housing and homelessness topics. These priorities may change based on the experience and qualifications of the applicant and efforts that arise at MLRI. Future work could include facilitating reforms that advance the elimination of housing discrimination and affirmatively further fair housing.
Ongoing Responsibilities:
Together with the Housing Practice Group (HPG), coordinate and facilitate statewide housing coalitions; provide technical support for legal services advocates and community groups on housing and homelessness issues; provide analysis and public comment on housing-related state legislation, budget, and policy; and work with HPG to take on specific advocacy and other projects as they arise.
About MLRI:
Founded in 1968, MLRI is a nationally recognized nonprofit poverty law and policy center that provides statewide advocacy and leadership in advancing laws, policies, and practices that secure economic, racial, and social justice for low-income people and communities. We pursue systems change through impact litigation, legislative and administrative advocacy, coalition building, community lawyering, and other strategies that address systemic harm to low-income people. MLRI’s approach is based on a racial justice and anti-racist framework and uses community-driven and collective impact strategies to advance high impact change. MLRI also serves as the statewide multi-issue poverty law support center for the civil legal aid delivery system; our advocates provide substantive expertise and technical assistance and support to frontline legal aid field programs and advocates and to many serving low-income people.
MLRI’s housing advocates have played a significant role in advancing systemic solutions and policy reforms that achieve housing justice, prevent displacement, empower communities, prevent eviction and homelessness, and preserve housing affordable to lowest income residents. We work in multiple forms through multiple strategies in areas including homeless prevention, public and subsidized housing, tenants’ rights, fair housing, and housing preservation, gentrification and displacement.
Desired Experience & Qualifications:
- Minimum 5 years legal experience preferred.
- Experience or background in housing law and policy including emergency assistance shelter, fair housing, and/or landlord-tenant issues.
- Demonstrated litigation and/or policy advocacy experience.
- Project management experience is highly desirable.
- Demonstrated ability to work with clients, client groups, community-based organizations and coalitions.
- Excellent research and writing skills.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
- Excellent oral communication and interpersonal skills.
- Strong organizational skills, strategic thinker, creative, and collaborative.
- Commitment to MLRI’s mission to serve low-income and vulnerable populations and to advance an anti-racist, community-driven advocacy agenda.
- MLRI offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment that emphasizes work-life balance.
- MLRI provides a very generous benefits including health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, 403(b) plan employer contribution of 5% after 6 months of employment, as well as vacation, holiday, and family leave.
- MLRI’s Staff Attorney salaries are based on salary scale range and are commensurate with skills and years of relevant post-JD attorney experience. For example, the approximate salary range for a staff attorney with 0-9 years of experience is: $70,000-105,000 depending on applicant level of experience. Internal equity considerations and average salary of the peer range will be reviewed and taken into consideration.
- MLRI is currently operating on a hybrid schedule.
How to Apply:
Please email the following required application materials: 1) a cover letter outlining interest, experience and qualifications for the position, 2) a resume, and 3) 1-2 legal writing samples to humanresources@mlri.org. Please note that all required application materials must be submitted in order to be considered for the position. No phone calls please.
Immigration and Immigrant Rights Senior Staff Attorney
The Position:
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) seeks an experienced attorney to join MLRI’s Immigration Practice Group. The Sr. Staff Attorney will coordinate the Massachusetts Immigrant Rights Litigation Coordinating Group (“The Group”), which convenes state entities, non-profits, law schools, law firms and professional bar groups to coordinate immigrant rights related litigation, mentoring, research briefs and legal templates development, and work in concert with the rest of the MLRI Immigration Team to respond to anticipated enhanced immigration enforcement and curtailing of rights at the federal level in 2025 and beyond. The position will be supervised by MLRI’s Sr. Immigration Attorney, Iris Gomez.
About MLRI:
MLRI is a nationally recognized nonprofit poverty law and policy center that provides statewide advocacy and leadership in advancing laws, policies, and practices that secure economic, racial, and social justice for low-income people and communities. We pursue systems change through litigation, legislative and administrative advocacy, coalition building, community lawyering, and other strategies that address systemic harm to low-income people. MLRI is also the statewide multi-issue poverty law support center for the Massachusetts civil legal aid delivery system; our advocates provide substantive expertise and technical assistance to frontline legal aid field program advocates and to many other advocates and providers who serve low-income people and communities in Massachusetts. MLRI leads and coordinates a number of statewide advocacy coalitions in substantive issues areas, including the very active Immigration Coalition which has over 150 members. Visit www.mlri.org.
Desired Experience & Qualifications:
- Law degree and admission to any state bar
- Minimum 5-10 years legal experience in the immigration/immigrant rights field
- Demonstrated commitment to immigrant rights issues that affect low-income people
- Effective interpersonal skills and strong knowledge of federal immigration litigation issues
- Strong leadership skills and the ability to develop and advance advocacy strategies, including systemic litigation and advocacy campaigns, in collaboration with partners
- Experience effectively collaborating with racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse community groups and coalitions; and
- Commitment to MLRI’s anti-poverty mission and to the immigration practice group’s mission and collaborative work style.
Core Responsibilities:
- Assist the Group in developing topic areas and securing law firms, law schools, AILA lawyers and non-profits who can “adopt” and develop deep expertise in the topic areas; coordinate such work in a timely, efficient manner. As litigation areas are developed, reach out to topic experts.
- For federal court cases with potentially higher importance or impact, seek out pro-bono co-counsel if not otherwise available.
- Support the provision of amicus curia briefs in relevant Commonwealth-litigated cases.
- Establish and/or identify research banks on immigration litigation arising during the new federal administration.
- Collaborate with relevant organizations and lawyers to reduce duplication of efforts and
- competing systemic impact court cases and maximize the best use of limited legal resources.
- Identify and liaise with national organizations that can potentially supplement local resources for litigation, such as the National Immigration Project, the National Immigration Law Center, the National Employment Law Center, American Immigration Council, NILA, and others.
- Support the provision of federal court mentorship for newer immigration lawyers that do not have experience going to federal court via AILA’s recruitment process of experienced immigration attorneys familiar with federal practice and via collaboration with nonprofits that run existing pro bono law firm components to explore deeper sharing of federal court expertise.
- Support the Group volunteers who agree to create templates for lawyers with Immigration Court removal cases that raise systemic issues to better streamline efforts for litigation.
- Work with Group member organizations to publicize the availability of the project’s resources.
- MLRI offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment that emphasizes work-life balance.
- MLRI provides a very generous benefits including health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, 403(b) plan employer contribution of 5% after 6 months of employment, as well as vacation, holiday, and family leave.
- MLRI’s Staff Attorney salaries are based on salary scale range and are commensurate with skills and years of relevant post-JD attorney experience. For example, the approximate salary range for a staff attorney with 0-9 years of experience is: $70,000-105,000 depending on applicant level of experience. Internal equity considerations and average salary of the peer range will be reviewed and taken into consideration.
- MLRI is currently operating on a hybrid schedule.
How to Apply:
Please email a cover letter, resume and a legal writing sample with “Sr. Immigration Atty” in the subject line to: humanresources@mlri.org. Please note that all required application materials must be submitted in order to be considered for the position. No phone calls please.
Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
MLRI is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We believe that having a staff, board, and volunteers with diverse personal and professional backgrounds and lived experience enhances our ability to meet our mission and creates an environment where all members of our community can thrive. We strongly encourage applications from people of color, immigrants, women, persons with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people with lived experience of poverty and/or racism, and people from underrepresented and historically marginalized groups.
Resources for legal help and information: