Youth Empowerment and Trial Strategies Attorney

About the Department

OCR MISSION 

The Office of the Child’s Representative (OCR)'s mission is to give children and youth a voice in Colorado legal proceedings through high-quality legal representation that protects and promotes their safety, interests, and rights.  

OCR VISION 

Justice, opportunity, and healthy families for all court-involved children and youth.

OCR VALUES

• Accountability: Colorado’s children, attorneys, families, and communities can count on OCR to ensure that each decision we make and action we take advances our mission in a fair, equitable, inclusive, and transparent manner.

• Efficiency: OCR strives to accomplish its mission and conserve resources by streamlining efforts, adhering to deadlines, resolving conflict constructively, and honoring well-defined projects, processes, and roles. We balance our drive to achieve with thoughtful planning and implementation.

• Empowerment: OCR cultivates an environment of respect, honesty, and equity. We value the diverse experiences and expertise of the children we serve, our attorneys, and our staff. We invest time to reflect and connect, focus on strengths, value feedback, and recognize success. We stand for justice and support each other in our mission to empower children.

OCR OVERVIEW

OCR is an independent agency within the State of Colorado Judicial Branch that supports and oversees attorney guardians ad litem (GAL), child's legal representatives (CLR), and counsel for youth throughout the state.  OCR contracts with approximately 275 attorneys to provide these services and employs 12 attorneys and five case consultants in its Colorado Springs Office.  OCR is responsible for payment and oversight of attorney services in 12 case types, including but not limited to dependency and neglect (D&N), delinquency and direct file, domestic relations, probate, paternity, and truancy.  

GENERAL STATEMENTS OF DUTIES AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION 

The Youth Empowerment and Trial Strategies Attorney will advance children’s rights and promote equity and justice for children and youth in all OCR case types.  They will ensure excellence in representation and engage in policy advocacy at the state and local level.   

The Youth Empowerment and Trial Strategies Attorney will serve as an OCR liaison to select judicial districts, and support effective litigation as a statewide resource to attorneys on key legal and practice issues.  The attorney will develop strategies, training, and resources to support OCR attorneys in providing excellent legal representation for children and youth.

The Youth Empowerment and Trial Strategies Attorney is exempt from overtime under the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act, serving at the pleasure of the Executive Director of the Office of the Child’s Representative. All prospective employees of the Colorado Judicial Branch are subject to background investigation prior to hiring.

Position Duties

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Oversee and support OCR contract attorneys and staff for all twelve of OCR’s case types as Liaison with Judicial Districts  

• Serve as primary point of contact for OCR attorneys on all legal and practice issues

• Serve as primary point of contact for court personnel and other professionals in the Judicial District 

• Investigate complaints

• Assess sufficiency of pool of attorneys

• Identify performance concerns and training needs

• Monitor compliance with relevant attorney performance standards, case filings and billing activity   

Support OCR attorneys and staff through the development and implementation of youth engagement and empowerment protocols and initiatives

• Monitor state and federal trends.

• Implement strategies to increase youth attendance and participation in hearings and other processes 

• Serve as content lead for OCR’s youth center, ensuring that page contains up-to-date and relevant materials  

• Engage stakeholders to promote youth engagement/empowerment through increased participation and voice.

• Identify shortcomings and recommend changes to current practice regarding youth engagement, empowerment, and rights.

Develop, implement, and advance legal and other strategies for advancing children’s and youth’s interests and rights at the trial level

• Identify opportunities and implement strategies to advance the rights of children and youth through attorneys’ case strategy, courtroom litigation, motions practice, and out of court advocacy  

• Identify practice implications of case law, legislation, and rules (state, federal, and other states as relevant); proactively monitor as appropriate

• Track CDHS rulemaking activities related to GAL/CFY trial level advocacy, update and involve staff and contractors as indicated

• Serve as key staff attorney/content lead on OCR’s trial skills training and develop and deliver training for attorneys on relevant issues

• Keep apprised of effective advocacy practices nationally and in Colorado, communicate research and resources with program staff

• Identify opportunities and implement strategies to advance the rights of children and youth through attorneys’ case strategy, courtroom litigation, motions practice, and out of court advocacy  

• Coordinate OCR’s Second Chair program and other trial level litigation supports

Litigation toolkit coordinator and manager

• Manage OCR’s Litigation Toolkit to ensure relevance, accuracy, and access to its hundreds of pleadings and litigation tools

• Collaborate with OCR’s Appellate and Legal Strategies Attorney in assessing need for updates and new materials

• Serve as one of OCR’s key content contributors to OCR’s litigation toolkit

• Identify appropriate staff and contractor specialists for litigation tools as applicable, assign drafting and updates, coordinate content creation and revision efforts.

Serve as Lead Staff Attorney supporting access to effective legal advocacy for youth eligible for Colorado’s Foster Youth in Transition Program (FYTP)

• Serve as content lead for Colorado's FYTP page.

• Provide updated resources/ training as indicated

• Analyze trends, practices, and practice issues to inform effective case/client advocacy by OCR attorneys and systemic/policy advocacy by OCR

• Provide litigation support on FYTP cases and support other staff attorneys providing such support

• Advocate for statewide preservation and access to the program

• Support OCR's case assignment and screening process by informing development of protocols, problem-solving questions that arise, and updating, as necessary, OCR’s FYTP outreach materials  

Produce legal writing and develop OCR training materials

• Prepare fact sheets, litigation support materials, and other written materials as needed, with a specific emphasis on supporting litigation skills and advancing the rights, interests, and engagement of children/youth.

• Brief writing in consultation with the Deputy and Executive Director.

• Develop and deliver training for attorneys, case consultants, and other professionals, advise Training Director on OCR’s overall training program and training priorities.

• Assist staff on written projects as necessary.

Represent OCR on state, national, and other committees and advance OCR’s policy and programs work through this participation 

• Actively participate in assigned committees to advocate for youth voice, justice for youth, and the needs and interests of attorneys representing youth consistent with OCR’s mission, mandates, and strategic priorities.

• Maintain documentation of relevant committee work and OCR’s participation.

• Update other staff as necessary to support OCR’s policy and programs work.

Support OCR contract attorneys and staff by working collaboratively in all aspects of OCR’s mission

• Assist OCR staff, including the Director, as needed.

• Be helpful and supportive to staff.

• Work constructively with others towards the OCR's mission, vision, and values.

• Assume responsibility for additional tasks as necessary.

Minimum Qualifications

MINIMUM EDUCATIONAL / PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

The successful candidate must:

1. Be an attorney licensed in the state of Colorado, with an active license in good standing.  

2. Have 3 years of work-related experience as a practicing attorney, preferably in juvenile law and/or as a GAL/CFY.  

3. The successful candidate must have strong legal knowledge and advocacy skills, excellent organization and project management abilities, strong written and oral communication skills, exceptional leadership, and a passion for advancing justice and youth rights.  The successful candidate must be creative, self-motivated, and able to work in a decentralized environment without close supervision.  

Preferred Qualifications: Experience representing the interests of children and youth as a GAL, CFY, or another attorney role is preferred. Strong trial skills and experience are preferred.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This position will begin 100% remotely (working from home) with an eventual transition to a hybrid return to the office.  Preference will be given to applicants within the Denver metro area. OCR is willing to consider applicants outside the Denver metro area as long as they reside in Colorado, can effectively perform their job responsibilities from their remote work environment, and will make themselves reasonably available for metro area in-person meetings and other events as required by OCR.

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  This position occasionally handles urgent situations and may be frequently subject to interruptions, multiple calls and inquiries.  

OTHER DUTIES/TRAVEL

The OCR is a small office that must adapt to changing needs quickly, and special projects or duties outside the primary scope of the position may be assigned by the supervisor or Executive Director.  The OCR serves the entire state of Colorado, and agency needs may require travel to events outside of the Front Range, including meetings and conferences (state and national). The estimated amount of work time related to travel outside of the Front Range for this position is less than 15 percent.

Other Qualifications

The Office of the Child’s Representative is committed to providing an environment free from discrimination and harassment based on race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or pregnancy. The OCR is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer fully committed to achieving a diverse work force.  The OCR invites all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how your unique background and/or experiences might contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality and perspective of GAL, CFY and CLR practice.

HOW TO APPLY:

Application packet must include the following:

1. Cover letter 

2. Resume (Please note that per C.R.S. 8-2-121 Job Application Fairness Act, you may redact information that identifies age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.)

3. Minimum of three professional references

4. A writing sample demonstrating your aptitude for advocating for the rights of children and youth at the trial level  

5. In a separate document, please provide a written response to the following prompts:

1. Please describe your trial skills and experience relevant to this position.

2. What do you think are the two most pressing issues impacting children and youth in OCR’s cases? 

Email the application packet to [email protected] by the closing date.

Applications will not be considered that are late, contain documents that are illegible, incomplete or are in a file format we cannot open or read (PDF preferred, Microsoft Word is acceptable).  Be sure your application materials specifically address your experience and qualifications for the position described in this document.  Successful applicants will be contacted to schedule a virtual or in-person interview.  Applications received after the closing date/time will not be considered.

*Each position within the Judicial branch has a certain salary range assigned to it.  Based on experience and other factors, newly hired employees typically begin their employment towards the beginning of the pay range. 

Benefits

Please note that each agency's contact information is different; therefore, we encourage all applicants to view the full, official job announcement which includes contact information and class title. Select the job you wish to view, then click on the "Print" icon.

Agency Information

EmployerState of ColoradoAddress See the full announcement by clicking
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Location varies by announcement, Colorado, -- Website https://careers.colorado.gov/