Description:
A Massachusetts State Agency is the juvenile justice agency for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. We work with young people who are detained or committed and provide detention, custody, diagnosis, education, and support to young people ages 12-21. Most of the youth served are between the ages 14 and 18. The Department promotes positive change for the youth committed to our care, and has been on the forefront of de-institutionalization, in part, by providing adolescent-focused rehabilitation to youth in residential treatment and engaging all young people we serve in strategies that support positive youth development.There is an opening with A Massachusetts State Agency for an attorney to serve as the Policy and Regulatory Counsel (Counsel II). The Policy and Regulatory Counsel sits within the General Counsel's Office and will serve as a member of the DYS Legal Unit, with significant ties to DYS Operations through senior managers and subject matter experts within DYS. The position will focus primarily on establishing and maintaining a comprehensive approach to the development, review, and revision of DYS policies and regulations to ensure effective implementation, dissemination, compliance, and quality assurance. The individual in the position will be responsible for maintaining a strong connection to the DYS Training Academy and senior management to ensure policy and practice are aligned and incorporated across the Commonwealth.
DYS policies describe the rules and practices for the operation of DYS, assign responsibilities and required action, and dispense information needed for employees to carry out their duties across the DYS continuum of care. The Policy and Regulatory Counsel is charged with coordinating the development, review, approval, and dissemination of DYS policy and procedure as prioritized by the Executive Staff. All DYS policies must comply with relevant State and Federal laws and regulations including those for licensing and other applicable requirements.
The Policy and Regulatory Counsel will serve as primary point of development, review, and revision of DYS policies and regulations. This includes establishing and maintaining a comprehensive process through which policies and regulations are regularly reviewed and revised. They are charged with the creation and maintenance of an internal system for managing the dissemination of new and revised policies and work with the Training Academy and senior managers to ensure implementation of any changes and/or revisions throughout DYS. They will be expected to learn agency practice and priorities, research national best practices, and formulate recommendations for additions or changes to existing agency policy. The Policy and Regulatory Counsel must work with other members of the Legal Unit to maintain the official record of DYS policies and procedures in both printed and electronic formats.
The DYS Legal Unit, headed by the General Counsel, is a small unit with wide ranging responsibilities. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this position may include other special projects as assigned by the General Counsel. In addition to the General Counsel, the unit consists of two Assistant General Counsels, the Director of Investigations, three Investigators, two Hearing Officers, two Paralegals, and the Keeper of the Records. The General Counsel also oversees the DYS Training Academy.
This position will work primarily in the DYS Central Office at 600 Washington Street, 4th Floor in Boston, but may be called upon to travel to other DYS sites throughout the state. Visits to other DYS sites may involve entering a hardware or staff secure residential unit where DYS youth are committed or detained.
Preferred Qualifications:
- At least five (5) years experience practicing law in the public sector, human services, or juvenile justice field.
- Familiarity with government agency processes, including the role of regulations and policies. Experience drafting policies, legislation, or similar regulatory documents.
- Ability to write exceptionally well and communicate effectively.
- Ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with many stakeholders within the agency and externally.
- Ability to establish clear goals, develop plans to achieve them and execute implementation.
- Ability to coordinate the efforts of groups of individuals.
- Ability to conduct legal research, interpret statutes, regulations, and case law.
Qualifications:
First consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.
Minimum Entrance Requirements: Applicants must have a Juris Doctor (JD) degree, admission to the Massachusetts Bar and (A) at least three years of full-time, or equivalent part-time, professional experience in the practice of law.
Incumbents may be required to have a current and valid Motor Vehicle Drivers License at a Class level specific to assignment.
