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NOTES This clerkship begins September 1st, 2021 - August 31st, 2022. This is a 1 year position. This is a posting to serve as a Juvenile Court Law Clerk in either Eastern, Western or Southeastern Massachusetts. Eastern Massachusett s rotate among Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk and Worcester Counties. Western Massachusett s rotate among Hampden and Franklin/Hampshire Counties, with travel possible to Berkshire County. Southeastern Massachusetts rotate among Barnstable, Bristol and Plymouth Counties. Please read the following instructions carefully before starting the Trial Court online application process. Applications that do not comply with the following may be screened out. Resumes : Resumes must be converted to PDFs (Microsoft Word and text documents will not be accepted) and uploaded with the online application. Specifically, when creating your profile in Step 1 of the online application, choose "Create with Resume" and follow the instructions to upload your resume. Resumes should not include a list of references. GPA: Unless your school does not provide a GPA, you must include your cumulative law school GPA on your resume and enter your GPA on the online application where requested. Location : Please indicate on the application in the space provided what location you are applying for: West, East or Southeast. Reference s: Applicants will be instructed to enter the names and contact information of references during the online application process. Please do not have references contact us directly, whether by mail, email, fax or phone. Letters of Recommendation : Letters of recommendation are optional. Applicants who choose to submit a letter of recommendation must do so via the online application process. Therefore, before starting the online applications, applicants must have PDFs of any letters of recommendation ready to upload. Please do not submit letters of recommendation by other means, such as mail, email, fax or hand-delivery. Other Material s: Applicants selected for interviews should be prepared to submit additional materials if requested, including a statement of interest, an official law school transcript and an additional writing sample. MISSION STATEMENT OF THE MASSACHUSETTS TRIAL COURT The Trial Court is committed to: fair and impartial administration of justice; protection of constitutional and statutory rights and liberties; equal access to justice for all in a safe and dignified environment with policies and practices that strengthen and support diversity, equity, and inclusion; efficient, effective, and accountable resolution of disputes; prompt and courteous service to the public by committed and dedicated professionals utilizing best practices in a manner that inspires public trust and confidence. DEPARTMENTAL MISSION STATEMENT It is the mission of the Juvenile Court to protect children from abuse and neglect and promote opportunities for children to reside in safe, stable, permanent family environments whenever possible, to strengthen families when their children are in need of services, to rehabilitate juveniles, to protect the public from delinquent and criminal activity while holding offenders accountable and addressing the harm suffered by the community and the victim, and to decide all cases fairly and impartially with dedication, integrity and professionalism. Organizational Profile: http://www.mass.gov/courts/juvenilecourt/index.html POSITION SUMMARY The law clerk is responsible for performing legal research and writing assignments to assist the judges of the Juvenile Court, for a one-year term running from September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022. Law clerks work directly with the judges, and under the supervision of the Assistant Deputy Court Administrator, Research Attorney and the Chief Justice. A reliable car and the willingness to travel to courthouses throughout the Commonwealth are requirements of the position. A judicial clerkship in the Massachusetts Juvenile Court offers a unique, exciting and rewarding environment in which to begin a legal career. The Juvenile Court has general jurisdiction over delinquency, youthful offender, children requiring assistance, care and protection, guardianship and adoption proceedings. This posting is for law clerks assigned to Eastern, Western and Southeastern Massachusetts. All law clerks are assigned to rotations by the Assistant Deputy Court Administrator, with the final approval of the Chief Justice. The rotation system gives law clerks the opportunity to work with numerous judges and to gain a broader understanding of the work of the Juvenile Court. MAJOR DUTIES Assists judges in matters before the court by: Discussing legal issues with judges; Performing careful and accurate legal research and analysis, using both online and book resources; Clearly and concisely conveying results of research and analysis to judges, orally and in writing; Preparing well-written and error-free legal research memoranda, and drafting findings of fact, conclusions of law, rationales, judgments and memoranda of decision; Completing assignments in a timely manner and within deadlines established by judges; Performing additional legal research and analysis and further review and revision of written work product as appropriate; and Attending hearings, portions of trials, and other courtroom proceedings, as needed. Rotates among various Juvenile Court locations every six months, as assigned by the Assistant Deputy Court Administrator. Accurately and timely submits all required administrative forms, such as work logs and attendance forms, among others. Maintains law clerk offices and work areas, including updating pocket parts of books as necessary. Performs related tasks as required. POSITION REQUIREMENTS These are the minimum requirements necessary to apply for a position of Law Clerk: Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school or eligibility to sit for the Massachusetts bar exam, as of the start of the clerkship. Excellent legal writing and communication skills. Excellent legal research and analytical skills, using both online and book resources. High professional and ethical standards. Access to a reliable car and the willingness and ability to travel to courthouses as assigned. Experience and knowledge in the use of personal computers, including word processing programs such as WordPerfect or Microsoft Word and legal research services such as Lexis or Westlaw. Demonstrated ability to follow written and oral instructions. Demonstrated ability to manage, prioritize, and complete simultaneous assignments from various judges. Demonstrated ability to work well independently while maintaining productivity and demonstrating good judgment. Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and otherwise complete assignments in a timely manner. Demonstrated ability to work well with others in a professional setting, including judges, managers, court staff, and other law clerks. Genuine commitment to serving the full term of the clerkship. Additional preferred qualifications include: Current legal practice or intent to practice law in Massachusetts. Substantial legal research and writing experience, including prior experience as a judicial intern for a Juvenile Court judge. Courses in juvenile law, research assistant positions, prior work experience in the areas of juvenile law and clinical placements. Familiarity with legal research resources beyond Westlaw and Lexis. Demonstrated commitment to government or public service. The Juvenile Court invites well-rounded and distinguished recent law school graduates and practicing attorneys to apply for the clerkship positions. Solid academic credentials are important, however, there are no rigid requirements regarding class rank or standing. All law clerks must reside in Massachusetts for the duration of the law clerk term. OTHER The law clerks will serve a one-year term from September 1, 2021 until August 31, 2022 at a salary of $ 63,915.70. Employee benefits include subsidized health, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, ten days of paid vacation time, three days of personal time and paid sick time . After submitting your application and the resume through the Trial Court's applicant tracking system, you will need to submit the following supplemental materials via email attachments to: hr.department@jud.state.ma.us Please include the following in the "subject line" of the email: Juvenile Court Law Clerk - Last Name, First Name. In your email, please attach the following document: 1. Writing Sample: Applicants shall submit a writing sample in response to the attached question below. The response shall be in memo format, shall be in Times New Roman 12 font, double spaced and cannot exceed 5 pages. Question : Please respond to the following in the form of a legal memorandum. The memo shall be in Times New Roman, Size 12 font, double spaced. The memo shall be no longer than 5 pages. The Dedham Police filed a delinquency complaint in Dedham Juvenile Court against 16-year old Mike Miller charging him with the following offenses stemming from an incident involving two 13-year old girls in a public park: (1) disorderly conduct, (2) vandalism, and (3) indecent assault and battery on a child under 14. Miller was arraigned on the 3 charges. A week later the Commonwealth indicted Miller as a youthful offender on 2 more charges from the same incident: (1) assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and (2) unlawful possession of a firearm. Following the indictment, the judge ordered that Miller be held at the Department of Youth Services (DYS) on $2500 bail. Miller, unable to pay bail, spent 85 days at DYS before his trial began. The jury trial was held and after deliberations the jury adjudicated Miller a delinquent on the charges of disorderly conduct, vandalism and indecent assault and battery on a child under 14. The jury also adjudicated Miller a youthful offender on the charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm. At the sentencing hearing, noting the seriousness of the charges but also that Miller had never been previously charged with any other offenses prior to this incident, Judge Jones committed Miller to DYS until 18 on the delinquency charges and until 21 on the youthful offender charges. She also ordered that Miller register as a sex offender with the Sex Offender Registry Board (SORB). Miller requested that Judge Jones credit him with time served based on the 85 days he spent at DYS prior to the start of trial on the youthful offender charges, waive the sex offender registration and vacate and dismiss the charges of disorderly conduct and vandalism for lack of jurisdiction. The Commonwealth opposed the requests. Judge Jones has asked that you draft a legal memorandum to her addressing the following issues: (1) Does a Juvenile Court judge have authority to credit time served on a youthful offender sentence? Why or why not? (2) Following an adjudication as a delinquent does a Juvenile Court judge have discretion to waive the requirement to register with the SORB? Why or why not? (3) Based on the facts of this particular case, does the Juvenile Court lack jurisdiction to hear the charges of disorderly conduct and vandalism filed against Miller? Why or why not? HOW TO APPLY: Applicants must apply by completing a Trial Court online application at the following web address: https://careers-trialcourtsofmass.icims.com/jobs/intro PLEASE NOTE: Employment is contingent upon passage of a criminal record check. If you are not currently viewing this posting online, please visit the Judicial Court Jobs website at www.mass.gov/courts to apply for this position or any other Trial Court employment opportunity. No applications or resumes will be accepted by hand, mail, fax, or email delivery. AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER