Position Description:
The Center for Children’s Advocacy (CCA), the largest children’s rights organization in New England, seeks a dynamic attorney for its Racial Justice Project. CCA is a non-profit organization dedicated to enforcing the legal rights of low-income children. More information about the Center can be found on CCA’s website: www.cca-ct.org.
The Racial Justice Project uses direct legal services, administrative advocacy, litigation, legislative advocacy and collaborative work with communities and agencies to increase educational equity for children and youth of color and defend the civil rights of children and youth of color who are subjected to policies and practices that result in racial disparities in educational opportunity and juvenile justice involvement.
The Project Attorney will:
• Represent individual children and youth of color in education matters, regarding harsh school discipline, illegal push-out, bullying and discrimination in school, and denial of adequate educational services.
• Provide training and legal consultation to parents, faith communities and advocates regarding race and religion-based bullying and discrimination in school, to enable them to protect the civil rights of children and youth of color.
• Engage in legislative and administrative advocacy on the state level to promote systemic reforms designed to increase educational equity and dismantle the school to prison pipeline.
• Lead committees of school system, law enforcement and juvenile court personnel in five Connecticut cities that have high rates of racial and ethnic disparities in school discipline and juvenile justice involvement, to identify and reform local level policies and practices that result in youth of color being treated more harshly by the education and juvenile justice systems.
• Spearhead a transformative shift to restorative justice in the education and juvenile justice systems by advocating for increased use of restorative justice practices in schools and partnering with restorative justice experts to ensure Connecticut juvenile justice facilities replace existing punitive disciplinary and behavior management systems with CCA’s innovative restorative justice paradigm.
• Collaborate with other CCA projects to analyze and address systemic problems in child welfare, youth homelessness and health through a racial equity lens.
The Project Attorney will be based in CCA’s office in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Qualifications:
Minimum of three years related legal experience is required. Experience in education law is preferred.
Initiative, vision, cultural competence and commitment to racial justice is required. Strong organizational, interpersonal and communication skills necessary. Member of CT Bar or ability to waive in required.
Bilingual (Spanish) applicants are encouraged to apply.
Compensation:
Salary and benefits are commensurate with experience.
Please email a cover letter and resume to: Martha Stone, Executive Director, at [email protected]. CCA intends to fill this position as soon as possible.