Mother's Outreach Network: Senior Counsel for Family Defense and Strategic Litigation

ABOUT MOTHER’S OUTREACH NETWORK

Mother’s Outreach Network, Inc. (MON), based in Washington, DC, is a nonprofit, tax exempt, racial justice and antipoverty organization advancing family preservation by transforming income and family regulation laws, policies, and practices from punitive to empowering. We use movement lawyering strategies that build parents’ power, reduce harm, shrink the reach of family policing systems, shift resources to community based supports, and eliminate unnecessary surveillance of families.

MON advances this work through three primary programs:

• Legal: representation, advice, and referrals for mothers navigating/ defending against CPS intervention, including practice in DC Superior Court related to CFSA involvement and CFSA connected family law matters such as custody, visitation, and related proceedings impacted by child protective services involvement.
• Advocacy: litigation grounded strategy and systemic advocacy to transform how systems treat families, guided by families most impacted by CFSA. 
• Community partnership: outreach, know your rights workshops, community driven research, and mutual aid.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Senior Counsel for Family Defense and Strategic Litigation will lead MON’s legal strategy to keep families together by litigating and winning in individual cases, building strong factual records of harm, and using strategic litigation and systemic advocacy as a central tool for durable system transformation. This role is ultimately about protecting parents’ constitutional rights and furthering racial justice, including the fundamental right to direct the care and upbringing of their children and the right to be free from unlawful searches.

This is a senior litigator role for someone who believes parents deserve zealous defense and client led decision making. You will stay close to practice in the DC Superior Court Abuse and Neglect Division while also shaping test cases, appeals, administrative challenges, and amicus work that shrink the system, end harmful surveillance, and move resources toward supports that keep families safely together. A civil rights, community and/or movement lawyering  background is welcome and highly preferred, as this role offers meaningful opportunity to shape policy through litigation in alignment with organizing efforts led by families most impacted by CFSA.

To succeed here, you will partner with families to spot patterns across cases, translate those patterns into a clear litigation pipeline, and mentor a growing legal team to deliver excellent parent defense. You will work in tandem with MON’s policy and legislative advocacy efforts when necessary so that constitutional and practice based litigation lessons strengthen legislative and administrative strategies, and policy wins reinforce litigation goals. The role may also include affirmative and original litigation, including matters filed in federal district court in partnership with colleagues and pro bono counsel, to advance economic justice and protect parental rights in support of family preservation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Family Defense Leadership and Strategic Litigation (60%)

• Participate in and supervise matters in the DC Superior Court Abuse and Neglect Division, including hearings, motions, and appeals strategy.
• Center constitutional rights in litigation strategy, including due process protections, the right to family integrity, and freedom from unlawful searches, and use the legal record to document violations and secure durable protections for parents.
• Coordinate the legal program for the Mother’s Outreach Network Mother Up pilot, including provision of legal representation, assistance, and referrals to participating mothers.
• Develop and advance litigation that may include filings in federal district court, in partnership with colleagues and pro bono counsel, to secure economic justice and protect parental rights in support of family preservation.
• Support appellate and amicus work conducted on behalf of MON through a pro bono program with law firms that specialize in constitutional law, including issue framing, record development, and strategic alignment with MON goals.
• Coordinate litigation with pro bono legal providers and law firm partners, including defining scope, timelines, supervision, and quality control for matters pursued on behalf of MON.
• Lead case strategy and high stakes advocacy, including emergency motions, evidentiary development, and persuasive briefing.
• Build and maintain an issue spotting process to identify repeat harms and unlawful practices, then translate patterns into an action pipeline for test cases, amicus opportunities, and administrative challenges.
• Partner with parents and community advocates to align litigation strategy with parent defined goals, dignity, safety, and family unity.
• Coordinate or support CFSA connected custody and visitation matters when they are part of a CPS intervention context and directly affect safety planning and family integrity.

Courtroom and Practice Transformation (20%)

• Advance targeted court practice, rule, and administrative shifts grounded in what MON sees in real cases, with a focus on due process, shrinking system reach, eliminating surveillance, and shifting resources to community based supports. Coordinate with policy and economic justice colleagues when needed so that court based findings and legislative strategy strengthen each other.
• Draft and analyze proposals related to family defense, reunification, CFSA practice, and court process, and provide testimony when it directly supports litigation grounded goals and complements organization wide policy advocacy.
• Produce concise briefs and memos that translate case lessons into concrete protections and investment priorities for high quality parent defense and family supporting systems.

Mentorship and Supervision (10%)

• Directly supervise a junior staff attorney and any legal fellows, including regular case rounds, review of written work product, and coaching on litigation judgment and ethics.
• Maintain clear supervision systems, including documented plans, timely feedback, and professional development support.
• Foster a supportive, collaborative, justice oriented team culture that prioritizes the well being of staff and clients.

Coalition and Community Partnership (7%)

• Build and maintain partnerships with parent led organizations, grassroots groups, and legal providers to strengthen shared family defense strategy and coordinated litigation goals.

Public Education and Communications (3%)

• Support accessible materials and trainings on parent defense, due process, harms of family policing, and families’ rights, grounded in real case patterns.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• JD from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing with the DC Bar, or eligibility for prompt admission under DC Court of Appeals Rule 49.
• At least 7 years of legal experience with substantial family defense, child welfare, or closely related litigation experience.
• Strong courtroom and writing skills, including motions practice, evidentiary hearings, and urgent advocacy under pressure.
• Demonstrated commitment to zealous parent defense, client led decision making, and shrinking harmful family regulation systems through excellent lawyering and strategic litigation.
• Experience mentoring or supervising attorneys or legal staff.
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience collaborating with impacted communities.

Preferred

• Civil rights and constitutional litigation experience, including pattern based litigation and impact oriented strategy.
• Experience with CFSA, the DC Superior Court Abuse and Neglect Division, and related administrative processes.
• Experience with appeals, administrative hearings, impact litigation, or amicus practice.
• Familiarity with DC legislative and budget processes related to legal services and family supports.
• Lived experience or close connection to the family regulation system.
• Fluency in a language other than English.

COMPENSATION

This is a full time salaried position. Salary range: $120,000 to $125,000 per year, commensurate with experience.

Benefits include health, dental, and vision. Health insurance is covered at 100% for the employee and available to dependents. MON observes all federal holidays, all holidays observed by the District of Columbia, and the week between Christmas and New Year. Qualified attorneys may be eligible for up to $12,000 per year of loan repayment assistance.

TO APPLY

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. To apply, please upload your resume and respond to the application questions.

This search is supported by NRG Consulting Group. Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions.

Mother’s Outreach Network is an equal opportunity employer. We embrace diversity and insist on equity and inclusion in our work environment and in the world. If you have the passion for our mission and have the skill sets to help us fulfill this mission, we welcome you as you are.

Visit www.mothersoutreachnetwork.org for more information.