Attorney Child Welfare & Tribal Court Practice

Peers and Partners, Inc. (Peers) is a management consulting and professional services company headquartered in Atlanta, GA. With a commitment to excellence and client service, we collaborate with federal agencies and commercial organizations to tackle complex challenges in health and education. At Peers, we are more than consultants—we are Partners dedicated to meaningful change.

We are seeking an Attorney with expertise in Child Welfare and Tribal Court Practice to support the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Children’s Bureau by providing subject matter expertise on child welfare court processes, best practices, and legal frameworks, with a particular focus on Tribal communities. In this role, you will support evaluation and implementation technical assistance activities by advising on legal and judicial practice considerations, contributing to development of guidance and tools, and supporting cross-site learning and dissemination efforts related to child welfare court practices. You will work collaboratively with evaluators, federal staff, grant recipients, and Tribal partners to ensure that legal considerations are appropriately integrated into evaluation activities and best-practice recommendations.

General Duties:

• Legal Expertise & Best Practices: Provide subject matter expertise on child welfare law, court processes, and judicial best practices, with particular emphasis on Tribal child welfare courts and Tribal–state collaboration.


• Tribal Court Practice: Advise on legal frameworks impacting Tribal communities, including application of ICWA and Tribal sovereignty considerations, to inform evaluation, implementation, and technical assistance activities.


• Evaluation Support: Support local and cross-site evaluations by contributing legal and court practice perspectives to evaluation designs, frameworks, and interpretation of findings related to child welfare systems.


• Technical Assistance: Provide technical assistance to grant recipients and partners on child welfare court practice, legal compliance, and incorporation of evidence-informed court strategies into implementation.


• Guidance & Product Development: Contribute to development and review of tools, briefs, and resources that document promising and best practices in child welfare court operations, particularly those relevant to Tribal communities.


• Stakeholder Collaboration: Collaborate with federal staff, evaluators, Tribal partners, courts, and child welfare practitioners to support knowledge sharing and alignment with Children’s Bureau priorities.


• Knowledge Dissemination: Support dissemination of findings and best practices through reports, webinars, convenings, and other knowledge-sharing activities for the child welfare field.

Qualifications:

• Educational Background: Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school; active bar membership in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.


• Professional Experience: Minimum of 5–6 years of professional experience in child welfare law, including substantial experience working with child welfare courts.


• Tribal Child Welfare Expertise (Required): Demonstrated experience working with Tribal child welfare systems and/or Tribal courts, including application of ICWA and Tribal–state child welfare coordination.


• Policy & Practice Knowledge: Deep understanding of child welfare legal frameworks, court improvement efforts, and evidence-informed judicial practices.


• Technical Assistance or Advisory Experience: Experience providing guidance, training, technical assistance, or policy support to courts, agencies, or community-based organizations.


• Federal Context (Preferred): Familiarity with federally funded child welfare programs, evaluations, or technical assistance initiatives.


• Interpersonal Skills: Strong analytical, communication, and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, work independently, and collaborate effectively with stakeholders.