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Request for Proposal for Legal Services

Family Advocates is dedicated to providing effective advocacy children of abuse and neglect for the CASA Program in the 4th Judicial District. Attorneys provide representation to the Guardians ad Litem, who conducts the independent investigation of the case. CASA wrestles with the increasing number of child protection cases requiring volunteers and is looking for a contracted attorney(s) to assist in the overflow of cases. $100,000 is committed through June 30, 2019 to legal services in CASA. Our goal is to supplement our current volunteer attorney pool with paid services. A Request for Proposal for Legal Services can be found on our website: , and all proposals must be submitted by noon on October 11, 2018 via email (jaime@familyadvocat.wpengine.com).

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR LEGAL SERVICES

FOR THE PERIOD

October 15, 2018 to June 30, 2019

 

Inquiries and proposals should be directed to:

Jaime Hansen, Executive Director via email at jaime@familyadvocat.wpengine.com

Proposals will be accepted until Thursday, October 11th at noon

 

  1. GENERAL INFORMATION
  • This request for proposal (RFP) is to contract for short-term legal services to Family Advocates and the Guardians ad Litem (GALs) that represent the best interests of children of abuse, neglect, and abandonment in the Fourth Judicial District. This legal representation will supplement our current pro-bono attorney pool, increasing the number of children served by the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Program.
  • Who May Respond. Only attorneys currently licensed to practice law in Idaho and maintain an office locally, or law firms including such attorneys, may respond to this RFP.
  • Instructions on Proposal Submission.
    • Closing Submission Date. Proposals must be submitted no later than noon (MST) on October 11th.
    • Inquiries. Inquiries concerning this RFP should be emailed to: Jaime Hansen, Executive Director of Family Advocates at jaime@familyadvocat.wpengine.com.
    • Conditions of Proposal. All costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal responding to this RFP will be the responsibility of the Offeror and will not be reimbursed by Family Advocates, herein referred to as FA.
    • Instructions to Prospective Contractors. Your proposal should be emailed to jaime@familyadvocat.wpengine.com and addressed as follows:

Jaime Hansen

Executive Director

Family Advocates

3010 W. State Street

Boise, ID 83703

  • Right to Reject. FA reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received in response to this RFP. A contract for the accepted proposal will be negotiated between parties based on the factors described in this RFP.
  • Small and/or Minority Owned Businesses. Efforts will be made by FA to utilize small businesses, women, and/or minority-owned businesses.
  • Notification of Award. It is expected that a decision will be made by Friday, October 12th by noon (MST). Upon conclusion of final negotiations with the successful Offeror, all Offerors submitting proposals in response to this RFP will be informed, via email, of the status of their proposal. It is expected that the term of agreement shall become effective on Monday, October 15th, 2018 and end on June 30, 2019. Total cost for all services WILL NOT exceed $100,000. Additional terms for services may be requested.
  • Description of Entity. FA is a Boise-based 501c3 nonprofit agency offering Family Strengthening Programming in Boise, Caldwell, and Mountain Home as well as the CASA Program in Ada, Boise, Elmore, and Valley Counties of Idaho (4th Judicial District). Governed by a board of no more than 20 directors, FA works with 122 active volunteer Guardians ad Litem and 60 pro-bono attorneys to provide the best interests of children in abuse, neglect, and abandonment cases. FA works to strengthen families and keep kids safe by empowering people to protect and enrich the lives of youth.

2. SCOPE OF SERVICES. The Offeror shall be readily available to perform the following legal services, as requested by the Executive Director and/or CASA Program Director:

  • Provide legal representation, as needed, for GAL volunteers in all hearings and at all stages of the child protection case.
  • Review GAL reports and provide advice/recommendations to the GAL as needed.
  • Provide high quality legal advice to the CASA program as needed.
  • Participate in monthly Child Protection CLEs.
  • Draft a “form bank” with standardized legal templates for distribution to the entire CASA Attorney Pool.
  • Substitute in the courtroom for CASA attorneys who are unable to attend (upon a minimum of 2-business days’ notice).
  • Provide mentorship to newer CASA attorneys.
  • Coordinate with the CASA program on any potential appeals.
  • Be a member of the Child Protection Section of the Idaho State Bar.
  • Participate in monthly committee meetings to provide advice and feedback on the CASA program as needed (Programs Committee).

It is expected that 5-15 hours per week may be requested from the Offeror, depending on court hearings and caseload. Offeror shall be prepared to submit detailed billing statements for all services billed at an hourly rate, if any, broken down into time increments of no less than 1/10 of an hour. Offeror shall also include summaries of work performed and time spent on services performed under the fee, as discussed below.

3. PROPOSAL CONTENTS. The Offeror, in its proposal, shall, as a minimum, include the following:

  • Organization, Size, Structure, and Areas of Practice. If Offeror is a firm, it should describe its organization, size, structure, areas of practice, and office location(s). Indicate, if appropriate, if the firm is a small, or woman- or minority-owned business. Also, include a copy of Offeror’s Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Policy, if Offeror has one.
    • Legal Experience. The Offeror should describe its legal experience as it pertains to Child Protection with preference given to attorneys that have experience Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), Interstate Child Placement Compact (ICPC), Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA).
    • Attorney Qualifications. The Offeror should have experience in the follow areas: Child Protection, Family Law, and/or Domestic Violence. The Offeror should describe the qualifications of attorneys to be assigned to the representation. Descriptions should include:
      • Professional and educational background of each attorney.
      • Overall supervision to be exercised.
      • Prior experience of the individual attorneys with respect to the required experience listed above.
      • Any relevant Bar complaints.
    • Price. The Offeror’s proposed price should include information on the hourly billing rates of each attorney and other legal staff expected to provide services in connection with this representation and charges for additional expenses, if any, such as legal research, copies, and faxes. Invoicing will be expected monthly and FA reserves the right to negotiate with the Offeror on the structure of the billing and/or retainer fee.

4. PROPOSAL EVALUATION.

  • Evaluation Procedure and Criteria. FA’s Executive Director and appropriate parties will review proposals and make recommendations to the Programs Committee for final approval. The Executive Director may request a meeting with some qualified Offerors prior to final selection. Proposals will be reviewed in accordance with the following criteria:
    • Proposed approach to scope of work.
    • Level of experience of the individual(s) identified to work on this matter.
    • The Offeror’s experience with similar clients and legal matters.
    • Cost.
    • Volunteer history (if applicable).
    • Interviews (if conducted).