Administrative Assistant - Training Department

Committee for Public Counsel Services•Boston, MA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The CPCS Training Department is seeking an Administrative Assistant to provide administrative, technical, and general support within the Training Department and primary support for the staff working in the Mental Health Litigation Division Training and the Youth Advocacy Training areas of the Training Department. The Training Department is located in Boston and this position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule with a minimum of two days in the office each week. The Training Department runs training programs across the Commonwealth and occasional travel to other office locations is required for this role. CPCS is the state agency in Massachusetts responsible for providing an attorney when the state or federal constitution or a state statute requires the appointment of an attorney for a person who cannot afford to retain one. The agency provides representation in criminal, delinquency, youthful offender, family regulation, guardianship, mental health, sexually dangerous person, and sex offender registry cases, as well as in appeals and post-conviction and post-judgment proceedings related to those matters. The CPCS Training Department develops and delivers comprehensive, practice-driven education for staff and private assigned counsel across all areas of public defense. Through a team of experienced practice area trainers in Criminal Defense, Children and Family Law, Youth Advocacy, and Mental Health Litigation, the Department provides rigorous substantive instruction alongside advanced skills training that reflects the realities of modern indigent defense practice. Our programming is informed by evolving law, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the needs of the clients we serve, and is designed to meet the highest standards of excellence in public defense training nationwide. In addition to core practice-area offerings, the Department leads agency-wide training initiatives in areas such as appellate and post-trial advocacy; emerging adult representation; forensic issues; holistic defense; trial strategy; leadership, management, and professional development; and wellness. These integrated training pathways equip attorneys not only with technical legal proficiency, but with the strategic, collaborative, and management competencies required for effective client-centered advocacy. By investing in continuous professional development, the Training Department strengthens the quality, consistency, and impact of representation provided by CPCS staff and private counsel statewide. The Administrative Assistant will provide administrative, technical, and general support within the Training Department and primarily support the Directors and staff working in the Mental Health and Youth Advocacy practice areas. The AA will report to the Supervising AA of the Training Department.

Requirements

At least one year of full-time, or equivalent part-time, experience in administrative work
Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely
Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)
Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
Strong organizational abilities
Ability to maintain confidentiality and to exercise considerable judgment and discretion
Knowledge of general office procedures (e.g., correspondence, scheduling)
Ability to handle multiple tasks, prioritize effectively, meet deadlines, and deliver high quality work
Proficiency and experience with scanning, optical character recognition processing
Ability to establish effective working relationships and to work as part of a team
Good problem-solving skills

Nice To Haves

Experience working with and entering text into spreadsheets is preferred
Project management experience is preferred
Experience with Wordpress, editing video and audio files, and distance learning tools preferred
Experience in database creation and management
Experience working with budgets and grants

Responsibilities

Coordinating training programs and production of training materials
Providing on-site logistical support for trainings and events across various locations in Massachusetts, including travel as needed, room setup and breakdown, catering coordination, and related event logistics
Producing and disseminating written and digital communications/resources including weekly emails, a bi-monthly newsletter, and website updates
Compiling data to ensure the work plan and departmental training goals are being met
Ensuring compliance with contract initiation and requisition processes for training-related vendors and services
Assisting in the development of training budgets and maintaining records of expenditures
Communicating regularly with staff, private bar members, vendors, and experts across Massachusetts
Providing a broad range of administrative support, including phone reception, word processing, data entry, copying, scanning, and related clerical tasks
Supporting CPCS Training Department staff in the planning and execution of agency-wide training programs and events, and providing flexible support across Training Department functions and practice areas as needed
Other duties as assigned