Administrative Assistant - PDD Hampden County Conflict Advocacy Office

Committee for Public Counsel Services•Springfield, MA

14d•Onsite

About The Position

The Public Defender Division of the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the Massachusetts public defender agency, is establishing a new Conflict Advocacy Office in Hampden County and is seeking an Administrative Assistant to support the Attorney-in-Charge in managing the daily operations of a busy trial office. This office will provide legal representation to adults in criminal court cases, including District and Superior Court. CPCS is committed to fighting for equal justice and human dignity by supporting clients in achieving their legal and life goals, zealously advocating for their rights, and promoting just public policy. The agency emphasizes courage, accountability, respect, and excellence, and is dedicated to building and maintaining strong professional relationships while respecting the diverse circumstances of each client. CPCS embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion as core values, aiming to ensure its staff represents a broad range of human differences and experiences, provides a respectful and supportive work climate, and promotes the dignity and well-being of all staff members. The newly created Hampden County Conflict Advocacy Office (CAO) will be located at 1441 Main Street in Springfield, representing clients in District and Superior Courts and serving as the Conflicts Office for the Public Defender Division when conflicts arise. The CAO will operate as a separate law firm from other CPCS offices for conflict of interest purposes, with its own managerial system, physical offices, and technology systems. This is a full-time (35 hours/week) position.

Requirements

Associate’s degree in related area
A minimum of two years of experience as an administrative assistant or office manager
Executive level secretarial skills
Proficiency with MS Word, MS Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Windows
Access to a personal computer with 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
Previous administrative assistant, office manager or similar experience and knowledge of general office procedures (e.g., correspondence, scheduling, filing)
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
Previous experience in a legal setting is preferred
Bilingual Skills preferred

Responsibilities

Supporting the Attorney-in-Charge on day-to-day duties of running the office as well as special projects and coordinating communication, support, and resources with HR, Facilities, and IT
Providing administrative support, including word and data processing, filing, copying, scanning, and handling correspondence
Coordinating and assisting with projects relating to personnel management, program evaluation, and other areas
Creating statistical reports regarding attorney caseloads and disposition of cases and maintaining data collected
Planning, coordinating, and calendaring meetings and events
Assisting with other projects to improve the quality of legal representation and to enhance client services
Ensuring that office systems and agency procedures and practices are administered effectively
Communicating effectively with internal and external contacts at all levels
Managing the front desk including all receptionist responsibilities as needed
Handling other duties as assigned