Attorney in Charge - PDD Boston Central Office

Commonwealth of Massachusetts•Boston, MA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Public Defender Division (PDD) of the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), Massachusetts' public defender agency, is establishing a new Boston Central Office and seeking an experienced attorney to lead it as the first Attorney in Charge. This office, located at 75 Federal Street, Boston, will handle case assignments in the Boston Municipal Court (Central and Charlestown Divisions) and Suffolk Superior Court. CPCS is dedicated to fighting for equal justice and human dignity by supporting clients' legal and life goals through zealous advocacy and promoting just public policy. The agency represents individuals who cannot afford legal counsel in a wide range of cases, including criminal, delinquency, youthful offender, family regulation, guardianship, mental health, sexually dangerous person, and sex offender registry matters, as well as appeals. The new Boston Central Office will comprise four Supervising Attorneys, approximately 22 Trial Attorneys, two Social Services Advocates, two Investigators, a Paralegal, a Supervising Administrative Assistant, and two Administrative Assistants. The Attorney-in-Charge will be responsible for supervising and assisting staff attorneys, managing all defense team personnel, and maintaining a reduced caseload while providing excellent representation and fulfilling managerial duties.

Requirements

Eligible to practice law in Massachusetts as a member of the Massachusetts bar in good standing, or as an attorney in another jurisdiction eligible for limited Massachusetts practice under Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:04.
A minimum of seven years of experience handling criminal cases.
At least four of those years must have been as assigned counsel for indigent persons in criminal cases.
Access to an automobile to travel to courts, clients, and investigation locations not easily accessible by public transportation.
Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

Nice To Haves

Significant Superior Court or equivalent jury trial experience.
Administrative and managerial skills and supervisory experience.
Commitment to working with a culturally diverse, low-income population.
Demonstrated commitment to the principle of zealous advocacy in the representation of indigent persons in criminal cases.
Ability and commitment to complete annual performance evaluations in a timely and comprehensive manner.
Strong interpersonal and analytical skills.
Ability to work in a community and defense-oriented capacity, both independently and collaboratively.
Foreign language skills, Spanish in particular, are desirable.

Responsibilities

Supervise and assist staff Trial Attorneys in the development of trial strategies, motions practice, and other trial tasks.
Supervise and develop non-attorney support staff in the office.
Understand, communicate, and ensure compliance with the agency’s Personnel Policies.
Be thoroughly familiar with the CPCS case management system, including the ability to generate and interpret case statistics and reports.
Ensure that attorneys’ schedules and caseloads are reasonable and conform with CPCS guidelines, performance standards, and practice advisories.
Ensure case files are properly maintained and scanned at the conclusion of each case.
Assign all cases promptly.
Ensure that all cases are promptly opened and closed in the agency’s case management system.
Ensure that all cases are promptly checked for conflicts of interest, and when discovered, reassign those cases immediately.
Ensure that detailed running sheets for each case are current and electronically maintained.
Ensure that annual performance evaluations are completed for all staff in a timely and comprehensive manner.
Disseminate information about recent developments in the law, CPCS policies and practices, and other relevant matters to staff in a timely manner.
Provide ongoing in-house training to ensure continued excellence by all staff.
Foster positive relationships within the community and courthouses, and maintain a professional relationship and leadership role with the assigned private bar in the county.
Provide zealous and effective representation of the Attorney-in-Charge's own clients consistent with PDD guidelines and performance standards.
Attend regular meetings with other office heads, Managing Directors, and the Deputy Chief Counsel to discuss management and policy issues.