Managing Director - Mental Health Litigation Division

Commonwealth of Massachusetts•Boston, MA

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), Massachusetts' public defender agency, is seeking an experienced mental health attorney with management experience to serve as the Managing Director in its Mental Health Litigation Division. This role involves supporting and overseeing four Mental Health Litigation Trial Offices across the state. CPCS is dedicated to fighting for equal justice and human dignity by supporting clients in achieving their legal and life goals, zealously advocating for individual rights, and promoting just public policy. The agency values courage, accountability, respect, and excellence, and is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in its practices and workforce. CPCS provides legal representation to individuals who cannot afford an attorney in various case types, including criminal, delinquency, family regulation, guardianship, and mental health matters. The Mental Health Litigation Division (MHLD) specifically provides trial and appellate representation for indigent individuals facing commitment to psychiatric facilities, petitions for extraordinary medical treatment, and guardianship proceedings. The division includes an administrative office, an Appellate Unit, and four trial offices, and also trains and assists other CPCS attorneys on mental health issues.

Requirements

A demonstrated commitment to the representation of indigent persons.
A minimum of eight years’ experience as a practicing mental health attorney (including both experience representing indigent MHLD clients and significant jury trial, appellate, or equivalent relevant experience).
Four years of managerial experience.
Commitment to serving a culturally diverse, low-income population.
Eligible to practice law in Massachusetts, either as a member of the Massachusetts bar in good standing or as the member of the bar of another jurisdiction eligible to engage in limited Massachusetts practice under Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:04.
Access to reliable transportation in order to travel to offices, courts, and other locations throughout the state that are not easily accessible by public transportation.
Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

Nice To Haves

Mental health legal expertise
Strong management and organizational skills
Excellent communication skills
Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously
Capacity for close attention to detail

Responsibilities

Providing leadership, support and supervision to the trial offices’ Attorneys in Charge (AICs) and assisting them to manage offices to ensure that staff meet MHLD Performance Standards and caseload goals; supervising staff offices in the temporary absence of the AIC; completing annual performance evaluations for direct reports, and ensuring that direct reports complete annual performance evaluations for trial staff in a timely and comprehensive manner; working with, and ensuring AICs work with HR to address employee relations, performance and personnel issues in compliance with the CPCS policies; and serving as a resource to MHLD directors, AICs and staff regarding personnel issues.
Assisting AICs in creating and maintaining a positive workplace environment; creating and promoting professional development opportunities for staff; and in consultation with HR, overseeing the hiring of attorneys and other staff in the trial offices.
Working with the MHLD Director of Social Services Advocacy to ensure full utilization of social service staff and effective collaboration between trial attorneys and social services advocates.
Identifying and addressing systemic issues that may arise in the operation of MHLD offices, including developing and recommending changes to guidelines or Performance Standards to the Deputy Chief Counsel and other MHLD directors to promote courageous, client-centered representation.
Facilitating strong communication with the MHLD Leadership Team, and conducting regular visits to staff offices.
Working with the AICs, the training department, and the Equity & Inclusion Director to ensure that MHLD staff are culturally competent, sensitive to issues of diversity, and provide client-centered representation.
Developing and implementing plans to collect and utilize case-related data to promote high-quality representation, ensuring that attorney caseload goals are met and appropriate, and analyzing and reporting regularly on caseload statistics.
Working with the MHLD Deputy Chief Counsel as requested, MHLD directors, and other divisions’ Deputy Chief Counsel and Managing Directors to develop and execute division policies and strategic plans, and to develop and advance legislative and policy agendas with CPCS General Counsel’s office; working collaboratively with other CPCS leaders on cross-divisional and other issues to promote agency goals and objectives; including attendance at AIC, Senior Management Team and Manager and Director Meetings.
Providing legal advice and mental health litigation expertise; staying current in mental health law; investigating and responding to legal conflicts and legal ethics questions, and complaints regarding attorney and non-attorney staff.
Working with MHLD leadership to address shortcomings of the mental health system that threaten or deny equal or meaningful access to justice for MHLD clients, that result in violations of clients’ substantive rights, or perpetuate racial and ethnic disparities in the mental health system.
Maintaining a professional relationship and leadership role with the local judiciary and private bar as requested by the Deputy Chief Counsel, and working with AICs and the private panel attorneys in conjunction with the Director of the Trial Support Unit to develop and maintain a collaborative working relationship between MHLD offices and private attorneys.
Working with the MHLD Deputy Chief Counsel on assigned projects, including but not limited to, budget and spending issues and preparing MHLD budget requests and spending plans.
Working with the Chief of Administration and Operations, Facilities and IT to address office space and technical needs.
Other duties as assigned.