Supervising Attorney - PDD Malden

Commonwealth of Massachusetts • Malden, MA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Public Defender Division of CPCS, the Massachusetts public defender agency, is seeking two Supervising Attorneys with a minimum of four years of experience providing criminal defense representation for its Malden Office. 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 clients we represent are diverse across every context imaginable and bring many unique cultural dimensions to the matters we address. This reality creates a critical need for CPCS staff to be culturally competent and able to work well with people of different races, ethnicities, genders and/or sexual orientation identities, abilities, and limited English proficiency, among other protected characteristics. The Public Defender Division Malden Office is located in Middlesex County and is approximately four miles away from downtown Boston. The office is centrally located in the heart of the Malden civic center and has excellent highway accessibility (Route 93, Route 28, and Route 60) while also being in close proximity to the Malden Square MBTA train station and a MBTA bus stop. Under the direction of the office’s Attorney in Charge, the Supervising Attorney will assist in the supervision of Trial Attorneys and will also have their own reduced caseload. Clients are indigent persons charged with criminal offenses within the final jurisdiction of the respective court.

Requirements

• Must be 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 Court Rule 3:04
• A minimum of four years of experience providing criminal defense representation in District and Superior Courts
• Access to an automobile in order to travel to courts, clients, and investigation locations that are not easily accessible by public transportation
• Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely

Nice To Haves

• Significant jury trial experience as lead counsel in criminal cases; including Superior Court cases
• Commitment to working with a culturally diverse, low-income population
• Willingness and ability to work positively and collaboratively with both the Attorney in Charge and Supervisees
• A 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 community and defense-oriented capacity, both independently and collaboratively
• Foreign language skills, Spanish in particular, are desirable

Responsibilities

• Supervise Trial Attorneys assigned to Municipal, District, and Superior Court cases in addition to their case responsibilities.
• Assist in the supervision of Trial Attorneys.
• Have their own reduced caseload.
• Direct representation duties include: Client interviews; Arraignment and bail advocacy; Legal research and writing; Pretrial investigation including visiting crime scenes, locating and interviewing witnesses, collecting and reviewing documentary evidence; Preparing and arguing pretrial motions, affidavits and legal memoranda; Dispositional investigations and advocacy; Jury and bench trials of criminal cases; and, Representation of clients in interlocutory proceedings.
• Supervisory duties include: Regular one-on-one meetings with individual supervisees to review case files, as well as group meetings, to review case preparation and performance; In-court supervision, including second-seating of trials and significant pretrial hearings; Preparation of annual performance evaluations; Presentation of in-office training sessions; Supervision of other staff, such as investigators and student interns, as delegated by the office’s Attorney in Charge; and, Other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed