Supervising Attorney - PDD Lowell

Committee for Public Counsel•Lowell, MA

About The Position

The Public Defender Division of CPCS, the Massachusetts public defender agency, is seeking a Supervising Attorney with a minimum of five years of legal experience including at least three years providing criminal defense representation for its Lowell Office. Candidates must have sufficient trial experience in both the District and Superior Courts so they are qualified to supervise all Trial Attorney staff. 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 of CPCS, Lowell Office, is seeking a Supervising Attorney, with a minimum of five years of legal experience including at least three years providing criminal defense representation. 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 five years of legal experience including at least three years 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.
Sufficient trial experience in both the District and Superior Courts to supervise all Trial Attorney staff.

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 District and Superior Court cases in addition to their case responsibilities.
Be capable of supervising new Trial Attorneys as well as experienced Trial Attorneys practicing in the Superior Court, particularly around serious felony or otherwise complex cases.
Conduct client interviews.
Handle arraignment and bail advocacy.
Perform legal research and writing.
Conduct pretrial investigation including visiting crime scenes, locating and interviewing witnesses, collecting and reviewing documentary evidence.
Prepare and argue pretrial motions, affidavits and legal memoranda.
Perform dispositional investigations and advocacy.
Conduct jury and bench trials of criminal cases.
Represent clients in interlocutory proceedings.
Conduct regular one-on-one meetings with individual supervisees to review case files, as well as group meetings, to review case preparation and performance.
Provide in-court supervision, including second-seating of trials and significant pretrial hearings.
Prepare annual performance evaluations.
Present in-office training sessions.
Supervise other staff, such as investigators and student interns, as delegated by the office’s Attorney in Charge.
Perform other duties as assigned.