Trial Attorney - MHLD Roxbury

Commonwealth of Massachusetts • Boston, MA

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Mental Health Litigation Division (MHLD) of the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) seeks an experienced, full-time Trial Attorney for its Roxbury Commitment Unit. The attorney will represent clients in civil commitment cases, competency to make informed medical decisions, and substituted-judgment determinations, including trials and a limited number of appellate cases. The Unit handles matters filed by Lemuel Shattuck Hospital, Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Center, HRI Hospital in Brookline, and other metro-Boston facilities. The office is currently located at 75 Federal Street in Boston until the Unit moves to a permanent location. The position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule.

MHLD protects the legal and constitutional rights of people facing psychiatric commitment, guardianship petitions, and involuntary treatment orders, including antipsychotic medication. Attorneys receive training in mental health issues and clients’ statutory and constitutional rights. Trial Attorneys primarily represent indigent clients in proceedings involving initial commitment, continued confinement, or authorization to treat at psychiatric facilities operated by the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, the Department of Mental Health, and private facilities licensed by DMH. Court appearances are primarily in District Court sessions at the facilities served or in Superior Court divisions in the counties where those facilities are located. Attorneys may also handle matters arising from other facilities and in other Massachusetts courts, as well as appeals to District and Municipal Court Appellate Divisions.

Trial Attorneys are supervised by and report to the Attorney in Charge. CPCS provides representation to people who cannot afford counsel when constitutionally or statutorily required. Its work includes criminal, family, mental health, and other proceedings. CPCS emphasizes zealous advocacy, cultural competence, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Requirements

• Commitment to serving a culturally diverse, low-income population.
• Must be eligible to practice law in Massachusetts, either as a member of the Massachusetts bar or as an attorney licensed in another jurisdiction covered by Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:04.
• Must be able to travel; access to reliable transportation throughout the Commonwealth is necessary.
• Reliable home internet access sufficient to work remotely.
• Strong interpersonal and analytical skills.
• Ability to work in a community- and defense-oriented capacity, independently and collaboratively.

Nice To Haves

• Trial experience in mental health cases.
• Foreign language skills to support interaction with limited-English-proficient groups in the region.

Responsibilities

• Visit and interview clients at facilities.
• Conduct pretrial investigation and discovery, including obtaining and reviewing facility and other medical and psychiatric records and interviewing facility staff and potential witnesses.
• Work extensively with forensic psychiatric, psychological, and other clinicians.
• Locate and interview witnesses and consult with service providers.
• Conduct legal research and writing.
• Represent clients in pretrial proceedings, hearings, and interlocutory appeals.
• Represent clients in civil commitment, competency-to-make-informed-medical-decisions, and substituted-judgment proceedings, including trials and a limited number of appellate cases.

What This Job Offers

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