Trial Attorney - MHLD Brockton - Fall River

Committee for Public Counsel • Brockton, MA

2d • $80,598 - $146,988 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Mental Health Litigation Division (MHLD) of the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the Massachusetts public defender agency, is seeking a full-time Trial Attorney for civil commitment cases including trials and a limited number of appellate cases for its Brockton Office. This office is responsible for civil commitments filed by selected facilities in the Plymouth and Bristol County regions. This Trial Attorney position will be a member of the Brockton Commitment Defense Unit but will be seated in the CPCS office in Fall River and will be responsible for civil commitments filed by selected facilities in the Plymouth and Bristol County regions. This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule. We fight for equal justice and human dignity by supporting our clients in achieving their legal and life goals. We zealously advocate for the rights of individuals and promote just public policy to protect the rights of all. 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 Mental Health Litigation Division (MHLD) provides trial and appellate representation to indigent persons facing commitment to public or private psychiatric facilities, petitions for authorization to administer or terminate "extraordinary" medical treatment, and petitions seeking to impose guardianships, among other types of petitions in which mental health and capacity are at issue. The Division consists of an administrative office, which is responsible for certification, oversight, and training of panel attorneys, the assignment of commitment cases, and effective administration of the MHLD; an Appellate Unit that trains, certifies, and oversees appellate attorneys and represents individuals in appeals; and four trial offices that represent indigent clients facing involuntary commitment to both public and private psychiatric facilities throughout the Commonwealth and some guardianship proceedings. The MHLD also trains, collaborates with and assists, youth and adult defense attorneys, and Children and Family Law attorneys regarding mental health issues. The Mental Health Litigation Division is seeking an experienced, full-time Trial Attorney for civil commitment cases, competency to make informed medical decisions, and substituted judgement determinations, including trials and a limited number of appellate cases for its Brockton Commitment Defense Unit. This office is responsible for civil commitments filed by Bridgewater State Hospital and other facilities in the Plymouth and Bristol County regions. This Trial Attorney position will be a member of the Brockton Commitment Defense Unit but will be seated in the CPCS office in Fall River and will be responsible for civil commitments filed by selected facilities in the Plymouth and Bristol County regions. This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule. The Mental Health Litigation Division is committed to protecting the legal and constitutional rights of citizens facing civil commitment to a psychiatric facility, guardianship petitions, and involuntary treatment orders including the administration of antipsychotic medications. Mental Health Litigation Division Trial Attorneys receive training on issues relating to mental health and the statutory and constitutional rights of our clients. Mental Health Litigation Division Trial Attorneys provide zealous representation in mental health cases, primarily to indigent persons in proceedings seeking commitment to, continued confinement at, or authorization to treat by psychiatric facilities operated by the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, Department of Mental Health (DMH) and private psychiatric facilities licensed by DMH. Attorneys will appear primarily in District Court sessions conducted at facilities for which the office is responsible or in Superior Court divisions within the county in which the facilities are located but may be required to represent clients in proceedings emanating from other facilities and conducted in other courts of the Commonwealth. Trial Attorneys may also represent clients in appeals to the Appellate Divisions of the District and Municipal Courts. Trial Attorneys will be supervised by, and report to, the Attorney in Charge.

Requirements

• Eligible to practice law in Massachusetts, either as a member of the Massachusetts bar or as an attorney licensed in another jurisdiction who is covered by Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:04
• Travel required
• Access to reliable transportation throughout the Commonwealth is necessary
• Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely

Nice To Haves

• Foreign language skills to support interaction with limited English proficient groups in the region are desirable
• Trial experience in mental health cases is preferred
• Strong interpersonal and analytical skills
• Ability to work in a community and defense-oriented capacity, both independently and collaboratively

Responsibilities

• Visiting with and interviewing clients at the facilities
• Conducting pre-trial investigation and discovery, including obtaining and reviewing facility and other medical and psychiatric records, and interviewing facility staff and other potential witnesses
• Working extensively with forensic psychiatric, psychological and other clinicians
• Locating and interviewing witnesses and consulting with service providers
• Conducting legal research and writing
• Representing clients in pretrial proceedings, hearings, trials, and interlocutory appeals

What This Job Offers

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