Trial Attorney - MHLD Northampton
About The Position
The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the public defender agency for Massachusetts, is seeking a full-time Trial Attorney for its Northampton office. This role involves zealously defending against involuntary civil commitment proceedings, including trials and a limited number of appellate cases. The office serves Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin Counties. CPCS is dedicated to fighting for equal justice and human dignity by supporting clients in achieving their legal and life goals, advocating for individual rights, and promoting just public policy. The agency provides representation in various legal areas, including criminal, delinquency, family regulation, guardianship, mental health, and sexually dangerous person cases. The Mental Health Litigation Division (MHLD) specifically provides trial and appellate representation to indigent persons facing commitment to psychiatric facilities, petitions for medical treatment authorization, and guardianship petitions where mental health and capacity are at issue. The Northampton Commitment Unit handles involuntary civil commitment petitions in Franklin, Northampton, Holyoke, and Springfield District Courts, as well as a limited number of guardianships and/or community treatment plans in Hampden and Hampshire Counties Probate and Family Courts. The Trial Attorney will be responsible for civil commitment cases, competency to make informed medical decisions, and substituted judgment determinations.
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
- Commitment to serving a culturally diverse, low-income population
- Access to reliable transportation throughout the Commonwealth
- 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
- Trial experience in mental health cases
Responsibilities
- Visiting with and interviewing clients at locked psychiatric 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 and psychological clinicians, and other experts
- Locating and interviewing witnesses and consulting with service providers
- Working with the staff social services advocate to find alternatives to hospitalization
- Conducting extensive legal and medical research
- Conducting legal research and writing
- Representing clients in pretrial proceedings, hearings, trials, interlocutory appeals, and post-commitment relief proceedings
- Other duties as assigned
Benefits
- Full-time position
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
