Committee for Public Counsel Services · 8 hours ago
Attorney in Charge - PDD Lawrence
Lawrence, MA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
7+ years expThe Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is the Massachusetts public defender agency, seeking to fill the Attorney-in-Charge position in the Lawrence Office. The role involves supervising trial attorneys, managing staff, and ensuring effective legal representation for indigent clients charged with criminal offenses.
CommunitiesLaw EnforcementPublic Relations
Responsibilities
The Attorney-in-Charge must be able to supervise, and be available to serve as a second chair alongside the entry level staff attorneys when necessary, as well as to assist in the development of trial strategies, motions practice, and myriad other tasks that trial lawyers must also competently perform
The Attorney-in-Charge is also responsible for the supervision and development of non-attorney support staff in the office
Understanding, communicating, and ensuring compliance with the agency’s Personnel Policies
Being thoroughly familiar with the CPCS case management system, including the ability to generate and interpret case statistics and reports
Ensuring that attorneys’ schedules and caseloads are reasonable and conform with CPCS guidelines, performance standards, and practice advisories
Ensuring case files are properly maintained and scanned at the conclusion of each case
Assigning all cases promptly
Ensuring that all cases are promptly opened and closed in the agency’s case management system
Ensuring that all cases are promptly checked for conflicts of interest, and when discovered, reassigning those cases immediately
Ensuring that detailed running sheets for each case are current and electronically maintained
Ensuring that annual performance evaluations are completed for all staff in a timely and comprehensive manner
Other duties as assigned
Ensuring that information about recent developments in the law, CPCS policies and practices, and other relevant matters are disseminated to staff in a timely manner
Providing ongoing in-house training to ensure continued excellence by all staff in furtherance of the CPCS mission statement
Fostering positive relationships within the community and courthouses, and ensuring that a professional relationship and leadership role is maintained with the assigned private bar in the county
Providing zealous and effective representation of the AIC’s own clients consistent with PDD guidelines and performance standards
Other duties as assigned
The Attorney-in-Charge must also attend regular meetings with other office heads, Managing Directors, and the Deputy Chief Counsel to discuss management, emergent policies and other germane issues that might arise during the course of their leadership
Qualification
Required
Eligible to practice law in this jurisdiction as a member of the Massachusetts bar in good standing, or as an attorney in another jurisdiction who is eligible to engage in limited Massachusetts practice under Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:04
A minimum of seven years of experience handling criminal cases, at least four of which were as assigned counsel for indigent persons in criminal cases
Access to reliable transportation 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
Significant Superior Court and equivalent jury trial experience
Administrative and managerial skills and supervisory experience
Commitment to working with a culturally diverse, low-income population
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
Preferred
Foreign language skills, Spanish in particular, are desirable
Company
Committee for Public Counsel Services
Committee for Public Counsel Services is a public defender agency of Massachusetts.
501-1000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Kuda Chidzonga
Talent Outreach Partner
Ted Waterman
Chief Human Resources Officer
Recent News
2025-01-02
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