Managing Director - Public Defender Division

The Committee for Public Counsel Services, the Massachusetts public defender agency, is seeking three experienced criminal defense attorneys to serve as Managing Directors in the Public Defender Division. Managing Directors oversee regions of approximately four to six county-based trial offices. The three regions to be filled by this posting will be for Essex and Middlesex counties, Bristol, Plymouth, and Barnstable counties, and Central West counties.

THE AGENCY

CPCS is the state agency in Massachusetts responsible for providing legal services to indigent persons in criminal and civil matters in which the state or federal constitution, state statute, or case law require the appointment of counsel for any person who cannot afford to retain counsel. The agency provides representation on criminal, delinquency, youthful offender, child welfare, mental health, sexually dangerous person, and sex offender registry cases, as well as appeals and post-conviction cases related to those matters.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MISSION STATEMENT

CPCS is committed to protecting the fundamental constitutional and human rights of its clients by providing zealous advocacy, community-oriented defense, and excellent representation. In fulfilling its mission, CPCS is committed to fostering diversity at all levels of the agency. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients, to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. In striving always to achieve those goals, CPCS embraces diversity and inclusion as core values and is steadfast in our commitment to: (1) ensuring that CPCS management and staff members represent a broad range of human differences and experiences; (2) providing a work climate that is respectful and that supports success; and (3) promoting the dignity and well-being of all staff members. CPCS's leadership is responsible for ensuring excellence, diversity, and inclusion. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Managing Director (MD) oversees a region of approximately four to six county-based Trial Offices in CPCS’s Public Defender Division (PDD); assists the Deputy Chief Counsel in ensuring that CPCS staff representation in criminal matters is effective, client-centered, culturally competent, and meets agency practice standards; and manages various regional operational and legal issues that may arise. The MD reports directly to PDD’s Deputy Chief Counsel (DCC), is a member of the PDD Leadership Team, and supervises the Attorneys in Charge (AICs) of Trial Offices. The MD also works collaboratively and in consultation with the other legal practice divisions (CAFL, YAD, MH, PC), and CPCS legal support and operational units (Training, Human Resources, IT, Facilities, General Counsel).

RESPONSIBILITIES

- Supervise AICs and assist them to effectively manage CPCS PDD Trial Offices and ensure that all staff meet performance
and supervision standards; complete annual performance evaluations for all direct reports and ensure that direct reports
conduct annual performance reviews for all assigned staff in a timely and comprehensive manner;

- Work closely with the PDD Deputy Chief Counsel to develop and advance systemic legal, policy and leadership issues.

- Supervise Senior Trial Counsel (STC) and/or work collaboratively with AICs in offices with assigned STC to assure that there
are clear expectations regarding case assignments, second seating, and mentoring obligations;

- Work collaboratively with Director of Social Services Advocacy and Chief Investigator to ensure effective collaboration
between PDD Trial Attorneys and Social Service Advocates and Investigators; and to supervise, manage, and oversee
Investigators and Social Services Advocates;

- Identify and address systemic issues that may arise in connection with the operation and unification of PDD offices;
develop and recommend any changes to caseload, supervision, performance, and other relevant guidelines/standards
needed to implement unification; and assist AICs in successfully carrying out the PDD Trial Office Unification Plan and
Guidelines;

- Develop and implement a plan to collect and use case-related data to promote high-quality representation and ensure
that office and attorney caseloads are appropriate, and analyze and report regularly on caseload statistics;

- Facilitate strong communication across the assigned region, with Trial Offices, and between CPCS’s leadership team and
PDD offices; conduct regular site visits, at least monthly, to Trial Offices across region;

- Assist AICs in creating and maintaining a positive workplace environment; promote professional development
opportunities for staff; in consultation with HR, oversee the hiring of attorneys and other staff in the region; ensure that
AICs work collaboratively with the Human Resources Unit to address employee relations and performance issues and to
ensure compliance with CPCS personnel policies;

- Work with AICs, Training Department , and Equity & Inclusion Director (EID) to ensure that PDD staff are culturally
competent, sensitive to issues of diversity, and provide client-centered representation;

- Investigate and respond to legal conflicts, legal ethics questions, and complaints regarding attorney and non-attorney
staff;

- Work with CPCS’s Facilities Unit and IT to address office space and technical needs and issues;

- Maintain a professional relationship and leadership role with the local judiciary and private bar, and work with AICs and
local bar leadership to develop and maintain a collaborative relationship between PDD trial offices and local private
attorneys;

- Work with the PDD Deputy Chief Counsel, other PDD Managing Directors, and other division Deputy Chief Counsel and
Managing Directors to develop and execute division policies and strategic plans, and to develop and advance legislative
and policy agendas; work collaboratively with other CPCS leaders on cross-divisional and other issues as needed to
promote agency goals and objectives;

- Work with the PDD Deputy Chief Counsel to address budget and spending issues and to prepare PDD budget requests and
spending plans; and,

- Other duties as assigned.

EEO Statement

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran or military status, genetic information, gender identity, or sexual orientation as required by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other applicable federal and state statutes and organizational policies. Applicants who have questions about equal employment opportunity or who need reasonable accommodations can contact the Director of Human Resources Management, Lisa Bacon, at [email protected]