The Public Defender Division of the Committee for Public Counsel Services is seeking a full-time attorney for its Appeals Unit in Boston. The Appeals Unit provides legal representation and appellate advocacy for its indigent clients in the Massachusetts appellate courts and occasionally in federal court.
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 difference and experience; (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 Public Defender Division of the Committee for Public Counsel Services is seeking a full-time attorney for its Appeals Unit in Boston. The Appeals Unit provides legal representation and appellate advocacy for its indigent clients in the Massachusetts appellate courts and occasionally in federal court. The cases handled by the Appeals Unit are primarily direct appeals in criminal cases, but also include motions for new trials, interlocutory appeals, and amicus briefs in selected cases. Post-conviction appellate cases usually involve representation of clients convicted of serious felonies and sentenced to substantial periods of incarceration and may also include misdemeanor and other district court convictions.
Although the bulk of their work involves cases pending in either the Massachusetts Appeals Court or the Supreme Judicial Court, Appeals Unit attorneys also represent their clients in trial court on motions for new trials, motions to revise and revoke sentences, and motions to correct or enlarge the appellate record.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The duties of a Public Defender Division Appeals Unit Appeals Attorney include representation of clients in interlocutory proceedings, on direct appeal, and in other related proceedings, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Collecting and reviewing documentary evidence;
- Interviewing clients;
- Conducting legal research;
- Preparing appellants' and occasionally appellees' briefs, reply briefs, and applications for rehearing, for reconsideration,
and for direct and further appellate review;
- Arguing before the Appeals Court and the Supreme Judicial Court;
- At times conducting post-conviction investigation, including visiting crime scenes and locating and interviewing witnesses;
- Providing formal and informal assistance to Public Defender Division trial attorneys on trial court level cases;
- Providing training to Public Defender Division and Private Counsel Division staff attorneys;
- Depending on experience level, may include supervising, editing, and mentoring of other Appeals Unit Attorneys and, on
occasion, of Public Defender Division trial attorneys who are representing clients on appeal;
- Drafting or assisting in the drafting of amicus briefs or other special projects involving systemic legal issues with broad
impact;
- Participating in brainstorming sessions on Appeals Unit cases with the other members of the Unit;
- Keeping up with new opinions on criminal law and procedure issued by the Supreme Judicial Court, Massachusetts
Appeals Court, and United States Supreme Court; 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].
MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS
- Candidates must be 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;
- Candidates must have at least three years as an attorney in a related field.
Candidates who have at least one of the following will be given preference:
- Current certification for the CPCS criminal adult appellate panel and authorship of at least three appellate briefs in adult
criminal cases;
- Authorship of at least four appellate briefs, petitions for interlocutory relief, or substantial memoranda of law, preferably
in adult criminal cases or a related field; or
- A recent appellate clerkship or substantial editing experience for a law journal.
Candidates must also be able to work in a defense-oriented capacity, both independently and collaboratively, and be committed to working with a culturally diverse, low-income population. Candidates must possess very strong writing and oral advocacy skills. Candidates must have access to an automobile in order to travel to courts, clients, and investigation locations which are not easily accessible by public transportation.
To apply, candidates must submit a resume, letter of interest which includes a description of prior appellate experience, and a writing sample.