The Strategic Litigation Unit ("SLU") is seeking an experienced attorney with a strong sense of the daily injustices faced by CPCS’ clients and bold and creative ideas on how to fight them. The SLU Staff Counsel will be responsible for pursuing litigation to address systemic issues, as well as assisting attorneys from other CPCS units who have cases of strategic importance. This will likely involve criminal and civil litigation, at both the trial and appellate levels, and in both state and 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.
AGENCY OVERVIEW
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, child welfare, 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.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) provides representation to indigent clients in criminal, delinquency, youthful offender, child welfare/state intervention, mental health, sexually dangerous person, and sex offender registry matters. The Strategic Litigation Unit is responsible for litigation aimed at achieving systemic and institutional reform in all of these practice areas.
The SLU seeks an experienced attorney with a strong sense of the daily injustices faced by CPCS’ clients and bold and creative ideas on how to fight them. The SLU Staff Counsel will be responsible for pursuing litigation to address systemic issues, as well as assisting attorneys from other CPCS units who have cases of strategic importance. This will likely involve criminal and civil litigation, at both the trial and appellate levels, and in both state and federal court.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Working with the Director of the SLU, the SLU Staff Counsel will:
- Identify issues of systemic importance in all of CPCS’ practice areas;
- Initiate and pursue litigation to address these issues of systemic importance;
- Prepare appellants' and occasionally appellees' briefs, reply briefs, and applications for rehearing, for reconsideration, and
for direct and further appellate review;
- Argue before the Appeals Court and the Supreme Judicial Court;
- Respond to, or participate in, impact litigation brought by others;
- Assist both staff and private counsel attorneys in identifying issues of strategic importance and making an adequate
record to support litigation of those issues;
- Produce advisory memoranda for staff and private attorneys on issues of systemic importance;
- Train private and staff attorneys on how to develop and litigate challenges to matters of systemic impact; 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 driven to seek sustainable systemic and institutional reform on behalf of CPCS’ clients. Candidates must possess an advocacy imagination unrestrained by traditional litigation approaches.
In addition, candidates must have the following attributes:
- A minimum of four years’ experience as an attorney, including trial court litigation;
- Eligibility 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;
- Access to reliable transportation throughout the state; and
- Excellent litigation, writing, oral presentation, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
Preference will be given to candidates who have experience in multiple practice areas, forums, and/or jurisdictions.
Applications will be strengthened by 1) demonstrated poverty law or other experience that demonstrates a commitment to challenging injustice in any of its many forms; and 2) substantial experience in constitutional, civil rights, class action, or other impact litigation.
This position will require travel; candidates must have access to reliable transportation throughout the state.
To apply, please go to: https://careers-publiccounsel.icims.com/jobs/1792/staff-counsel---strate...
Applicants must submit (1) a résumé, (2) a statement of interest that describes how the applicant’s qualifications are pertinent to strategic litigation; and (3) a writing sample of no more than fifteen pages which has not been substantially edited by anyone other than the applicant.