Overview

The Committee for Public Counsel Services, the public defender agency of Massachusetts, is seeking an experienced attorney for a Private Panel Support Attorney position in the Criminal Trial Support Unit of the Private Counsel Division. The Criminal Trial Support Unit is responsible for the oversight of attorneys who provide representation to indigent criminal defense clients with cases in the Massachusetts trial courts.

The Private Panel Support Attorney will be primarily responsible for Berkshire, Franklin, and Hampshire Counties and may be seated in any available CPCS office.

UNIT OVERVIEW

The Criminal Trial Support Unit (CTSU) is responsible for the support and oversight of 13 County Bar Advocate Programs (BAPs) and panel attorneys who provide representation to indigent clients in criminal cases. One Director, seven staff attorneys and three administrative staff currently comprise the unit. The CTSU is responsible for the support and oversight of approximately 1,500 private attorneys taking approximately 120,000 trial level criminal case assignments through contracts with county BAPs. The CTSU also oversees 42 county Supervising Attorneys who provide direct support to attorneys taking cases in their county.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Private Panel Support Attorney works cooperatively with the County Bar Advocate Programs (BAPs) to ensure zealous representation of indigent clients by the bar advocate panel attorneys. The Private Panel Support Attorney will work to ensure compliance with the contracts between CPCS and the BAPs and between CPCS and the county Supervising Attorneys. The Private Panel Support Attorney will oversee the Supervising Attorneys and assist in the recruiting and selection of the Supervising Attorneys as well as assisting with the recruitment process for bar advocate panel attorneys.

The Private Panel Support Attorney responds to clients, judges, court personnel, and other stakeholders regarding assigned counsel performance and will refer complaints to the appropriate county Supervising Attorney for investigation. The Private Panel Support Attorney will also review billing inquiries and determine whether adjustments should be made to billing limits or submissions.

The Private Panel Support Attorney will be primarily responsible for Berkshire, Franklin, and Hampshire Counties and may be seated in any available CPCS office. The Private Panel Support Attorney will report to the Director of the Criminal Trial Support Unit.

Qualifications

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

• 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;
• Must have a minimum of five years' experience as a criminal defense practitioner;
• Must have a valid driver's license and access to a motor vehicle; and,
• Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

To apply, please provide a letter of interest, a resume, and a writing sample.

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS

The successful candidate will have experience in some of all of the following areas:

• A demonstrated commitment to the principle of zealous advocacy and high quality representation for indigent persons;
• At least five years' experience as a Bar Advocate;
• Excellent communication skills;
• Self-starter and ability to take initiative;
• Experience interacting with people of various social, racial, cultural, economic, and educational backgrounds;
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team;
• Ability to effectively interact with members of the criminal trial support unit administrative and legal staff, criminal defendants, and panel attorneys;
• Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, and Power Point; and,
• Ability to analyze data and to present the analysis.

Responsibilities

RESPONSIBILITIES

The duties of the Private Panel Support Attorney include, but are not limited to:

• Ensuring compliance with the contracts between CPCS and the bar advocate programs and between CPCS and the county Supervising Attorneys and working cooperatively with the bar advocate programs' Boards of Directors and administrators;
• Interviewing, selecting, training, and overseeing the county Supervising Attorneys;
• Coordinating with the BAP Administrators to ensure that all duty days and cases in the county are covered, including assisting with locating counsel for unassigned cases and duty days;
• Reviewing Performance Assessment Reports submitted by Supervising Attorneys to determine whether to offer additional support and communicating with Supervising Attorneys to assess the functioning of the courts and panels;
• Reviewing Complaint Investigations and coordinating with the Director to determine responses;
• Reviewing Complex Case Reviews to determine whether to increase billing thresholds and whether to recommend releasing, reviewing, or rejecting billing submissions;
• Responding to calls regarding issues involving the appointment, assignment, and performance of private counsel and coordinating with the Director on responses;
• Reviewing applications to the Superior Court and Murder List panels, making recommendations to the Director, and facilitating the certification process for qualified panel members;
• Reviewing appellate decisions alleging ineffective assistance of counsel and other claims, consulting with appellate counsel about trial counsel's performance, and determining if any corrections or additional actions are needed;
• Providing regular updates to the Director and Deputy Chief Counsel regarding data and information such as the current number of attorneys taking cases in each county, the number of clients awaiting the appointment of counsel, and news from the local courts;
• Assisting the BAP Administrators and panel members with billing inquiries;
• Participating in BAP panel recruitment efforts; and,
• Other duties as required.