Attorney in Charge - PDD Hampden County Conflict Advocacy Office

About the Role

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), Massachusetts’ public defender agency, is opening a new Conflict Advocacy Office (CAO) in Hampden County. We seek an experienced attorney to serve as the first Attorney in Charge of the CAO. This role involves leading and managing the office while maintaining an active, though reduced, caseload. The CAO will represent clients in Hampden County’s District and Superior Courts and act as the conflicts office for the Public Defender Division when a conflict of interest arises. The CAO will operate as a separate law firm from other CPCS offices to ensure conflict-free representation.

CPCS is committed to protecting the fundamental constitutional and human rights of our clients through zealous advocacy, community-oriented defense, and excellent legal representation. We embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion as core values, striving to support clients from diverse backgrounds and circumstances.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and assist trial attorneys in developing trial strategies, motions practice, and other trial-related tasks.
• Oversee and develop non-attorney support staff in the office.
• Ensure compliance with CPCS Personnel Policies and case management systems.
• Monitor attorneys’ schedules and caseloads to ensure they conform with CPCS guidelines, performance standards, and practice advisories.
• Maintain proper case file management, including scanning and electronic record-keeping.
• Assign cases promptly and ensure they are opened, closed, and checked for conflicts in the agency’s case management system.
• Ensure detailed running sheets for each case are current and electronically maintained.
• Complete annual performance evaluations for all staff in a timely and comprehensive manner.
• Disseminate information about legal developments, CPCS policies, and other relevant matters to staff.
• Provide ongoing in-house training to maintain excellence in representation.
• Foster positive relationships within the community, courthouses, and with the assigned private bar in the county.
• Provide zealous and effective representation for the Attorney-in-Charge’s own clients, consistent with PDD guidelines and performance standards.
• Attend regular meetings with other office heads, Managing Directors, and the Deputy Chief Counsel to discuss management and policy issues.

Requirements

• Eligible to practice law in Massachusetts as a member of the Massachusetts bar in good standing, or as an attorney in another jurisdiction eligible for limited Massachusetts practice under Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:04.
• Minimum of seven years of experience handling criminal cases, with at least four years as assigned counsel for indigent persons in criminal cases.
• Access to an automobile for travel to courts, clients, and investigation locations not easily accessible by public transportation.
• Access to home internet sufficient for remote work.

Qualifications & Skills

• Significant Superior Court or equivalent jury trial experience.
• Administrative and managerial skills, including supervisory experience.
• Commitment to working with a culturally diverse, low-income population.
• Demonstrated commitment to zealous advocacy for indigent persons in criminal cases.
• Ability to complete annual performance evaluations in a timely and comprehensive manner.
• Strong interpersonal and analytical skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a community and defense-oriented capacity.
• Foreign language skills, particularly Spanish, are desirable.