Director - Criminal Trial Support Unit

About the role

The Private Counsel Division of the Committee for Public Counsel Services, the Massachusetts public defender agency, is seeking an experienced attorney to serve as Director of the Criminal Trial Support Unit. The Director provides leadership, oversight, and support to the statewide criminal private counsel trial panel (approximately 1,500 attorneys handling about 120,000 trial court assignments per year) and leads CPCS’ efforts to ensure a strong panel of zealous criminal defense advocates committed to CPCS’ mission of equal justice and human dignity.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, supervision, and support to Criminal Trial Support Unit staff, including completing annual performance evaluations, delivering in-house trainings, and promoting professional development
• Oversee certification processes for the criminal private counsel panels
• Oversee assignment of counsel policies and procedures for criminal District Court, Superior Court, and murder matters
• Provide support to the 13 statewide Bar Advocate Programs (BAPs), including review and approval of budget, expense, and contract modification requests, and substantive support of approximately 41 private counsel supervising attorneys
• Monitor private counsel trial panel compliance and investigate complaints of attorneys’ failure to comply with CPCS Performance Guidelines; following investigations, make disciplinary recommendations to the Deputy Chief Counsel
• Oversee pre-payment review of bills submitted by private counsel that reach or surpass established thresholds
• Hire, train, and supervise staff responsible for the 24-hour murder hotline and oversee assignment of pre-arraignment counsel in murder cases
• Collaborate with the Deputy Chief Counsel and other CPCS divisions and units (Public Defender Division, Training Department, Finance, Information Technology, Audit and Oversight, Human Resources) as appropriate
• Respond to questions and concerns from clients, courts, judges, clerks, probation officers, Department of Correction and Sheriff officials, and other stakeholders
• Other duties as assigned

Minimum Entrance Requirements

• Eligible to practice law in Massachusetts in good standing, or eligible to engage in limited Massachusetts practice under SJC Rule 3:04
• Demonstrated commitment to representing indigent persons accused of crime
• Minimum of eight years’ experience as a practicing criminal defense attorney (including experience representing indigent criminal clients and significant jury trial, appellate, or equivalent relevant experience)
• Four years of managerial experience, or a comparable mix of relevant legal, managerial, and oversight/supervisory experience and skills
• Access to reliable transportation for statewide travel
• Access to home internet sufficient to work remotely

Qualifications & Skills

• Experience in district and superior court trial practice preferred
• Experience as a bar advocate preferred
• Familiarity with budget oversight and contract drafting
• Demonstrated commitment to high-quality legal representation for poor people; experience working with culturally diverse, poor, and marginalized clients; nuanced understanding of how implicit biases impact members of racial, ethnic, and other minority groups
• Ability to create, support, and nurture a diverse, inclusive, and culturally competent workplace
• Excellent interpersonal, analytical, oral and written communication, and organizational skills; creative and pragmatic thinker
• Ability to multi-task and strong attention to detail
• Proficiency with Excel, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Monday.com

Pay

$125,543.00