The Committee for Public Counsel Services is the public defender agency of Massachusetts, seeking two full-time Appeals Attorneys for its Appeals Unit in Boston. The role involves providing legal representation and appellate advocacy for indigent adult clients in the Massachusetts appellate courts, as well as training and assisting trial attorneys across the state.
Responsibilities
- Interviewing clients
- Conducting legal research
- Collecting and reviewing documentary evidence
- Writing briefs, reply briefs, motions for reconsideration, applications for direct and further appellate review and motions for new trial
- Arguing before the Appeals Court and the Supreme Judicial Court, including preparation via moot arguments, and assisting other attorneys with their moot arguments
- Litigating motions for new trial in district, municipal, and superior courts around the Commonwealth
- Conducting post-conviction investigation, including visiting crime scenes and locating and interviewing witnesses, when needed
- 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 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
- Assisting the agency in work on 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
- Other duties as assigned
Skills
- 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 one year as an attorney in a related field
- Access to reliable transportation in order to travel to courts, clients, and investigation locations across the Commonwealth
- Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely
- Candidates must be able to work in a defense-oriented capacity, both independently and collaboratively
- Candidates must be committed to working with a culturally diverse, low-income population
- Candidates must possess very strong writing and oral advocacy skills
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