Job Description - Trial Attorney - Mental Health Litigation, Roxbury Office (240008BQ)
The Mental Health Litigation Division (MHLD) of the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is seeking a full-time Trial Attorney for civil commitment cases including trials and a limited number of appellate cases for its Roxbury Commitment Unit. This position is currently a temporary remote work position until the Unit relocates to a permanent office location. This office is responsible for civil commitments filed by Lemuel Shattuck Hospital, Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Center, HRI Hospital in Brookline, and other facilities in the metro-Boston area.
We fight for equal justice and human dignity by supporting our clients in achieving their legal and life goals.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Mental Health Litigation Division is seeking an experienced, full-time Trial Attorney for civil commitment cases including trials and a limited number of appellate cases for its Roxbury Commitment Unit. The Unit is responsible for civil commitments filed by Lemuel Shattuck Hospital, Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Center, HRI Hospital in Brookline, and other facilities in the metro-Boston area. This position is currently a temporary remote work position until the Unit relocates to a permanent office location.
Mental Health Litigation Division Trial Attorneys provide zealous representation in mental health cases, primarily to indigent persons in proceedings seeking the initial commitment to, continued confinement at, or authorization to treat by psychiatric facilities operated by the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, Department of Mental Health (DMH) and private psychiatric facilities licensed by DMH. Attorneys will appear primarily in District Court sessions conducted at facilities for which the Office is responsible or in Superior Court divisions within the county in which the facilities are located but may be required to represent clients in proceedings emanating from other facilities and conducted in other courts of the Commonwealth. Trial Attorneys may also represent clients in appeals to the Appellate Divisions of the District and Municipal Courts.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Duties of MHLD Trial Attorneys include, but are not limited to:
- Visiting with and interviewing clients at the facilities;
- Conducting pre-trial investigation and discovery, including reviewing facility and other medical and psychiatric records, and interviewing facility staff;
- Working extensively with forensic psychiatric and psychological clinicians;
- Locating and interviewing witnesses and consulting with service providers;
- Conducting legal research and writing; and,
- Representing clients in pretrial proceedings, hearings, and interlocutory appeals.
MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS
- Applicants must be committed to serving a culturally diverse, low-income population and must be eligible to practice law in Massachusetts, either as a member of the Massachusetts bar or as an attorney licensed in another jurisdiction who is covered by Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:04;
- All Trial Attorney positions require travel; access to reliable transportation throughout the Commonwealth is necessary;
- Access to a personal computer with home internet access sufficient to work remotely.
To apply, please submit a resume, a cover letter detailing your interest in the position, and a legal writing sample.
QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS
- Foreign language skills to support interaction with limited English proficient groups in the region are desirable;
- Trial experience in mental health cases is preferred;
- Strong interpersonal and analytical skills;
- Ability to work in a community and defense-oriented capacity, both independently and collaboratively.
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.
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