Paralegal - Criminal Appeals Unit, Private Counsel Division

Overview:

The Committee for Public Counsel Services, the Massachusetts public defender agency, is seeking a full-time Paralegal in the Private Counsel Division Criminal Appeals Unit.

We fight for equal justice and human dignity by supporting our clients in achieving their legal and life goals. We zealously advocate for the rights of individuals and promote just public policy to protect the rights of all.

Our Values

Courage • Accountability • Respect • Excellence

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MISSION STATEMENT

CPCS is committed to protecting the fundamental constitutional and human rights of our assigned clients through zealous advocacy, community-oriented defense, and the fullness of excellent legal representation. We are dedicated to building and maintaining strong professional relationships, while striving to accept, listen to and respect the diverse circumstances of each client, as we dedicate ourselves to meeting their individual needs. It is our CPCS mission to achieve these goals, and in furtherance thereof, we embrace and endorse diversity, equity and inclusion as our core values as we maintain a steadfast commitment to: (1) Ensure that CPCS management and staff members represent a broad range of human differences and experience; (2) Provide a work climate that is respectful and supports success; and (3) Promote the dignity and well-being of all staff members. CPCS leadership is responsible for ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion. The ability to achieve these goals with any level of certainty is ultimately the responsibility of each member of the CPCS community.

AGENCY OVERVIEW

CPCS is the state agency in Massachusetts responsible for providing an attorney when the state or federal constitution or a state statute requires the appointment of an attorney for a person who cannot afford to retain one. The agency provides representation in criminal, delinquency, youthful offender, family regulation, guardianship, mental health, sexually dangerous person, and sex offender registry cases, as well as in appeals and post-conviction and post-judgment proceedings related to those matters.

The clients we represent are diverse across every context imaginable and bring many unique cultural dimensions to the matters we address. This reality creates a critical need for CPCS staff to be culturally competent and able to work well with people of different races, ethnicities, genders and/or sexual orientation identities, abilities, and limited English proficiency, among other protected characteristics.

UNIT OVERVIEW

The Private Counsel Division Criminal Appeals Unit assigns attorneys to approximately 800 post-conviction cases yearly. These are cases in which an individual has been convicted of a crime after a trial or has pleaded guilty to a crime. The unit also oversees approximately 400 attorneys on the post-conviction panel.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Criminal Appeals Unit (CAU) is seeking a full-time Paralegal to assist post-conviction panel members on direct appeals of adult criminal convictions. The Paralegal must have a commitment to ensuring that individuals convicted of crimes are provided with zealous post-conviction representation.

Under the direction of the CAU attorneys, the Paralegal will assist attorneys in assembling the case records necessary for direct appeals of adult criminal convictions and assist CAU attorneys with court filings and obtaining records and transcripts. The Paralegal will also create and maintain client, case, and panel attorney electronic records as well as respond to inquiries from CPCS clients, courts, and other stakeholders.

The Paralegal will report to the Director of the Criminal Appeals Unit.

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

Candidates must have:

• A Bachelor’s degree or Paralegal certificate;
• Access to reliable transportation in order to travel to locations that are not easily accessible by public transportation; and,
• Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

Substitution: Two years of paralegal experience may be substituted for the degree/certificate.

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS

The following skills are preferable in a candidate:

• Facility with Monday.com (preferred); MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint; Outlook and OneDrive;
• Excellent organizational skills;
• Ability to perform factual research via internal records, public records and on-line databases;
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team;
• Skills and experience in interacting with persons of various social, racial, cultural economic and educational backgrounds;
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and persuasively orally and in writing; and,
• Familiarity with Massachusetts criminal case dockets in the superior, district and appellate courts

RESPONSIBILITIES

The duties of the Paralegal include, but are not limited to:

• Working with post-conviction panel attorneys, unit staff, criminal clerks’ offices in the trial courts, office of transcription services, and the CAU to assist panel attorneys gather case records;
• Assisting unassigned clients with indigency paperwork, writing affidavits, and court pleadings;
• Receiving criminal appeal referral forms and review for completeness and appropriateness for appellate assignment and following up as necessary with the referring attorney, Office of Transcription Services, or the courts;
• Setting up client and case electronic folders and working with CAU staff to ensure efficient and timely posting of case assignments;
• Assisting CAU attorneys filing status reports and docketing statements at the Appeals court and ordering transcripts;
• Assisting CAU attorneys with legal research, public records, medical and other records requests;
• Responding to phone, letter, and email inquiries from CPCS clients, attorneys, court personnel, and others;
• Maintaining accurate electronic records, including case and client records; and,
• Other duties as assigned.

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. Applicants who have questions about equal employment opportunity or who need reasonable accommodations can contact the Chief Human Resources Officer, Sandra DeBow-Huang, at [email protected].