The Mental Health Litigation Division (MHLD) of the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is seeking a full-time staff attorney for its Roxbury office.
Duties:
Staff 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 Mental Health (DMH) or large private psychiatric facilities licensed by DMH. Attorneys will appear primarily in District Court sessions conducted at facilities for which the Unit 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.
To that end, they will be expected to:
- Visit with and interview clients at the facilities;
- Conduct pre-trial investigation and discovery, including reviewing facility and other medical and psychiatric records, and interviewing facility staff;
- Work extensively with forensic psychiatric and psychological clinicians;
- Locate and interview witnesses and consult with service providers;
- Conduct legal research and writing; and
- Represent clients in pretrial proceedings, hearings, and interlocutory appeals
Staff attorneys will be supervised by and report to the Commitment Unit Supervising Attorney.
Requirements:
Applicants must be members in good standing of the Massachusetts bar, or be licensed in another jurisdiction and eligible to practice in Massachusetts under Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:04. Access to reliable transportation in order to travel to courts, mental health facilities, and other locations is required. Foreign language skills are desirable.
Preference will be given to attorneys who are currently certified to accept CPCS mental health assignments.
Salary:
The salaries for these positions are based upon experience.
Application:
Interested candidates should submit a written statement of interest, a resume, a writing sample, and the names of at least three (3) professional references by email to RoxburyMHLD@publiccounsel.net, no later than July 3, 2013.