Supervising Staff Attorney - PDD Holyoke

The Public Defender Division of CPCS, the Massachusetts public defender agency, is seeking a Supervising Staff Attorney with a minimum of five years of experience providing criminal defense representation for its Holyoke Office.  Candidates must have sufficient trial experience in both the District and Superior Courts so they are qualified to supervise all Trial Attorney staff.

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.

OFFICE OVERVIEW

 With the largest per capita population of Puerto Ricans in any city outside of Puerto Rico itself, Holyoke is a small but diverse city with a rich cultural history located in the beautiful Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. This exciting office has a mix of experienced public defenders and new voices shaping the local vision. The staff will provide zealous advocacy in the criminal district courts of Holyoke, Chicopee, and Palmer as well as the Hampden Superior Court.   

 POSITION OVERVIEW

 The Public Defender Division of CPCS, Holyoke Office, is seeking a Supervising Staff Attorney, with a minimum of five years of experience providing criminal defense representation. Under the direction of the office’s Attorney in Charge, the Supervising Staff Attorney will assist in the supervision of Trial Attorneys and will also have their own reduced caseload. Clients are indigent persons charged with criminal offenses within the final jurisdiction of the respective court. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

 The Supervising Staff Attorney will supervise Trial Attorneys assigned to both District and Superior Court cases in addition to their case responsibilities. The Supervising Staff Attorney must be capable of supervising new Trial Attorneys as well as experienced Trial Attorneys practicing in the Superior Court, particularly around serious felony or otherwise complex cases.

 The direct representation duties of the Supervising Staff Attorney include:

Client interviews;
Arraignment and bail advocacy;
Legal research and writing;
Pretrial investigation including visiting crime scenes, locating and interviewing witnesses, collecting and reviewing documentary evidence;
Preparing and arguing pretrial motions, affidavits and legal memoranda;
Dispositional investigations and advocacy;
Jury and bench trials of criminal cases; and,
Representation of clients in interlocutory proceedings.

The supervisory duties of the Supervising Staff Attorney include, but are not limited to, the following in accordance with the CPCS Guidelines for Supervision of Public Defender Trial Attorneys and the Guidelines for the Implementation of Unified Public Defender Division Offices: 

Regular one-on-one meetings with individual supervisees to review case files, as well as group meetings, to review case preparation and performance;
In-court supervision, including second-seating of trials and significant pretrial hearings;
Preparation of annual performance evaluations;
Presentation of in-office training sessions;
Supervision of other staff, such as investigators and student interns, as delegated by the office’s Attorney in Charge; and,
Other duties as assigned.