Director - Committee for Public Counsel Services (Boston, MA)

COMMITTEE FOR PUBLIC COUNSEL SERVICES
Boston, MA
www.publiccounsel.net

DIRECTOR - JUVENILE DEFENDER DEPARTMENT

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is the Massachusetts state agency responsible for providing legal services to indigent persons in criminal and civil matters in which the state or federal Constitutions, state statutes, or case law require the appointment of an attorney for any person who cannot afford to retain one.  The agency provides representation in criminal, delinquency, youthful offender, child welfare, mental health, sexually dangerous person, and sex offender registry cases, as well as in appeals and collateral proceedings related to those matters.

CPCS seeks applications for the position of Director of its new Juvenile Defender Department (JDD).  The JDD provides legal services to children and youth in juvenile delinquency, youthful offender (YO), and related proceedings.  Representation is provided through staff offices located in Roxbury and Worcester and by more than 700 private attorneys statewide.  The JDD administrative staff is responsible for management, training, policy advocacy, and development.

The Director of the JDD is a member of the CPCS senior management team, which develops and implements agency fiscal, operational, human resource, and legislative policies.  The Director reports to the Chief Counsel.

 The Director of the JDD is responsible for:

• Ensuring the zealous representation of children and youth in juvenile delinquency, YO, and related matters in which there is a right to court-appointed counsel.
• Overseeing the Youth Advocacy Project in Roxbury and a JDD staff office in Worcester.  Each office is headed by a managing attorney, who reports to the Director.  The Youth Advocacy Project (www.youthadvocacyproject.org), a nationally recognized juvenile justice organization, includes five attorneys, social service professionals, psychologists, community outreach workers, and administrative staff.  The Worcester JDD office is comprised of three attorneys, a social services advocate, an investigator, and an administrative assistant.
• Managing JDD administrative staff.
• Planning for and opening additional staff offices.
• Collaborating with CPCS’s Public Defender and Private Counsel Divisions, and with supervising attorneys and mentors in private practice, to promote compliance with performance standards and certification policies and procedures.
• Providing and enhancing initial certification training, continuing legal education, and support for attorneys who accept assignments in approximately 10,000 juvenile delinquency and YO cases annually.
• Helping to train and support the juvenile delinquency and YO appeals panel.
• Advancing policy initiatives, strategic litigation, and inter-agency partnerships.
• Securing additional funding to support special projects and innovative programs undertaken by the JDD.
• Providing periodic reports regarding the Juvenile Defender Department to the CPCS governing board.

Candidates for the Director of the JDD must:

• Embrace the principle of zealous advocacy in the representation of children and youth for whom there is a right to court-appointed counsel.
• Have the ability to promote the provision of excellent representation by staff and private counsel.
• Possess strong leadership qualities, and superior analytical, interpersonal, communication, negotiation, and decision-making skills.
• Be able to recruit, develop, support, and mentor staff.
• Have the ability to work effectively with courts, state agencies, and legislators.
• Possess an in-depth knowledge of juvenile justice law and issues.
• Have significant prior management experience, including supervision of legal and support staff.

Prior experience in a policy-making position requiring data analysis is a plus.

Salary:  $104,000 – $117,000

Candidates should submit a résumé and a statement of interest to:

Human Resources Director
Committee for Public Counsel Services
44 Bromfield Street
Boston, MA  02108
Fax: (617) 988-8370
Email: jdd@publiccounsel.net

Applications should be received by September 22, 2008, but may be accepted until the position is filled.  Please note that this position will be reposted in September.

The Committee for Public Counsel Services is an equal opportunity employer.