The Massachusetts Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is seeking a new Chief Counsel, effective as of August 2, 2010.  The Chief Counsel will lead and direct CPCS in its delivery of high quality legal representation to indigent persons in criminal, youthful offender, juvenile delinquency, child welfare, mental health, former sex offender registration and commitment, and other cases in which the assistance of counsel is required by constitutional provision, statute or rule of court.
About the position:
The Chief Counsel is responsible for the effective performance of all CPCS operations.  In the words of our governing statute, Mass. G.L. ch. 211D, sec. 13, the Chief Counsel is responsible for “the overall supervision of the workings of the various divisions of the committee.”  As such, the Chief Counsel is responsible for ensuring the quality of the representation that CPCS provides to its indigent clients.  More specifically, the Chief Counsel is expected to:
• Provide leadership and direction toward the development and achievement of the agency’s philosophy, mission, and its immediate and long-term goals and objectives;
• Lead the agency effort to promote criminal justice, juvenile delinquency, child welfare, mental health and former sex offender policies which are intelligent, effective and humane;
• Lead the agency effort to preserve, protect and, where appropriate, advance the right to counsel for indigent persons;
• Oversee the preparation of budget requests, agency reports and legislative proposals, and advocate with the legislative and executive branches for the approval of CPCS recommendations;
• Develop and maintain clear, frequent and effective communication with all components of CPCS operations, with the leadership of the judicial branch, bar associations, associations of lawyers who provide representation to CPCS clients, the media and the public;
• Oversee the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of attorney assignment systems to ensure that every indigent client is afforded the effective assistance of counsel to which he or she is entitled;
• Prepare the agenda, including policy proposals, for the Committee meetings which occur monthly except in August;
• Hire all agency staff but for three Deputy Chief Counsel positions which are the responsibility of the Committee.
The Chief Counsel directs agency operations in collaboration with the CPCS Senior Management Team which consists of the General Counsel; the Deputy Chief Counsels for the Public Defender Division, the Private Counsel Division and the Children and Family Law Division; the Directors of the Mental Health Litigation Unit and the Youth Advocacy Department; the Assistant Deputy Chief Counsel (director of district court operations) for the Public Defender Division; the Chief Financial Officer; and the Director of Human Resources.  Please see the agency’s on-line organizational chart which identifies the areas of responsibility of Management Team members.
Applicants for the Chief Counsel position shall have been admitted to practice for at least ten years, and shall be a member of, or eligible for admission to, the Massachusetts Bar.  The ideal candidate should have significant experience in the representation of indigent clients, significant public sector leadership experience, and be highly skilled in personnel management, public policy advocacy and budget development.  A demonstrated ability to inspire and lead people is essential.
Salary: $148,843 per year plus state benefits
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Start Date: August 2, 2010
About the agency:
CPCS provides trial and appellate representation to indigent clients in some 250,000 cases annually through its 420 member staff (240 attorneys) in twenty-two CPCS office locations and some 3,000 private attorneys who have been certified by CPCS as qualified to provide representation in one or more practice areas.  CPCS contracts with Bar Advocate programs in every county for assignment, training and performance oversight in criminal and delinquency cases, which services are augmented by staff oversight and support.  In Children and Family Law cases it contracts with Regional Coordinators to provide local training, advice and oversight.  The Mental Health Litigation Unit trains, certifies and supervises private attorneys in civil commitment, forced medication and guardianship proceedings.  CPCS staff and private counsel are also supported by a Criminal Defense Training Unit and a Children and Family Law Training Unit, a Juvenile Delinquency and Youthful Offender Training Director, an Immigration Impact Unit and a Special Litigation Unit.
To apply:
Applicants should submit their resume, statement of interest and, as a separate document, answers to the following questions:
(1) Identify either a decision issued within the last two years by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court or the US Supreme Court, or within the same time period, a statute enacted by the Massachusetts Legislature or US Congress, which you believe has presented, or will present, a significant challenge to the ability of attorneys representing CPCS clients to ensure that justice is done.  Please explain the challenge you perceive and how you would propose that CPCS meet that challenge.

(2) Describe a particularly meaningful case on which you worked.

Applications should be submitted by February 19, 2010, to:
Willie J. Davis, Esq., Chair
Committee for Public Counsel Services
44 Bromfield Street
Boston, MA 02108
or by email (preferred) to wdavis@publiccounsel.net.

For more information about CPCS, see www.publiccounsel.net.
The Committee for Public Counsel Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer.