Job Description

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the public defender agency for Massachusetts, is seeking applications for a full-time Senior Administrative Assistant in its Alternative Commitment Registration Support Unit (ACRSU) administrative unit located in Boston. The Senior Administrative Assistant will support the administrative office who provide oversight and support to the private panel attorneys who represent clients in SORB and SDP cases.

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

The Alternative Commitment and Registration Support Unit (ACRSU) of CPCS is committed to ensuring that every indigent adult and youth in Massachusetts has access to zealous legal representation when facing “sexually dangerous person” (SDP) civil commitment and sex offender registry board (SORB) classification proceedings from hearings and trials to appeals at all levels.

The ACRSU oversees, supports, and trains private panel attorneys to represent clients in SORB and SDP cases and assigns private counsel to these cases, as needed. The ACRSU also consists of a litigation unit with a group of staff attorneys who represent clients in SDP jury trials in Superior Court. The ACRSU provides leadership in the specialized areas of SORB and SDP litigation defense.

The ACRSU is the only office in the state specializing in SORB litigation defense and provides leadership on SDP issues in collaboration with the SDP trial unit.

The Senior Administrative Assistant supports the administrative office of the ACRSU, providing administrative support to the Director and attorneys who oversee, support, and train private panel attorneys who provide SORB and SDP representation. The Senior Administrative Assistant is a key member of the ACRSU staff and will help to ensure efficient operations of this busy office. The Senior Administrative Assistant is expected to maintain a professional demeanor while working in a high paced work environment and maintain confidentiality.

This is a full-time (35 hours/week) position and reports to the Director of the ACRSU.

Qualifications

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

The ideal candidate will be a person who is both highly organized and detail-oriented and enjoys interacting with people in a friendly work environment and will take satisfaction from working in an agency which is committed to protecting the fundamental legal rights of indigent persons.

The successful applicant must have:

• Associates’ degree in related area and at least two years of experience as an administrative assistant or office manager; executive level secretarial skills; or an equivalent combination of education, training, experience, and skills are required; and,
• Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS

The following skills are preferable in a candidate:

• Strong organizational and writing abilities;
• Ability to work independently;
• Communicating effectively on the telephone and by email with clients, attorneys, court personnel and others;
• Good problem-solving and judgment skills;
• Ability to establish effective working relationships and to work as a team;
• Demonstrated experience with using software such as Word, Excel, Adobe, Windows, Teams, and Video platforms;
• Typing skill of 50 to 60 wpm preferred;
• Legal office experience;
• Ability to maintain strict adherence to confidentiality; and,
• Familiarity with the criminal justice system and/or mental health issues a plus.

Interested candidates should submit a written statement of interest and resume. The letter of interest should include a description of the candidates’ administrative experience and any other applicable experience.

Responsibilities

RESPONSIBILITIES

The duties of the Senior Administrative Assistant include, but are not limited to:

• Providing administrative support to the ACRSU administrative office attorneys, including phone reception, word and data processing, copying, scanning, and redacting legal documents;
• Performing various administrative functions such as preparing case files in electronic and paper format, preparing statistical reports, and use of case management systems;
• Ensuring that the office systems and agency procedures and practices are administered effectively;
• Managing, replying to, directing, and tracking incoming communications from clients, attorneys, courts, and other community members to ensure a prompt and comprehensive response to all inquiries and assignment of cases;
• Communicating with internal and external contacts at all levels, including courts for scheduling, prisons to obtain client records, accepting collect calls from prisoners, and directing calls from expert witnesses and specialists;
• Working collaboratively with other administrative and clerical staff to coordinate services, assisting the tracking of CLEs of private counsel attorneys, and coordinating trainings;
• Coordinating and managing calendars;
• Assisting with other projects to improve the quality of legal representation and to enhance client services;
• Drafting and maintaining standard correspondence documents;
• Providing support to the Director of unit, attorneys and the Trial Unit Administrative Assistant; 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 sdebow@publiccounsel.net