The CPCS Public Defender Division, Norfolk County Office (located in Quincy MA and accessible by the T-Red Line) is currently seeking students for our Fall 2024 (August 19, 2024 thru Mid-December) internship positions. 

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.

POSITION OVERVIEW

In the PDD Norfolk County office, we defend a broad range of adult felony and misdemeanor cases, including all offenses except for Murder, in both District Court and Superior Court.  We also advocate for clients in various capacities in mental health court, veteran’s court, and drug court programs.

We offer law student interns (rising 2L through 3L) a variety of experiences and assignments, supervised by veteran attorneys, as well as extensive valuable training, which is currently unique to our location. Interns will work closely with lawyers, social workers, and investigators to provide legal representation and advocacy. The PDD Norfolk County office gives interns a wide range of opportunities, including, but not limited to, legal research and writing (including motions to dismiss, to suppress, and more), arraignment and bail advocacy (for our 3:03 certified interns), possible second seating trials, and more. Interns will leave with multiple projects to utilize as writing samples and with a written review to use for a reference.

NOTE: At the beginning of the internship, there is mandatory attendance at an intensive, multi-day training.

UNPAID INTERNSHIPS

School-year internships at CPCS are unpaid.  We strongly encourage students to pursue all funding sources available to students performing internships at public service agencies, including through their school or a federal work-study fellowship.

SCHEDULE

Fall internships run from the end of August through early December, and interns must be able to devote at least two full days per week to the internship. 

TRANSPORTATION

Our office is located in Quincy Center (accessible by walking from the Quincy Center station) at 1515 Hancock Street, Suite 401. Parking in the area is limited and often costs money. We handle matters in the Quincy, Stoughton, Wrentham, and Dedham District Courts, and in Norfolk Superior Court (which is in Dedham). The main jails are in Dedham for males, and South Bay in Boston for females, but we do have clients in various other institutions throughout the Commonwealth.  Although a car is not a requirement for an internship, having your own means of transport will allow you to have a much more valuable and broader range of experience, as you can then participate in/observe in courts other than Quincy District Court, and/or visit clients in jail, with an Attorney.   

QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS

Preferred:

• Law Students who have taken classes in evidence, criminal law, constitutional law, critical legal theory, and/or trial advocacy
• Law students who speak a foreign language

Additionally, law students who have successfully completed or are enrolled in an evidence or trial practice class, and who are, at the earliest, in the summer prior to their final year of law school, may, with the written approval by their Dean and the Supreme Judicial Court, represent clients under the supervision of a staff public defender in court, per SJC Rule 3:03 (for Criminal Law).

RESPONSIBILITIES

Interns will work directly with attorneys, investigators, and social service advocates on the following: 

• Legal research
• Drafting pretrial motions, affidavits and legal memoranda
• Review of evidence, client and expert witness contact, correspondence with clients, and more
• Court Observation (Trials, Motions, Arraignments, and more)
• Client interviews (which 3:03 interns might conduct)
• Arraignment and bail arguments (for 3:03 interns)
• Pretrial Motion arguments (for 3:03 interns)

Interns must agree to keep confidential all information involving client representation, and the work they perform on behalf of our clients, and will be required to sign a Confidentiality Agreement.

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