The Immigration Impact Unit of the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the public defender agency of Massachusetts, is seeking an experienced attorney to fill the position of Supervising Attorney as part of the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative (MACI).  Under the direction of the Unit’s Director, the Supervising Attorney will supervise Staff Attorneys and will also provide direct representation to indigent Massachusetts residents in removal proceedings. 

                                    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 Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative (MACI) office located within the IIU will be a new legal services program for immigration representation that will embrace the tenets of public defense and universal representation to provide zealous, holistic, and client centered representation. The MACI-IIU office will provide full-scope representation to people in removal proceedings, both detained and non-detained. The office will set standards of practice and create training to increase the capacity for removal defense representation within Massachusetts.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Immigration Impact Unit is seeking an experienced attorney with a minimum of five years of experience in immigration legal practice.  Under the direction of the MACI Program Director and the IIU Director, the Supervising Attorney will assist in the supervision of Staff Attorneys and will have their own caseload of indigent Massachusetts residents in removal proceedings.  Supervising Attorneys will be involved in the day-to-day operations of the MACI representation program and will help train and mentor staff. 

Please note, these positions are contingent on grant-funding from the Governor’s Office for Immigrant and Refugees which has yet to be awarded.  This posting does not guarantee that we will be filling this position. Furthermore, funding for this position is only guaranteed for the duration of the grant period.  While it is anticipated that additional funding may be awarded, that is not guaranteed.

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

The following attributes are required for the position of Supervising Attorney:

• Must be eligible to practice law either as a member of the Massachusetts bar in good standing or as a member in good standing of the bar of another jurisdiction and be qualified to practice federal immigration law;
• A minimum of five years of experience providing immigration representation;
• Access to an automobile in order to travel to courts, clients, and detention centers that are not easily accessible by public transportation; and,
• Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS

The following attributes are preferred for the position of Supervising Staff Attorney:

• Significant litigation experience as lead counsel in immigration removal proceedings;
• Commitment to working with a culturally diverse, low-income population,
• Comprehensive knowledge of immigration law;
• Experience supervising and mentoring attorneys and other staff;
• Willingness and ability to work positively and collaboratively with both the Director and Supervisees;
• Excellent writing, analytical, and organizational skills;
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills;
• A demonstrated commitment to the principle of zealous advocacy in the representation of indigent persons;
• Ability and commitment to complete annual performance evaluations in a timely and comprehensive manner;
• Strong interpersonal and analytical skills;
• Ability to work in community and defense-oriented capacity, both independently and collaboratively; and,
• Foreign language skills are desirable.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Supervising Attorney will supervise Staff Attorneys assigned to represent Massachusetts residents in removal proceedings of detained and non-detained immigrants in addition to their case responsibilities. The Supervising Attorney must be capable of supervising new Staff Attorneys as well as experienced Staff Attorneys practicing in immigration removal proceedings.

The direct representation duties of the Supervising Attorney include:  

• Client interviews;
• Legal research and writing;
• Analyzing legal issues and developing legal strategies;
• Preparing and arguing motions, affidavits, and legal memoranda;
• Bond hearings, Master Calendar Hearings and Individual hearings in removal proceedings.
• Representation on Habeas petitions
• Advocacy before the Board of Immigration Appeals

The supervisory duties of the Supervising Attorney include, but are not limited to:

• 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 Individual Calendar Hearings and significant Master Calendar hearings;
• Preparation of annual performance evaluations;
• Presentation of in-office training sessions;
• Supervision of other staff, such as paralegals and student interns, as delegated by the Director;
• Assisting with reporting and data collection;
• Responding to client, community, and staff concerns; 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