The Committee for Public Counsel Services, the public defender agency for Massachusetts, is seeking candidates for a Private Attorney Outreach Partner to serve as a key ambassador for CPCS in our efforts to recruit private attorneys to contract with CPCS.

CPCS is considered one of the leading public defender agencies in the country. 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.  To accomplish its mission of zealously representing clients, CPCS employs staff attorneys and contracts with private attorneys to serve as public defenders.  Approximately 80% of cases are handled by private attorneys.  The agency is facing a critical shortage of private attorneys.

The Administrative Office is located in Boston but the office location for this position is negotiable and may be sited in any available CPCS office, depending on the needs of CPCS, the  candidate, and available space. This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule.

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

Private Attorney Outreach Partners are key ambassadors for CPCS in the search for attorneys to contract with the agency. The Private Attorney Outreach Partner will assess current recruiting efforts and will develop new and innovative recruitment strategies as well as developing and marketing CPCS’ brand through our web presence, print publications, and on social media platforms.

The Private Attorney Outreach Partner will collaborate with the HR Department and the Equity & Inclusion Director, all private panel units and other stakeholders to develop and support a wide range of strategic efforts including expanding and maintaining diverse candidate pools and talent pipelines, sourcing and engaging passive candidates, leading outreach activities at law firms, Bar Associations, affinity groups, Alumni Associations, and law schools, and collecting and assembling recruiting data.  This position will also work with the Communications Director to raise awareness about CPCS and our mission, raise CPCS’s profile in the legal community in Massachusetts and nationally, and to develop written and video marketing and recruitment materials that demonstrate the benefits in contracting as an attorney with the agency.

The Private Attorney Outreach Partner will also collaborate with private panel units to support private attorneys becoming state vendors, including assisting the coordination of necessary application materials and payment forms.

The Private Attorney Outreach Partners report to the Chief Administrative Officer and works closely with the various private panel units.

The Administrative Office is located in Boston but the office location for this position is negotiable and may be sited in any available CPCS office, depending on the needs of CPCS, the  candidate, and available space. This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule.

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS 

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Marketing, Communications, or related field and at least four (4) years of recruiting, marketing, or sales experience, or an equivalent combination of education, experience, and skills;
• Access to an automobile in order to travel; and,
• Access to a personal computer with home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS

• Knowledge of CPCS or other indigent defense systems;
• Knowledge of labor markets, recruiting practices, and effective social media recruitment tools and marketing resources;
• Commitment to values consistent with the agency’s Diversity & Inclusion Mission Statement; 
• Commitment to recruiting and supporting diverse talent;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office systems, including Word, Excel, Access, Power Point, Windows, and the Internet required;
• Proficiency with Applicant Tracking Systems;
• Knowledge of social media platforms;
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written;
• Experience working with multi-lingual populations and/or with organizations that serve similar client populations to CPCS;
• Ability to establish rapport and communicate effectively with all levels of the organization;
• Demonstrated ability to multi-task, performing multiple tasks independently and concurrently;
• Ability to take initiative, to work well independently and as a team member; and,
• Demonstrated skills in organization, problem-solving, and attention to detail.

COMPENSATION

CPCS offers a competitive compensation, benefits, and pension package; a diverse and inclusive culture; colleagues and co-workers who are committed to and passionate about their work; eligibility for hybrid work; and the opportunity to serve.

Salary Range: $80,598 - $118,361.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The duties of the Private Attorney Outreach Partner include, but are not limited to: 

• Working with CPCS private panel units to develop and maintain new and existing pipelines of private attorneys;
• Developing a marketing brand and plan that promotes CPCS;
• Working with the Communications Director and Human Resources to update or develop written and video marketing and recruitment materials on the CPCS website, on web-based social media platforms, and for distribution;
• Developing and maintaining relationships with solo practitioners, small, mid-sized, and large law firms to recruit them to add private counsel capacity;
• Recruiting existing private counsel attorneys and CPCS staff to assist in the recruitment of additional private counsel attorneys and developing talking points and other materials to assist in these efforts;
• Collaborating with the HR Department, Equity & Inclusion Director and other stakeholders, such as staff affinity groups, to coordinate recruiting efforts and to elicit their assistance in those efforts;
• Developing and expanding existing contacts with law schools and judicial law clerk programs, locally and nationally, including HBCUs, and law student associations, bar associations and bar affinity groups, and other stakeholders such as community organizations that share our mission;
• Collaborating with the CPCS private panel units to update and manage the content the website for private counsel recruitment, training, and on-boarding;
• Working with CPCS private panel units to streamline the process for private attorneys to demonstrate interest in contracting with CPCS;
• Collaborating with the Finance Department to streamline the contracting and billing systems for private attorneys;
• Representing the agency at job fairs and recruitment events, both locally and nationally, as well as creating and organizing CPCS-sponsored recruitment events;
• Supporting the process for private attorneys to become state vendors, including assisting with the required vendor documentation; 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