What are the responsibilities and job description for the Training Director - Training Department - Criminal Defense Training Unit position at Committee for Public Counsel Services?

Overview

CPCS is seeking applications for the Training Director of the Criminal Defense Training Unit. The Criminal Defense Training Unit is part of the Training Department of the Committee for Public Counsel Services which provides high quality training to all staff and private assigned counsel. The Training Department 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 the candidate, Training Department, and available space.

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

C ourage

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.

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

The Training Department provides high quality training to all staff and private assigned counsel. The Training Department, led by the Training Chief, includes four practice area Training Units - Criminal Defense, Children and Family Law, Youth Advocacy, and Mental Health Litigation – all of which are overseen by individual training Directors, and six cross practice area working groups chaired and staffed by Training Department personnel. In addition to providing substantive and skill-based training to attorneys, the Training Department ensures all other professional staff members are provided with appropriate training in their areas of expertise. The Training Department also plays a significant role in the provision of diversity, management, supervision, employment law, and other training to staff and private assigned counsel.

The Criminal Defense Training Unit works closely with both the Public Defender Division and the Private Counsel Division. The Public Defender Division delivers legal services to adults charged with crimes and following conviction, through fully-resourced staff offices located throughout Massachusetts. The Public Defender Division is dedicated to providing zealous advocacy, community-oriented defense, and protecting fundamental constitutional and human rights. Public Defender Division attorneys represent clients at the trial and appellate levels in district, superior, and appellate courts at the state level.

The Private Counsel Division delivers legal services to indigent clients through assigned private attorneys in criminal defense trial and post-conviction cases as well as in civil commitment and registration trials and appeals for persons convicted of sex offenses. To ensure the delivery of high-quality legal services, the Private Counsel Division supervises, trains, advises, and supports private attorneys in these areas as well as provides expertise in trial skills, post-convictions matters, immigration law, forensic evidence, expert witnesses, community resources, and sex offender civil commitment and registration.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Criminal Defense Training Director is responsible for working within the Training Department under the supervision of the Training Chief in consultation with Public Defender Division (PDD) and Private Counsel Division (PCD) leadership to prioritize and create training for CPCS staff attorneys and privately assigned counsel around the state. The Training Director also provides support through publications, listserv postings, and providing advice on cases, court practice, and legal strategies. The Criminal Defense Training Director also collaborates with others within the Training Department to create and offer training of core competencies of Public Defense for all CPCS clients.

The Criminal Defense Training Director reports to the Training Chief.

Qualifications

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

Must be eligible to practice law in this jurisdiction as a member of the Massachusetts bar in good standing, or as an attorney in another jurisdiction who is eligible to engage in limited Massachusetts practice under Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3 : 04;

Minimum of 7 years of experience as a criminal defense attorney and two years of experience as a manager, supervisor, or trainer with knowledge of training principles and practices for adult learners, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience;

Access to an automobile in order to travel to offices, courts, and training locations that are not easily accessible by public transportation; and,

Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS

Commitment to working with a culturally diverse population and an understanding of the biases affecting our clients;

Knowledge of training principles and practices for adult learners;

Knowledge of training evaluation and needs assessments;

Ability to develop curriculum and training materials and present information to audiences in a clear and engaging manner;

Ability to facilitate small group discussion and coach skills exercises to maximize learning for the participants;

Ability to organize event logistics. Ability to work concurrently on multiple short term and long-range projects;

Ability to communicate effectively and persuasively, orally and in writing;

Ability to assess the training needs of the mental health bar;

Skills in supervision and performance coaching;

Excellent administrative and supervisory skills;

Skill in the use of technology to support distance learning through knowledge management and learning management systems as well as video-based webinars;

Excellent organizational, time management, and analytical skills;

Demonstrated commitment to the principle of zealous, client-centered advocacy in the representation of indigent persons in mental health matters; and,

Understanding of, and commitment to, providing reasonable accommodations and accessibility in trainings.

Responsibilities

RESPONSIBILITIES

Specific duties include, but are not limited to :

Designing, implementing, and evaluating training programs for CPCS staff attorneys and private panel attorneys;

Presenting lectures, facilitating large and small group discussions, and providing coaching and feedback at skills exercises and mock hearings;

Working with PDD and PCD leadership to assess the training needs of CPCS staff and the private bar;

Supervising members of the CDTU, including promoting the professional development of staff and completing annual staff performance evaluations in a timely and comprehensive manner;

Researching, preparing, and publishing training materials, legal outlines, practice guides, and practice advisories;

Preparing the CDTU annual training plan and working with Training Department administrative support personnel on budget oversight;

Identifying, recruiting, and coaching qualified CPCS staff members and the private bar to help plan and teach at CDTU training programs;

Overseeing CDTU email listservs webpages and electronic research sites;

As a member of the Training Department, collaborating with others to plan and implement cross divisional and agency-wide training programs, including the CPCS Annual Conference;

Providing advice to Trial Attorneys and bar advocates on individual cases;

Staying up to date on practice issues and emerging laws that affect clients, attorneys, investigators, and Social Service Advocates;

Working with the Training Leaders Group within the Training Department to develop an overall vision for CPCS training needs and to develop cross practice area trainings and CPCS Core Competency Training; 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

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Training Director - Training Department - Criminal Defense Training Unit

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