Oversight Counsel - Appellate Panel Unit, CAFL

Overview

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the Massachusetts public defender agency, seeks an experienced attorney to promote high-quality representation of children and adults in family regulation/child welfare appeals. The attorney will be a core member of the Children and Family Law Division’s Appellate Panel Support Unit (APSU), which provides support, oversight, and training for approximately 150 private attorneys who represent children and adults in family regulation/child welfare appellate matters.

The selected attorney may be seated in Boston, Worcester, or at another CPCS office location, depending on needs and space availability.

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 include diversity, equity, and inclusion as core principles.

Agency overview: CPCS provides representation when required by constitutional or statutory obligations for clients who cannot afford counsel. The agency covers criminal, delinquency, youthful offender, family regulation, guardianship, mental health, sexually dangerous person, and sex offender registry matters, including appeals and post-conviction/judgment proceedings. CPCS emphasizes cultural competence and respect for diverse backgrounds and abilities among clients and staff.

Children and Family Law Division overview:
The CAFL Division provides attorneys to children and indigent adults in care and protection, termination of parental rights, child requiring assistance, guardianship-of-a-minor matters, and other civil matters involving children, including appeals. At trial, most CAFL clients are represented by private trial panel attorneys; on appeal, most CAFL clients are represented by private appellate attorneys on CAFL’s appellate panel.

Office overview: CAFL’s Appellate Panel Support Unit (APSU) supports and oversees approximately 150 private CAFL appellate panel attorneys. The CAFL appellate panel handles about 90% of CAFL final and interlocutory appeals. APSU assigns appellate counsel and provides training on issue preservation, brief-writing, appellate motion practice, and oral argument; handles strategy calls; reviews briefs; conducts moot courts; and observes and debriefs oral arguments.

APSU Oversight Counsel may participate in related CAFL appellate/trial projects and may manage a small caseload of matters if interested.

The Oversight Counsel in the APSU supports private CAFL appellate panel attorneys statewide to ensure high-quality, zealous representation in CAFL appellate matters. Responsibilities include reviewing briefs, moot court arguments, observing and critiquing oral arguments, drafting appellate practice tips, delivering trainings (in person and remotely), and providing other support to private counsel and Unit administration. The position may be seated in Boston, Worcester, or another CPCS location, reporting to the CAFL Director of Appellate Panel.

Responsibilities

• Assist the CAFL Director of Appellate Panel in panel management (e.g., overseeing and assessing appellate panel member performance).
• Monitor panel members’ compliance with performance standards.
• Advise trial and appellate panel members on case strategy.
• Oversee the appellate panel mentor program and evaluate panel members for graduation from the program.
• Assign final and interlocutory appeals to panel members.
• Review briefs, moot court work, and evaluate oral arguments.
• Review applications for admission to panel certification training.
• Deliver training programs (in person and remote) on family regulation/child welfare issues for panel members and staff attorneys.
• Draft appellate bulletins and provide resources (e.g., legal research/motion resource banks, single justice pleadings resource banks).
• Serve as liaison with trial court clerks, Appeals Court, and Supreme Judicial Court.
• Administer appellate panel operations (recruitment, certification, assignments, billing, mentor assignments).
• Supervise student workers (intern/coop/other).
• Dra…