Supervising AA III - CAFL Trial and Appellate Panel Support Units

Overview:

The Supervising Administrative Assistant III supports the attorneys and paralegal and has supervisory responsibility for the units’ clerks and other AAs.

The Trial and Appellate Panel Support Units provide support and oversight for private (non-staff) trial and appellate attorneys representing children and parents in the child welfare/ family regulation system. This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule, and, while the office is in Boston, it may be possible to situate this position in an office outside of Boston.

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 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.

DIVISION AND OFFICE OVERVIEW

The vast majority of CAFL clients are represented by private panel attorneys at both the trial and appellate levels. Most CAFL trial cases are heard in the Juvenile Court. Most CAFL appellate cases are heard in the Appeals Court. CAFL assignments require a significant amount of out-of-court advocacy, primarily with the Department of Children and Families, but also with schools and with other state and private agencies.

OFFICE OVERVIEW

Each Unit has a Director and several supervising administrative staff attorneys, and they share other administrative staff.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Supervising Administrative Assistant III must be able to provide excellent support for the attorneys, paralegal, and other staff in the Units as well as coordinate communications with 800 private CAFL trial attorneys, 150 private CAFL appellate attorneys, and other CPCS units such as HR, Facilities, IT, and Finance, as well as outside agencies.

The Supervising Administrative Assistant III reports to the CAFL Trial Panel Director but supports the CAFL Appellate Panel Director as well. This is a full-time (35 hours/week) position.

Qualifications:

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must have:

• Associates degree in related area;
• At least three years of full-time, or equivalent part-time, experience in administrative work;
• An equivalent combination of education, experience, and skills.

Substitutions:

A bachelor’s or higher degree with a major in business administration, business management, or public administration may be substituted for one year of the required experience. Education toward such a degree will be prorated on the basis of the proportion of the requirements actually completed.

• Strong communication, organizational and detail skills;
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), Monday.com, and Salesforce;
• Ability to establish effective working relationships and to work as a team member;
• Flexibility, and strict adherence to confidentiality;
• Typing skill of 50 to 60 wpm preferred;
• Legal office experience preferred; and,
• Foreign language skills preferred.

Responsibilities:

RESPONSIBILITIES

The duties of the Supervising AA III include, but are not limited to:

• Supervising other Trial and Appellate Unit Administrative Assistant (AA) staff, including preparation of annual performance evaluations, approval of time & attendance, and professional training;
• Delegating administrative support work in the office to AA staff;
• Supporting the Trial and Appellate Panel Directors and staff attorneys on day-to-day duties of running the office, special projects, and communications with other CPCS units such as HR, Facilities, and IT, as well as other agencies such the Trial Court, the Appeals Court, and the Department of Children and Families;
• Participating in the recruitment, selection, and hiring process of office AA staff;
• Providing administrative support, including word and data processing, filing, copying, scanning, and handling correspondence;
• Coordinating and assisting with projects relating to private trial and appellate attorney oversight, support, complaints, and other areas;
• Creating statistical reports regarding private attorney caseloads and maintaining data collected;
• Planning, coordinating, and calendaring meetings and events and private attorney trainings;
• Collecting appellate briefs, scheduling appellate moot courts, and assisting with the assignment of appeals;
• Ensuring that office systems and agency procedures and practices are administered effectively; communicating effectively with internal and external contacts at all levels;
• Assisting with phone call, email and letter reception and response coverage including all front desk coverage responsibilities as needed; and,
• Other duties as assigned.

EEO Statement

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