Lead Administrative Assistant - Public Defender Division Administration

Overview

The Committee for Public Counsel Services, the public defender agency for Massachusetts, seeks a Lead Administrative Assistant to support the Administrative Office of the Public Defender Division. This position will be based in Boston and will be eligible for a limited hybrid 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.

DIVISION OVERVIEW

The mission of the Public Defender Division is to ensure that criminal defendants are given the fundamental protections of the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Massachusetts Constitution. We believe that every defendant should not only receive zealous advocacy but respect and dignity as they deal with the potential loss of their liberty.

The PDD administrative office is in Boston. It currently has 17 trial offices located throughout the state, as well as an Appeals Unit, and a staff of approximately 400 attorneys and 130 other staff members including, administrative assistants, investigators, staff interpreters, and social service advocates.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Lead Administrative Assistant (“Lead AA”) is an essential member of the management team in the Public Defender Division and must be able to maintain confidentiality while handling the high-level responsibilities necessary to support the Deputy Chief Counsel in the day-to-day duties of overseeing and operating the Division. Key to those operations is assisting the five Managing Directors who are also responsible for managing all the staff trial offices throughout the Commonwealth. The Lead AA also assists the Director of Social Work, the Director of Investigations, and the Appeals Unit. Record keeping, data collection and management, and reporting are key components and central duties for this position in supporting the overall mission of the agency.

The Lead AA reports directly to the Public Defender Division Deputy Chief Counsel and may be eligible for a limited hybrid schedule.

Qualifications

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must have: 

• Associate’s degree in a related area; at least four years of experience as an administrative assistant or office manager; executive level secretarial skills; or an equivalent combination of education, experience, and skills; and,
• Access to an automobile in order to travel to offices and other locations that are not easily accessible by public transportation; and,
• Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS

The ideal candidate will be a person who is highly organized, creative and detail oriented, enjoys interacting with people in a friendly work environment, and will take satisfaction from working in an agency whose commitment is to protecting the fundamental legal rights of indigent persons. 

The ideal candidate will have: 

• Expertise in computer and technological skills and in-depth knowledge of relevant software, including MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook;
• Knowledge of standard office administrative practices and procedures;
• Ability to interact effectively with associates/colleagues at all levels in the organization;
• Excellent organizational, planning and process skills;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
• Ability to remain focused and effective in a high demand environment;
• Information gathering and information monitoring skills;
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and to exercise considerable judgment and discretion;
• Previous administrative assistant, office manager, or similar experience, and knowledge of general office procedures (e.g., correspondence, scheduling, filing);
• Ability to handle multiple tasks, prioritize effectively, meet deadlines, and deliver high quality work;
• Project management experience desirable; and,
• Previous experience in a legal setting a plus.

Responsibilities

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Lead Administrative Assistant is responsible for: 

• Providing high level administrative support to senior managers, including word and data processing, filing, copying, scanning, and handling correspondence;  
• Coordinating and assisting with projects relating to personnel management and program evaluation;
• Managing and directing client communications to the appropriate staff;
• Creating and maintaining statistical reports regarding attorney caseloads and disposition of cases;
• Coordinating travel arrangements;
• Assisting with projects aimed at improving the quality of legal representation and enhancing client services;
• Maintaining and scheduling for multiple calendars;
• Using the agency case management system to determine issues related to client conflicts and assisting trial office support staff in the resolution of case management issues;
• Maintaining effective communication within and across divisions with other support staff and managers;
• Reading and analyzing incoming email, memos, submissions, and reports to determine their significance and plan their distribution and tracking responses to email;
• Answering and managing incoming calls and appointments;
• Developing and maintaining a system for the organization of a broad range of documents;
• Providing assistance and backup for the Executive Assistant to the Chief Counsel and other support staff as necessary, including, but not limited to the Receptionist desk and switchboard;
• Preparing expense reports; 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