Administrative Assistant IV - CAFL Admin - Committee for Public Counsel

The Committee for Public Counsel Services, the public defender agency for Massachusetts, seeks an Administrative Assistant IV to support the Deputy Chief Counsel, two Managing Directors, and the Director of Social Work for its Children and Family Law Division.  

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 AND DIVISION 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 Children and Family Law Division (CAFL) provides legal representation to children and indigent parents in family regulation matters, including care and protection proceedings, children requiring assistance cases, actions to terminate parental rights, guardianship-of-a-minor cases, and any other child custody proceeding where the Department of Children and Families (DCF) is a party or where the court is considering granting custody to DCF.

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

The Administrative Assistant IV (AAIV) is a key member of the management team of CAFL 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 running the Division (staff and private attorneys), the Managing Directors in managing ten staff trial offices and the appellate office, and the Director of Social Work in supporting and overseeing social workers in those offices. 

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 a personal computer with home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS

The ideal candidate will be a person who is highly organized, creative, detail-oriented, enjoys interacting with people in a friendly work environment, and will take satisfaction from working in an agency whose commitment is to protect 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, Outlook, Teams, and OneDrive;
• Knowledge of standard office administrative practices and procedures;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to interact effectively with diverse colleagues at all levels of the agency and the ability to work as an effective team member;
• Excellent organizational, planning, and process skills;
• Excellent problem-solving skills;
• Ability to remain focused and effective in a high demand environment;
• Strong information gathering and information monitoring skills;
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and to exercise considerable judgment and discretion;
• Strong cultural humility;
• Diplomacy skills;
• Previous administrative assistant, office manager, or similar experience;
• Ability to handle multiple tasks, work independently, prioritize effectively, meet deadlines, and deliver high-quality work;
• Typing skill of 50 to 60 wpm preferred;
• Project management experience desirable; and
• Previous experience in a legal setting a plus

RESPONSIBILITIES

The AAIV responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

• 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;
• Assisting with projects aimed at improving the availability and quality of legal representation and enhancing client services;
• Creating and maintaining statistical reports regarding staff attorney caseloads and disposition of cases and private attorney caseloads and billing;
• 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;
• Maintaining and scheduling for multiple calendars;
• Answering and managing incoming calls and appointments;
• Coordinating travel arrangements;
• 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