Administrative Assistant III - CAFL Northampton - Committee for Public Counsel

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the public defender agency for Massachusetts, is seeking to fill an Administrative Assistant III position for its Children and Family Law Division (CAFL) Northampton Office.  CAFL provides legal representation to children and indigent parents in family regulation cases, including care and protection (C&P) proceedings, child requiring assistance (CRA) 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.

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.

OFFICE OVERVIEW

The CAFL Northampton office is comprised of the AIC, five staff Trial Attorneys, a Social Worker, and an Administrative Assistant and provides public defense in family regulation matters in Franking and Hampshire Counties. Northampton CAFL has a strong culture of teamwork and strongly believes in community engagement and partnership to assist clients as they navigate the family regulation system.  

The city of Northampton provides a sophisticated rural lifestyle combined with the cultural, artistic, academic, and culinary amenities of a big city.  It offers more restaurants, eclectic shops, galleries, theaters, and performance venues than most urban centers ten times its size.   You will also find two rivers, mountain views, landscaped parks, and meadow walks.  It provides a unique and charming combination of natural and cultural activities that should not be missed.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Administrative Assistant III is a key member of CPCS trial office staff, supporting the Attorney in Charge in running the day-to-day duties of a fast-paced legal office.  The Administrative Assistant III must be able to provide excellent support for the staff in the office as well as coordinate communications with other CPCS units such as HR, Facilities, and IT.

This is a full-time (35 hours/week) position reporting to the Attorney in Charge.

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

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

The successful applicant must have:

• Associate’s degree in related area and at least two years of experience as an administrative assistant or office manager; executive level secretarial skills; or an equivalent combination of education, training, experience, and skills are required; and,
• Access to a personal computer with home internet access sufficient to work remotely. 

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS

• Strong communication, organizational and detail skills;
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint);
• 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;
• Familiarity with advanced Word formatting and editing, and Microsoft Excel;
• Strong cultural competency and diplomacy skills;
• Legal office experience a plus; and,
• Foreign language skills are strongly preferred.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The primary responsibilities of an Administrative Assistant III include:

• Supporting the Attorney in Charge on day-to-day duties of running the office as well as special projects and coordinating communication, support, and resources with HR, Facilities, and IT;
• Opening and closing case files, maintaining open case files, and filing, scanning and shredding of closed cases;
• Providing administrative support, including word and data processing, filing, copying, scanning, and handling correspondence;
• Coordinating and assisting with projects relating to personnel management, program evaluation, and other areas;
• Creating statistical reports regarding attorney caseloads and disposition of cases and maintaining data collected;
• Planning, coordinating, and calendaring meetings and events;
• Assisting with other projects to improve the quality of legal representation and to enhance client services;
• Ensuring effective use of office systems and compliance with agency procedures and practices;
• Communicating effectively with internal and external contacts at all levels;
• Assisting with front desk coverage including all receptionist responsibilities as needed;
• Maintaining and updating office websites; 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