The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Salary and Hiring

The starting salary for new Public Defender Division attorneys is $37,500. If not already a member of the Massachusetts bar, or the bar of another state, a prospective staff attorney must take the first Massachusetts bar examination following graduation from law school; in addition, s/he must also be certified, at least three months prior to graduation from law school, to practice as a third-year law student under either Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Rule 3:03 or under a comparable student practice rule of another jurisdiction. Attorneys must have access to an automobile so that they can reach courts, incarcerated clients and investigation locations which may not be accessible via public transportation.

Anyone interested in being considered for employment as a staff attorney should initiate an application by sending a resume and statement of interest to:

Krista Lohr
Public Defender Division
Committee for Public Counsel Services
44 Bromfield Street, Room 200
Boston, MA 02108
e-mail address: klohr@publiccounsel.net

Interviews are conducted throughout the year on a rolling basis for the following September. On occasion, a job opening arises that must be filled mid-year; in such situations, an experienced attorney may be offered the position. The Public Defender Division is committed to hiring and retaining a racially and ethnically diverse attorney staff.