Professional Resources
List Serves
There are numerous listserves available for those who take on indigent defense, whether through private counsel-criminal division or public counsel staff. For additional information concerning the listserves, or help logging on, contact Kristen Munichiello at the Criminal Defense Training Unit kmunichiello@publiccounsel.net for assistance.
MyGideon
If you’re looking for a more robust set of information on specific legal issues, you may find MyGideon a useful resource. If you are a panel or staff attorney looking for access to MyGideon, either Kristen Munichiello kmunichiello@publiccounsel.net or Elizabeth Mooney emooney@publiccounsel.net in the Criminal Defense Training Unit can assist you in setting up an account.
Certification
The Training Unit runs numerous trainings throughout the year that allows applicants to become certified to take on assigned cases in the District and Superior Court. For information on how to become certified please visit the Hiring and Certification page. For a schedule of upcoming trainings and application deadlines, please see the training calendar. For information on how to contact individual county Bar Advocate offices to find out about regional application deadlines and upcoming CLE offerings, please click here.
InCourt Mobile App.
If you are MA attorney looking for a collection of mobile-friendly resources, consider the InCourt web app.
Performance Guidelines
Both Public Counsel division attorneys and counsel assigned pursuant to G.L. c.211D must comply with these standards as well as the Massachusetts Rules of Professional Conduct. Performance Standards.
Useful Links
Constitution, Court Information, Opinions, Laws and Regulations– Find useful links to get information on Mass. statutes, case law and a directory of court locations.
Criminal Law/Justice Mega Pages– a list of sites offering hundreds of links to both criminal defense and criminal justice websites-great resources for research and investigation.
Department of Correction/Bureau of Prisons-policies, regulations, and prisoner locator.
Ethics– Links to ethics opinions, Rules of Professional Responsibility and the BOBO site.
Federal Links-a list of bureau and agency websites, Regs and Manuals.
Finding Experts-Link to the Forensic Unit’s contact information
Forensics Unit Resources-Link-This is the Forensics unit’s professional resources page, which contains comprehensive links to scientific and technological information on specific crimes arranged in alphabetical order- from accident reconstruction to trace evidence.
General References– the page lists useful links to blogs on criminal law issues, libraries, media links and translator services.
Guidelines, Rules-Links to Court guidelines in substantive matters and Rules of Criminal Procedure, Superior and District Court, and Probation Violations.
Juvenile Representation– YAD resources pages and FAQ’s for attorneys and advocates representing juveniles. Legal Research– useful links to find Federal and Massachusetts case law and statutes, and to start researching legal issues in your cases.
Other Legal Organizations– for assistance with client centered issues, including links to state and federal public defender agencies, and civil legal assistance organizations.
Police and Public Safety-contact and location info and links to sites of local and state wide police departments, labs, and agencies.
Professional Associations, regional and statewide, that offer lawyer centered support and training.
Prosecutor Websites– D.A.’s, A.G.’s, U.S.A.G.’s websites containing contact info and press release pages.
State Home Page and State Agencies-quick links to Massachusetts state departments and agencies.
Wrongful Conviction-Innocence Program-link to the Innocence Program’s information page.