Social Law Library: Massachusetts Rules of Criminal Procedure 14-14.4 Criminal Discovery Update
2026-03-19 16:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York)
Register Here
This program is hosted by Social Law Library. Any questions or issues regarding this program should be directed there (msaporito@socialaw.com). This event is being listed for informational purposes only. CPCS staff cannot assist with, or solve, registration issues.

MHLD – Guardianship Certification – Mock Trials
2026-03-20 09:00 - 17:00
MHLD – Guardianship Certification – Mock Trials
Date: 3/20/2026
Location: TBD
Details TBD

CAFL Trial Panel Certification Training
2026-03-23 09:30 - 16:30, 2026-03-26 13:00 - 16:30, 2026-03-30 09:30 - 16:30, 2026-04-02 13:00 - 16:30, 2026-04-06 09:30 - 16:30, 2026-04-13 09:30 - 16:30
Full Schedule:

Wednesday, March 11, 2:00-4:00 orientation
Monday, March 16, 9:30-4:30 – in person
Thursday, March 19, 1:00-4:30 – zoom
Monday, March 23, 9:30-4:30 – in person
Thursday, March 26, 1:00-4:30 – zoom
Monday, March 30, 9:30-4:30 – in person
Thursday, April 2, 1:00-4:30 – zoom
Monday, April 6, 9:30-4:30 – in person
Monday, April 13, 9:30-4:30 – in person

April 28, 29, & 30, 8:45-5:00 – mock hearings in person

Reframing School Refusal Understanding School Avoidance/Distress in CRA cases
2026-03-23 14:30 - 16:30
The SJC Court Improvement Program (CIP) Presents:
CRA school truancy cases often are labeled as “school refusal,” but research and experience requires a reframing of this experience as school avoidance/distress. At this workshop, experts will explain the root causes of school avoidance/distress and strategize how to successfully assist families navigating this complex topic.
Workshop Speakers:
Robin Richardson, Family Support Specialist at Parent/Professional Advocacy League & Lived Experience Expert
Sheilah M. Gauch, M. Ed, LICSW, Principal & Clinical Director at Dearborn Academy
Mahly Alejandro, LCSW, Director at the Worcester Family Resource Center
Elisa Giron Aguilar, School Liaison at the Worcester Family Resource Center
Marisol Garcia, JD, Deputy Director at Health Law Advocates
Lisa Morrow, JD, Managing Attorney at Health Law Advocates

March Madness
2026-03-24 13:00 - 14:00
Session 4: Challenging Experts and Techniques for Dealing with Difficult Experts on Cross Exam (Tuesday March 24, 2026, from 1-2pm)

Understanding Youth Behavior Through a Trauma, Equity, and Resilience Lens
2026-03-25 10:00 - 16:00
The Office of the Child Advocate has coordinated this full-day training opportunity for anyone who works in the juvenile court with a focus on delinquency and child requiring assistance cases. The goal is to give you the knowledge and tools you need to apply a trauma-responsive, developmentally-informed, equity-centered lens in your work. The training is free, each session is approved for 5.5 CLE for YAD and CAFL, and breakfast and lunch is included. To maximize accessibility, this training will be delivered four times in different locations:

March 25, 2026, 10:00am-4:00pm: United Teen Equality Center (UTEC), Lowell MA
April 23, 2026, 10:00am-4:00pm: McCormack Building, Boston, MA
May 28, 2026, 10:00am-4:00pm: YWCA of Western MA, Springfield, MA
June 10, 2026, 10:00am-4:00pm: UMass Dartmouth School of Law, Dartmouth, MA

Permanency Mediation Program through Plummer Youth Promise
2026-03-26 13:00 - 14:00
Please join us for a presentation on the Permanency Mediation Program through Plummer Youth Promise. Diane Baumgartner, Permanency Mediation Supervisor, will be presenting information on the program, types of cases that they handle (including reunification and parenting plans), and their Family Consultation Team Approach. Their brochure is PYP Permanency Mediation Brochure.
This presentation will occur on March 26 at 1 PM via zoom, link below. Attendance is approved for 1 CLE.
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84271782718?pwd=[REDACTED]

Meeting ID: 842 7178 2718
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Communicating with Clients and Building Rapport and Trust
2026-03-27 11:00 - 12:30
Learning objectives:

Understand your clients’ experiences through a trauma-informed lens.
Learn how active listening, trauma-informed communication and creating therapeutic presence can help lawyers better support their clients
Develop an understanding of how motivational interviewing can be helpful for resistant or ambivalent clients
Explore learning tools for difficult conversations including delivering bad news, de-escalation when clients are distressed, setting boundaries
Understand the importance of Lawyer Self-Regulation & ways to reduce Secondary Trauma

Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ebNOK6eGRdqjDLBegVyS7Q
CLE’s Approved for the Following Panels: CAFL, YAD Trials & Appeals, Criminal Trials & Appeals, MH Trials & Appeals, SDP/SORB, Parole/Med Parole
Contact Beau Kealy (bkealy@publiccounsel.net) or Jen Magaw (jmagaw@publiccounsel.net) with any questions.

MARCH MHLD RED (Race, Equity and Diversity) Talk
2026-03-31 12:00 - 13:00
MARCH MHLD RED (Race, Equity and Diversity) Talk
Virtual Event
March 31, 2026 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Drop-in Lunch & Learn to build on other recent race trainings and support you in your MHLD practice!
THIS PROGRAM QUALIFIES FOR 1 CLE ON THE MHLD TRIAL & APPEALS PANEL
Bring your lunch and come join your colleagues on MHLD staff and panel to talk informally and brainstorm about raising race in our cases. Do you believe that your client’s mental health treatment, admission to a facility or petition for commitment/guardianship is being impacted by racial bias?
This is also a chance to case crunch your cases with your colleagues over lunch!
Come join us!
Please use the link below to register in advance.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/UwGMCU-RSXGibx12F-Ss4g

Fair Hearings: Administrative Challenges to DCF Decisions
2026-04-01 13:00 - 14:00
April 1, 2026 (rescheduled from February 24, 2026)
1:00-2:00pm
1 CAFL CLE
Presented by Megan Deeley, CAFL Litigation Support Attorney (mdeeley@publiccounsel.net)
Learn how to challenge clinical and administrative decisions by DCF with this overview of the fundamentals of Fair Hearings, including how to appeal adverse hearing decisions to superior court. Fair hearings are an important tool for any CAFL trial or pre-petition attorney that can lead to real, tangible results for parent, children, and young adult clients.
Register here.

MHLD Racial Bias/Cultural Competence Group
2026-04-03 13:00 - 14:00
April 3, 2026
1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Join us on the first Friday of every month for the MHLD Racial Bias/Cultural Competence Group.
We are MHLD practitioners of all stripes. We meet to further our goal of identifying bias and increasing our resources to address bias in all facets of our practice, whether in apprehension by police, in hospitals and treatment, or bias in court.
There are no CLEs for this event.
Register at this link.

Get Schooled with EdLaw
2026-04-06 15:00 - 17:00
Meeting Registration – Zoom

Guardianship Roundtable presented by Laura Sanford
2026-04-07 13:00 - 14:00
Guardianship Roundtable presented by Laura Sanford (1 CLE)
When? April 7th from 1p-2pm on Zoom
Topic? Review of Pretrial advocacy: Pretrial conferences & memos
Discussion about relevant caselaw and practice issues
Bring your cases to case crunch!

Register in advance for this meeting by clicking here.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Evidence Series- 58A Evidence Battles
2026-04-07 14:00 - 15:00
Clients who are free and fighting get better case outcomes then those caged pretrial. This webinar will focus on strategies to block or admit evidence as we stand against the government assaults on liberty in 58A detention hearings.

MCLE Credits
CAFL: 1
YAD Trials: 1
Criminal Defense Trials: 1
Post Conviction : 1

Creative Briefing
2026-04-08 08:00 - 14:00
More info to come.

Back by Popular Demand – But Why? Communicating & Collaborating With Kids Training
2026-04-08 08:00 - 17:00 | CPCS Boston, 75 Federal Street, Boston, MA, 02110, United States
In response to feedback from many of last year’s attendees, we are offering the But Why? Communicating & Collaborating With Kids About Being in Care (& Other Challenging Conversations) training twice more this spring! We will be in Boston on April 8, 2026 and in Worcester on April 16, 2026.
This interactive training, developed in partnership with psychologist Dr. Ronald Molin, focuses on effective communication with child clients. It provides participants with a framework for having difficult conversations with children, about why they are in substitute care and what they want to happen, among other topics. With this foundation, participants then have an opportunity, using case examples, to practice eliciting the child’s preferences and determining their position.
This in-person program runs from 9:00am-5:00pm (8 CAFL CLEs). Lunch will be provided.
Space is limited – don’t miss out! Register for Boston here. Register for Worcester here. A waitlist will open once capacity is reached.
Please email cafltraining@publiccounsel.net with any questions

CAFL Racial Justice Drop-in: Lesson from ICWA
2026-04-09 13:00 - 14:30
More info to come

Immigration Impact Unit Office Hours
2026-04-09 16:00 - 17:00 | Zoom
Join the Immigration Impact Unit for the first of our new ongoing office hours sessions. These quarterly meetings will provide a space for CPCS and bar advocate attorneys to discuss immigration issues and ask questions. Each session will have a topic but focus primarily on answering questions and discussion.
Topics for first meeting will include:
-What to do when ICE arrests a client with an open case
-Motions to Compel Defendant’s Presence
-Seeking dismissal of a criminal case when a client cannot be returned from ICE custody or has been deported
If you have filed a recent motion to compel or sought dismissal of a case after a client was arrested, this is an opportunity to share your experience.
Any immigration-related questions may be submitted in advance to
mhwang@publiccounsel.net. Questions may also be asked live during the meeting. Please keep in mind that this meeting will focus on general discussion and is not a substitute for completing an IIU intake form for a specific case.IIU Office Hours Flyer

Regulations Workshop
2026-04-15 13:00 - 15:30

Back by Popular Demand – But Why? Communicating & Collaborating With Kids Training
2026-04-16 09:00 - 17:00 | CPCS Worcester, 120 Front Street, 3rd floor, Worcester, MA, 01608, United States
In response to feedback from many of last year’s attendees, we are offering the But Why? Communicating & Collaborating With Kids About Being in Care (& Other Challenging Conversations) training twice more this spring! We will be in Boston on April 8, 2026 and in Worcester on April 16, 2026.
This interactive training, developed in partnership with psychologist Dr. Ronald Molin, focuses on effective communication with child clients. It provides participants with a framework for having difficult conversations with children, about why they are in substitute care and what they want to happen, among other topics. With this foundation, participants then have an opportunity, using case examples, to practice eliciting the child’s preferences and determining their position.
This in-person program runs from 9:00am-5:00pm (8 CAFL CLEs). Lunch will be provided.
Space is limited – don’t miss out! Register for Worcester here. A waitlist will open once capacity is reached.
Please email cafltraining@publiccounsel.net with any questions

Evidence Series- Turning Video into Advocacy: Impeachment with Media Evidence
2026-04-16 14:00 - 15:00
This training will provide practical strategies for using body‑worn camera footage, cell phone video, and other media to impeach witnesses at trial. Participants will learn both the legal foundations of impeachment and the technical skills needed to prepare effective video clips using common editing tools.
CLE Credits
CAFL: 1
Criminal Defense Trials: 1
Post Conviction : 1

MHLD Live Remote Lunch & Learn Series: Litigating Capacity and Substituted Judgment in 8B and Rogers Cases
2026-04-17 13:00 - 14:30
MHLD Live Remote Lunch & Learn Series: Litigating Capacity and Substituted Judgment in 8B and Rogers Cases

April 17th Training: 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM

(1.5 CLEs)

Presented by the MHLD training department along with MHLD trial attorney Jesse Burch, & MHLD panel attorneys Diane Parent and Naomi Shelton.

After you attend, you will be better able to:

Demonstrate how to show your client’s capacity with and without an expert

Partner with your client to establish evidence relevant to substituted judgment factors in the record and with their testimony

Investigate side effects unique to our clients to educate and persuade the court

Explore strategies including whether to incorporate and bifurcate the testimony

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/_N0yHPbmRLyfNobKZ5susQ
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Understanding Youth Behavior Through a Trauma, Equity, and Resilience Lens
2026-04-23 10:00 - 16:00 | McCormack Building, Boston, MA
The Office of the Child Advocate has coordinated this full-day training opportunity for anyone who works in the juvenile court with a focus on delinquency and child requiring assistance cases. The goal is to give you the knowledge and tools you need to apply a trauma-responsive, developmentally-informed, equity-centered lens in your work. The training is free, each session is approved for 5.5 CLE for YAD and CAFL, and breakfast and lunch is included. To maximize accessibility, this training will be delivered four times in different locations:

April 23, 2026, 10:00am-4:00pm: McCormack Building, Boston, MA
May 28, 2026, 10:00am-4:00pm: YWCA of Western MA, Springfield, MA
June 10, 2026, 10:00am-4:00pm: UMass Dartmouth School of Law, Dartmouth, MA

CPCS NLT/Zealous Advocacy Certification Training (Welcome/Intro)
2026-04-23 14:00 - 15:00
Certification Training for Bar Advocates and New CPCS PDD and YAD Staff Attorneys
By Application Only
CPCS Bar Advocate Training Application updated 9.2023
The Zealous Advocacy Training Program involves two in-person training days per week (9:30 am to 4:30 pm) for a total of 8 in-person training days over 4-5 weeks.
In addition to the in-person sessions, each week you will complete work using our online learning platform, to prepare for the upcoming weeks’ live session skills exercises. The self-directed learning on Talent LMS will include watching recorded lectures and other videos, reading articles and cases, and completing written assignments. Some of this work must be completed before the training begins; the rest must be done between the live sessions. You should expect 8-10 hours of this self-directed work per week, in addition to the live sessions. The live sessions include discussions and small group skills exercises that you prepare for in advance. The prep time for the skills based exercises is 2-3 hours per week.
Training dates:
Thursday, April 23, 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm – Welcome and Intro day (on Zoom)
April 24-27 (Pre work on your own on Talent LMS (online learning management system)
Live sessions: 9:30 am to 4:30 pm (Boston, Worcester)
April 28, 29, 30, 2026 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)
May 7, 8, 2026 (Thursday, Friday)
May 12, 13,15, 2026 (Tue, Wed, Friday)

CAFL Trial Panel Certification Training - Mock Hearings
2026-04-28 08:45 - 17:00
