CPCS Website

Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers
2025-06-18 16:00 - 17:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom
Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers
Presents
The Weight of Clients’ Experiences:
Vicarious Trauma in the Legal Profession

Webinar/Panel Discussion
Wednesday, June 18th
4pm-5:30 pm (EST)
via Zoom
Attorneys are frequently exposed to the trauma of others—through client stories, case files, and legal advocacy—which can result in vicarious trauma, the emotional and psychological residue of being exposed to the pain and suffering of others. This important webinar will explore how vicarious trauma impacts legal professionals, offer practical guidance for managing its effects and hear from those with lived experience.

Terminating and Limiting Guardianships
2025-06-20 14:00 - 16:00
BE THE TERMINATOR – TERMINATING AND LIMITING GUARDIANSHIPS

JUNE 20, 2025 – 2-4 PM
2 CLEs
· Your client has a right to have their guardianship reviewed, limited, and terminated.
· What steps do you need to take to say “Hasta la vista” to a guardianship?
· What forms need to be complete and what obstacles might you encounter?
· What changes are coming with the new office of Office of Adult Guardianship and Conservatorship Oversight
This program will be offered in the meeting room at CPCS offices in Northampton (109 Main Street, Ste 201 – enter on Gothic Street) Please send me an e-mail to let me know you will attend. Contact: Deborah Hill Stevens, Esq. dhsesq84@comcast.net
Click Here for More Information

Talking About SOGI: what every juvenile court practitioner needs to know
2025-06-24 13:00 - 14:30 | Zoom
Understanding how our clients identify is critical to the provision of zealous, client-centered advocacy. But how do we talk to clients about their sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI)when the world is not a safe place? This interactive webinar will provide strategies to create safe spaces when interacting with clients, ensure clients understand how their SOGI information will be used, identify who should have access to this information, and more. Bring your lunch, your ideas, and your questions! Approved for 1.5 CLE – CAFL & YAD.
Flyer – Talking About SOGI for CAFL YAD – June 24 2025

Lunchtime CLE with Appeals Court Justice Andrew D'Angelo
2025-06-26 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Please join us on Thursday, June 26 at noon for a lunchtime CLE session with Andrew D’Angelo, Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court. Justice D’Angelo joined the court in 2022 after serving as a Justice in the District Court since 2006. Prior to taking the bench, Justice D’Angelo worked as an attorney in private practice.

If you have any particular questions you would like to submit ahead of time, please send them to mharper-nixon@publiccounsel.net

REGISTER HERE: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_HqXwDSZtRp2hmJcsvqNcOw

*Note this program qualifies for 1 CLE on the following CPCS Panels: Post-Conviction(Adult); YAD Appeals; MH Appeals; Parole; Medical Parole; CAFL (Trials and Appeals); SORB; SDP

JUNE MHLD RED (Race, Equity and Diversity) Talk
2025-06-30 12:00 - 13:00
JUNE MHLD RED (Race, Equity and Diversity) Talk
June 30, 2025 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 Register in Advance

Writing to Win: Persuasive Drafting
2025-07-01 10:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
On July 1, Kevin J. Powers will be moderating an MCLE online seminar entitled Writing to Win: Persuasive Drafting. The other two panelists are Dana Curhan and Dick Bauer. In this we will discuss numerous important points in brief-writing, together with numerous deficiencies to avoid in brief-writing.
Agenda: Writing to win

Come Hear about the “New” Juvenile Court Rules effective August 4, 2025
2025-07-09 13:00 - 14:30 | Zoom
Come Hear about the “New” Juvenile Court Rules effective August 4, 2025
On July 9 from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm CAFL training presents a Zoom webinar on the changes made to the Massachusetts Juvenile Court Rules. These changes are coming to a courthouse near you on August 4. We will highlight what the new versions are and what they may mean to CAFL clients and practice. The new rules include updates to the rules governing the 72-hour hearing, motion practice, the court investigator’s report, pre-trial practice, and trial. Come join us to hear about this important new development and share your thoughts on how it may change what you do.
Those who attend can get 1.5 CAFL CLEs to kick off the new fiscal year.

Get Schooled with EdLaw - Training Series - September
2025-09-08 15:00 - 16:30
Get Schooled with EdLaw – Training Series

Save the date below for part one of a monthly training series with EdLaw on the first Monday of every month (except Labor Day) from 3-4:30pm. We will begin on September 8 with a “back-to-school” session, where we will discuss what education advocacy can look like for your school-aged clients, as well as common issues that arise at the start of the school year and how to address them. Registration required. All trainings will be recorded and available for future viewing.
Over the course of the year, we will cover a variety of topics, including: school stability, discipline overview, suspension hearings, MDRs, discipline appeals, neuropsychological testing, reading an IEP, team meetings, BSEA hearings and conflict resolution, McKinney-Vento, transition services, and English language learners. We’d also love to hear from you if there are additional topics you would like for us to cover!
REGISTER TODAY

Department of Developmental Services Training
2025-09-09 14:00 - 16:00
Department of Developmental Services Training
Join us on Tuesday, September 9th, from 2-4pm for a training Allison Jordan, Esq., Assistant General Counsel and Ashley Boyd Fermin, LICSW, Director of Clinical Services, Regional Risk and Eligibility Manager from the Department of Developmental Services.
Together we will learn what supports DDS can offer, how to navigate applications and appeals, and how to best engage and advocate for clients served by DDS.
This training will be VIRTUAL over Zoom. You must pre-register by following the link here.
2 CLEs are available for MHLD Trial Attorneys

NLT/Zealous Intro to Course
2025-09-10 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.

MHLD Civil Commitment Certification
2025-09-11 10:00 - 15:00
Part 1 of MHLD Civil Commitment Certification Course
September 11, 10 AM – 3 PM
Location: Boston Office
In Person Training
Details TBD

The Lawyer Well-Being Series The Legal Profession & Substance Use Disorders: Awareness. Recovery. Change
2025-09-15 12:00 - 13:00
More info on Social Law Library: The Lawyer Well-Being Series The Legal Profession & Substance Use Disorders: Awareness. Recovery. Change – PART 1 – Understanding the Legal Landscape

Join Dr. Jeff Fortgang from Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers for a 2-Part series:
2025-09-15 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
Title: The Lawyer Well-Being Series The Legal Profession & Substance Use Disorders
Date: Part 1: September 15th, 12:00-1:00pm | Part 2: October 20th, 12:00-1:00pm
Platform: Remote – Link to be provided
Part 1: Monday, September 15th from 12 pm to 1 pm
Understanding the Legal Landscape
The first session will explore the scope and impact of substance use disorders within the legal profession. Current research, trends, and contributing factors unique to legal culture will be discussed. An Attorney with lived experience will offer a powerful story of struggle and recovery.
Part 2: Monday, October 20th from 12- 1pm
Treatment, Healing, and Renewal
The second session will focus on treatment, recovery, and the process of returning to personal and professional well-being. Dr. Fortgang will outline treatment options and the challenges of addressing stigma and other obstacles to getting help. An Attorney with lived experience will offer a powerful story of the road to wellness.
Free Program. Online only
Link to be provided once available.
Faculty:
Jeffrey Fortgang, Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist and long-time staff member of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers

MHLD Civil Commitment Certification
2025-09-15 13:00 - 16:00
Part 2 of MHLD Civil Commitment Certification Course
September 15, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Training through Zoom
Details TBD

CPCS MHLD Worcester County Regional Coordinator Quarterly Training & Meeting
2025-09-17 14:00 - 16:00 | Zoom
Save the Date!
CPCS MHLD Worcester County Regional Coordinator Quarterly Training & Meeting presented by Toni Hall
Research Resources for Mental Health Attorneys using the Massachusetts Trial Court Libraries with Head Librarian Danielle Fay. (Zoom)
Wednesday – September 17, 2025 2-4 pm
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

Identify and access key legal research resources available through the Massachusetts Trial Court Libraries that are directly relevant to mental health law.
Formulate effective search strategies to locate statutes, case law, and secondary sources (such as practice guides and treatises) pertinent to mental health cases.
Utilize library services to request inter-library loans, get remote assistance from a law librarian, and navigate specialized databases.

2 hours Worcester county CLE training credits
Register here

MHLD Civil Commitment Certification Course
2025-09-18 13:00 - 16:00
Part 3 of MHLD Civil Commitment Certification Course
September 18, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Training through Zoom
Details TBD

Fireside Chat: The Art of the Reply Brief
2025-09-18 14:00 - 15:00
You asked for it, you got it! Join us for a discussion about (a) the rules governing reply briefs, (b) whether or not to file a reply brief, and (c) what a compelling, amazing, and beautiful reply brief should do and look like.

September 18, 2025
2:00 – 3:00 p.m., by Zoom

Advanced Registration Required.
Please Register here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/z2RlkbbMROSdM0sXiNWzEw

CAFL Appellate Panel Support Unit
1 CLE
Please contact us at CAFLappeals@publiccounsel.net with any questions.

MHLD Civil Commitment Certification Course
2025-09-22 13:00 - 16:00
Part 4 of MHLD Civil Commitment Certification Course
September 22, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Training through Zoom
Details TBD

Red Flags of Wrongful Convictions
2025-09-23 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Presenters: Lisa Kavanaugh, Director of CPCS Innocence Program; Libby Hugetz, Staff Attorney CPCS Innocence Program; Jill Tessier, Staff Attorney CPCS Innocence Program; Matt Harper-Nixon, Staff Counsel CPCS Criminal Appeals Unit
This lunchtime CLE will focus on the most critical red flags that often underlie wrongful convictions. From eyewitness misidentification and false confessions to Brady violations and ineffective assistance of counsel, the session will examine how these issues manifest in the record. Attendees will learn how to spot systemic patterns, evaluate potential innocence claims, and develop strategies to challenge flawed convictions in post-conviction proceedings.
REGISTER HERE: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mUdSnP9BTCeLY65koIaCFA
NOTE: 1 CLE credit for each webinar for attorneys on each of the following panels: Criminal Defense (Adult Trials); Post Conviction (Adult); YAD Appeals; Mental Health Appeals; SDP; SORB; Parole; Medical Parole

UMass Medical Doula Program
2025-09-23 13:00 - 14:30
UMass Medical Doula Program
Resources for Childbirth, Breastfeeding, Postpartum Support, and More.
September 23 2025 1-2:30PM
We will be joined by Shantel Collins, Project Coordinator- Doula Program from UMass Memorial. We will learn about different ways doulas can support people in preparing for childhood and postpartum care.
Click Here to Register.

NLT/Zealous Advocacy
2025-09-25 09:30 - 16:30, 2025-09-26 09:30 - 16:30, 2025-09-30 09:30 - 16:30, 2025-10-03 09:30 - 16:30

MHLD Civil Commitment Certification Course
2025-09-25 13:00 - 16:00
Part 5 of MHLD Civil Commitment Certification Course
September 25, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Training through Zoom
Details TBD

September MHLD RED (Race, Equity and Diversity) Talk
2025-09-26 12:00 - 13:00
September MHLD RED (Race, Equity and Diversity) Talk
September 26, 2025 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 register in Advance

The Supreme Judicial Court, a 2024-2025 review: A tepid year or more than meets the eye?
2025-09-30 16:00 - 18:00
More info on Social Law Library: The Supreme Judicial Court, a 2024-2025 review: A tepid year or more than meets the eye?

Out-of-State Subpoenas & Interstate Discovery
2025-10-01 10:00 - 11:00
Product Number: 2260110P01
CLE Credits, earn up to:
1 substantive credits, 0 ethics creditsCLE Credit Note
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Out-of-State Subpoenas & Interstate Discovery
A step-by-step guide

Choose Date/Location:

In-Person ProgramWednesday, 10/1/2025, 10:00 am – 11:00 am, MCLE Conference Center, Ten Winter Place, Boston
Live WebcastWednesday, 10/1/2025, 10:00 am – 11:00 am, Live Webcast, www.mcle.org, Live Webcast
Recorded WebcastThursday, 10/16/2025, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Recorded Webcast, www.mcle.org, Recorded Webcast
Recorded WebcastFriday, 10/24/2025, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, Recorded Webcast, www.mcle.org, Recorded Webcast

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Product Description
Agenda & Materials
Faculty
Pricing

Product Description
Obtaining out-of-state discovery for Massachusetts state court cases can be a cumbersome (and expensive) process. Despite the costs involved, securing deposition testimony or documents from third-party witnesses in foreign states may be necessary. Counsel must understand the steps needed to obtain deposition testimony from individuals outside of Massachusetts because those individuals will not be subject to a state court trial subpoena. Do not wait until discovery has closed; learn the steps to obtain out-of-state discovery for actions pending in the Commonwealth

MHLD Civil Commitment Certification Course
2025-10-01 10:00 - 15:00
Part 6 of MHLD Civil Commitment Certification Course
October 1, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Worcester Office
In Person Training
Details TBD

Implications of the Absence of Chevron Deference Across Practice Areas
2025-10-03 12:00 - 13:30
Implications of the Absence of Chevron Deference Across Practice Areas
Impact of the Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo on judicial review of state and federal agency actions and on agency decision-making

Choose Date/Location:

In-Person ProgramFriday, 10/3/2025, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm, MCLE Conference Center, Ten Winter Place, Boston
Live WebcastFriday, 10/3/2025, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm, Live Webcast, www.mcle.org, Live Webcast
Recorded WebcastMonday, 10/20/2025, 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm, Recorded Webcast, www.mcle.org, Recorded Webcast
Recorded WebcastTuesday, 10/28/2025, 9:00 am – 10:30 am, Recorded Webcast, www.mcle.org, Recorded Webcast

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