Jobs & Fellowships
Opportunities for employment, post-graduate fellowships, and law student internships will be posted on this page as they become available.
2024 Fall & Winter Internships
Applications Preferred by July 31, 2024
The Committee for Public Counsel Services Innocence Program (IP), located in Roxbury Massachusetts, is currently accepting applications for full time unpaid fall and winter law internships for. The IP is a unit of the Massachusetts public defender’s office that is devoted to identifying and fighting wrongful convictions across the state. Our staff and private panel attorneys represent indigent state defendants who have been convicted and punished for crimes they did not commit. We accept both DNA and non-DNA based innocence claims, with special attention to cases involving eyewitness identification evidence, flawed or invalidated forensic science testimony, and false confessions. In the 11 years since our creation, our staff and panel attorneys have been instrumental in securing the release of more than two dozen wrongfully convicted Massachusetts defendants, 21 of whom have been fully exonerated. We also helped establish an innovative partnership with prosecutors, criminal clerks, and scientists from the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory to identify areas of common concern related to wrongful convictions.
Law interns work closely with the program director, staff attorneys and paralegal to screen cases, provide litigation support to post-conviction innocence claims, work on research projects and policy advocacy, and help draft trial court filings or appellate briefs for any active litigation. Interns will have the opportunity to attend court for any hearings or arguments.
Qualifications
Applicants should have a commitment to criminal justice issues and to the importance of whole-client representation, be self-motivated, and be able to work well with a wide range of people. Excellent research and writing skills are required.
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.
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 interim Chief Human Resources Officer, Mark Conlon, at mconlon@publiccounsel.net
How to Apply
Interested applicants should email a letter of interest, resume, current law school transcript, and a short writing sample (5 pages or less) to IP Paralegal Halle Love: hlove@publiccounsel.net.
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, with preference given to those application received by July 31, 2024.