Investigator - Salem/Lowell - Children & Family Law Division/Youth Advocacy Division

Overview:

The Children and Family Law and Youth Advocacy Divisions of the Committee for Public Counsel Services, the Massachusetts public defender agency, are seeking a full-time Investigator for the Salem and Lowell Offices.

 

This newly created position will conduct investigations and aid in trial preparation for CPCS Trial Attorneys in Care and Protection, Children Requiring Assistance, Guardianship of Minors, Delinquency and Youthful Offender criminal cases in Essex and northern Middlesex County Juvenile Courts. 

 

Investigators are key members of the defense team who assist in developing defense strategies for indigent persons by interviewing witnesses, investigating allegations made by the Department of Children and families and District Attorneys Office, and documenting crime scenes.

 

We fight for equal justice and human dignity by supporting our clients in achieving their legal and life goals. We zealously advocate for the

rights of individuals and promote just public policy to protect the rights of all.

 

Our Values

 

Courage   •   Accountability   •   Respect   •   Excellence

 

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.

 

AGENCY OVERVIEW

 

CPCS is the state agency in Massachusetts responsible for providing an attorney when the state or federal constitution or a state statute requires the appointment of an attorney for a person who cannot afford to retain one.  The agency provides representation in criminal, delinquency, youthful offender, family regulation, guardianship, mental health, sexually dangerous person, and sex offender registry cases, as well as in appeals and post-conviction and post-judgment proceedings related to those matters.

 

The clients we represent are diverse across every context imaginable and bring many unique cultural dimensions to the matters we address. This reality creates a critical need for CPCS staff to be culturally competent and able to work well with people of different races, ethnicities, genders and/or sexual orientation identities, abilities, and limited English proficiency, among other protected characteristics.

 

DIVISION OVERVIEWS

 

The Children and Family Law Division (“CAFL”) of CPCS, is committed to ensuring that every indigent child, parent, and/or guardian in Massachusetts has access to zealous legal representation in family regulation/child welfare cases, including care and protection, child requiring assistance, termination of parental rights, guardianship-of-a-minor cases, and other types of custody and adoption proceedings. CAFL provides a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to client representation, bringing together attorneys, social workers, and support staff to improve outcomes for the clients they serve. This team-based model recognizes that effective advocacy in family regulation and state intervention cases requires both rigorous legal defense and a deep understanding of the social, familial, and systemic factors impacting clients’ lives.

 

The Youth Advocacy Division (YAD), the juvenile defender division of CPCS, is committed to ensuring that every indigent child in Massachusetts has access to zealous legal representation in delinquency, GCL Revocation, juvenile murder, juvenile appeals, and youthful offender cases from a diverse and ever improving community of juvenile defenders consisting of both private assigned counsel and staff public defenders. YAD provides leadership, training, support, and oversight to the indigent juvenile defense bar in Massachusetts. As youth in Massachusetts have a right to jury trials, the Attorney in Charge (AIC) oversees a trial office which integrates the work of trial attorneys, social service advocates (SSAs), an investigator, and administrative assistants (AAs) to fully address the legal and developmental needs of our clients. 

 

OFFICE OVERVIEWS

 

Salem is a historic coastal city in Essex County, located in the North Shore region. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists with Salem becoming one of the most significant seaports in early American history. Today Salem is a residential and tourist area with much of the city's cultural identity reflecting its role as the location of the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The city's population was 44,480 at the 2020 census. There is an MBTA Commuter Rail and several MBTA buses that serve the city. 

 

Located approximately 30 miles to the north west of Boston, Lowell, with an estimated population of 115,554 in 2020, is the fifth most populous city in Massachusetts.  Incorporated in 1826 to serve as a mill town, many of its historic manufacturing sites are preserved by the National Park Service. During the Cambodian genocide, the city took in an influx of refugees, leading to Lowell having America's second largest Cambodian-American population in America.  Lowell is also home to UMass Lowell, Middlesex Community College, and a thriving arts community.  The Lowell office also covers Lawrence, another old mill town with an interesting mix of colonial and industrial history and modern immigrant cultures.

 

POSITION OVERVIEW

 

Investigators are key members of the defense team and are responsible for conducting defense investigations and trial preparation for staff attorneys as well as assisting in developing defense strategy for indigent persons in Care and Protection, Children Requiring Assistance, Guardianship of Minors, Delinquency and Youthful Offender criminal cases in Juvenile Court. 

 

Key responsibilities of Investigators are locating and interviewing persons, obtaining facts, inspecting records, writing reports, documenting crime scenes, searching databases and social media, summonsing witnesses to court, and shepherding witnesses through the trial court process. The Investigator's role is critical to maintaining or reunifying families and keeping children out of the juvenile justice system. 

 

The Investigator will be seated in the CAFL Salem Office or the CAFL Lowell Office and will report to the Attorney in Charge of the office. The Investigator will also work under the direction of the Attorney in Charge of the YAD Salem Office, the YAD Lowell Office, and the Supervising Investigator, and will work collaboratively with other staff attorneys, investigators, and others as appropriate.

Qualifications:

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

• Associate degree with coursework in criminal justice, forensics, law or related area of study; a minimum of three years of experience in juvenile or criminal defense investigations or a related investigative field which primarily involves the interviewing of persons, obtaining facts, inspection of records and writing reports; or an equivalent combination of education, experience, and skills;
• Must possess a valid and active Massachusetts driver’s license and have full access to a dependable automobile; and,
• Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely.

A bachelor’s degree may be substituted for up to 2 years of investigatory experience.

 

The successful candidate will be subject to a background check including CORI and driving history reviews.

Responsibilities:

RESPONSIBILITIES

The duties of the Investigator include, but are not limited to:

• Locating and interviewing cooperative and, at times, uncooperative witnesses and/or alleged victims
• Investigating and documenting allegations made by the Department of Children and Families  and the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, as well as crime scenes, commonly located in neighborhoods that have been designated as ‘high crime areas’ by local law enforcement agencies;
• Preparing and presenting oral and/or written reports based upon interviews and/or information obtained during the course of the investigation;
• Conducting surveillance;
• Measuring, diagramming, and photographing locations where crimes may have taken place and/or any location appropriate to the defense strategy;
• Utilizing computers for on-line access to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, public records, databases, social networking sites, and various online searches;
• Keeping accurate records of all phases of the investigation, and being accountable for all aspects of the investigation;
• Networking and maintaining personal contact with individuals in various agencies, including, but not limited to, police departments, courts, state agencies, private sector agencies, and others to facilitate access to information necessary to the defense of a case;
• Reviewing and analyzing police reports and witness statements;
• Maintaining open lines of communication with attorneys as to investigative updates and case strategy and meeting all deadlines associated with cases;
• Maintaining professional and productive relationships with attorneys and other staff members;
• Evaluating individuals and factual situations to aid the attorney in preparing and presenting a defense to the criminal charges;
• Advising attorneys regarding changes and developments in investigative tools and techniques;
• Developing familiarity with Massachusetts child welfare laws and regulations, criminal laws and rules of criminal and civil procedure;
• Serving summonses on witnesses and document record keepers;
• Arranging timely appearance of witnesses at court by keeping them “on call” and when necessary, providing transportation for clients and/or witnesses to court or other facilities;
• Preparing exhibits for trials and hearings;
• Ability to work independently and outside of normal business hours as needed;
• Participating in training programs for attorneys, as well as investigators; and,
• Other duties as assigned.

 

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 Chief Human Resources Officer, Sandra DeBow-Huang, at

sdebow@publiccounsel.net