Overview
Counsel – Department of Correction Legal Office Jobs in Boston, Massachusetts, USA at Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Position: Â Counsel – Department of Correction – Boston Legal Office
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Effective January 25, 2024, Executive Order #627 cements the Commonwealth’s well-established practice of skills-based hiring, paving the way to a more equitable hiring process. The Commonwealth is committed to ensuring a
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Job Description
– Counsel II – Boston Legal (250000SE)
Duties
:
The Massachusetts Department of Correction has immediate openings for staff attorneys (Counsel II) in its Boston Legal Office. The attorney in this position will be responsible for defending correctional employees in civil rights litigation in the state and federal courts involving constitutional issues, conditions of confinement, medical care, class actions and systems litigation, and will provide in-house counsel on a variety of matters as required.
Litigation duties include travel to state correctional facilities and state and federal courts located throughout the Commonwealth.
The attorney will be responsible for conducting jury and non-jury trials, as well as oral arguments before the Commonwealth’s state trial courts, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, Federal District Courts, and the First Circuit Court of Appeals, with the majority of cases filed in Boston or in contiguous counties. The attorney is also responsible for interviewing witnesses at 13 state correctional institutions and obtaining relevant institutional records;
consulting with other DOC staff and parties involved; reviewing case files; defending clients at depositions; responding to discovery and conducting legal research; and preparing motions, memoranda of law, and appellate briefs. The attorney is also responsible for providing legal advice as in-house counsel to all DOC employees, including the interpretation of applicable laws, regulations and case decisions impacting DOC. Perform other duties as assigned.
Preferred Qualifications:
The ideal candidate for the position will be an experienced litigation attorney. Candidates should have excellent academic backgrounds, and the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. Experience in criminal justice issues strongly preferred.
Minimum Entrance Requirements:
Applicants must have a Juris Doctor (JD) degree, admission to the Massachusetts Bar and (A) at least three years of full-time, or equivalent part-time, professional experience in the practice of law. Incumbents may be required to have a current and valid Motor Vehicle Drivers License at a Class level specific to assignment.
An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
The Commonwealth is an
Equal Opportunity Employer
and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don’t meet 100% of the job requirements.
We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.
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Title: Counsel – Department of Correction Legal Office
Company: Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Category: Law/Legal, Government
