Intern, Alternative Commitment & Registration Support Unit

Job Description

About company

The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is the state agency in Massachusetts responsible for providing legal representation to individuals who cannot afford an attorney when required by state or federal law.

Mission and Values:
CPCS’s core mission is to fight for equal justice and human dignity. They support clients in achieving legal and life goals, zealously advocate for individual rights, and promote just public policy. Their values are embodied by the acronym CARE:
• Courage
• Accountability
• Respect
• Excellence

Diversity and Inclusion Mission Statement:
CPCS is deeply committed to protecting the constitutional and human rights of their clients through zealous advocacy, community-oriented defense, and excellent legal representation. They prioritize building strong professional relationships and respecting the diverse circumstances of each client. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values, ensuring:
• Management and staff represent a broad range of human differences and experiences.
• A respectful work climate that supports success.
• The dignity and well-being of all staff members.
CPCS leadership is responsible for ensuring these goals, and their achievement is the responsibility of every member of the CPCS community.

Agency Overview:
CPCS provides legal representation across a wide range of case types, including:
• Criminal cases
• Delinquency and youthful offender cases
• Child welfare cases
• Guardianship cases
• Mental health cases
• Sexually dangerous person cases
• Sex offender registry cases
• Appeals and post-conviction/post-judgment proceedings related to these matters.
Given the diverse backgrounds and unique cultural dimensions of their clients, CPCS emphasizes the critical need for staff to be culturally competent and adept at working with people from various races, ethnicities, genders and/or sexual orientation identities, abilities, and those with limited English proficiency.

ACRSU Overview (Alternative Commitment & Registration Support Unit):
The ACRSU is a specialized unit within CPCS dedicated to ensuring that every indigent adult and youth in Massachusetts has access to zealous legal representation. Their focus is on cases involving:
• Sexually dangerous person civil commitment trials.
• Sex offender registry board classification proceedings.
Emerging issues the unit addresses include the disparate impact of these proceedings on minorities, the propriety of proceeding against individuals who were juveniles at the time of past crimes, and the enforcement of due process guarantees.

Job description

Position: Spring 2026 Internship Positions within the Alternative Commitment & Registration Support Unit (ACRSU)

Position Overview:
This internship offers an invaluable opportunity for law students to gain hands-on legal experience within a public defense setting. Interns eligible for 3:03 certification will have the unique chance to fully litigate a client’s case, from initial assignment through to the final administrative hearing before the Sex Offender Registry Board.

Key Responsibilities:
Interns will be actively involved in various aspects of legal work, including:
• Litigating client cases: For eligible interns, this involves handling a case from start to finish.
• Legal research: Conducting in-depth research to support cases.
• Observing Superior Court trials: Gaining direct exposure to courtroom proceedings.
• Visiting incarcerated clients: Building client relationships and understanding their circumstances.
• Reviewing psychological and scientific studies: Analyzing expert reports relevant to cases.
• Assisting with other projects: Contributing to various unit initiatives as needed.

Qualifications:

Mandatory Requirements:
• All applicants must have completed their first year of law school by the start of their internship.
• Candidates must have access to a personal computer with home internet access sufficient to work remotely on at least a part-time basis.

Preferred Qualifications:
• Students who have taken relevant coursework, including:
• Evidence
• Criminal Law
• Criminal Procedure
• Constitutional Law
• Critical Legal Theory
• Trial Advocacy
• Students with prior experience working with low-income clients, people of color, immigrants, LGBT people, and other underrepresented groups.
• Students who speak a foreign language.

EEO Statement:
The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is an equal opportunity employer. They do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran or military status, genetic information, gender identity, or sexual orientation, in compliance with federal and state laws. Applicants with questions about equal employment opportunity or who require reasonable accommodations can contact the Director of Human Resources Management, Sandra DeBow-Huang, at sdebow@publiccounsel.net.