Law Student Intern – Fall 2025

Job Description

About the 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 constitutional or statutory law.

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

Diversity and Inclusion Mission Statement:
CPCS is deeply committed to protecting the fundamental constitutional and human rights of their assigned clients through zealous advocacy, community-oriented defense, and excellent legal representation. They strive to build strong professional relationships, accept, listen to, and respect the diverse circumstances of each client, and meet individual needs. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values, with a steadfast commitment to:
1. Ensuring that management and staff represent a broad range of human differences and experience.
2. Providing a respectful work climate that supports success.
3. Promoting the dignity and well-being of all staff members.
CPCS leadership is responsible for ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion, with the ultimate responsibility lying with each member of the CPCS community.

Agency Overview:
CPCS provides legal representation in a wide array of cases, including criminal, delinquency, youthful offender, family regulation, guardianship, mental health, sexually dangerous person, and sex offender registry cases, as well as related appeals and post-conviction/post-judgment proceedings. The client base is incredibly diverse across various dimensions, necessitating that CPCS staff are culturally competent and able to work effectively with people of different races, ethnicities, genders and/or sexual orientation identities, abilities, and limited English proficiency, among other characteristics.

Job Description: Fall 2025 Internship Position (Boston PDD Trial Office)

Position Overview:
This internship offers law student interns a variety of experiences and assignments under the supervision of veteran attorneys, along with valuable training. Interns will work closely with lawyers, social workers, and investigators to provide legal representation and advocacy to indigent clients charged with criminal offenses in both District and Superior Courts. The internship provides a wide range of opportunities, including:
• Legal research and writing
• Arraignment and bail advocacy
• Second seating trials (assisting lead counsel in court)
• Pretrial investigations, including visiting crime scenes, locating, and interviewing witnesses.

Qualifications/Skills:

Qualifications (Required):
• Must be a law student who has successfully completed or is currently enrolled in an evidence or trial practice class.
• Requires written approval by their Dean to represent clients under the supervision of a staff public defender in court, per SJC Rule 3:03.

Preferred Qualifications:
• Law Students who have taken classes in evidence, criminal law, constitutional law, critical legal theory, and/or trial advocacy.
• SJC Rule 3.03 certification is highly preferred.

Responsibilities:
Interns will work directly with attorneys, investigators, and social service advocates on the following tasks:
• Conducting client interviews.
• Presenting arraignment and bail arguments in court.
• Performing legal research.
• Drafting pretrial motions, affidavits, and legal memoranda.
• Discovery review, which includes reviewing and creating digests of video footage and other case discovery materials.
• Presenting Pretrial Motion arguments in court.
• Interns are required to keep all information regarding client representation and their work confidential.

EEO Statement:
The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is an equal opportunity employer. They explicitly state that they do 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, in compliance with 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 with questions about equal employment opportunity or who require reasonable accommodations can contact the Chief Human Resources Officer, Sandra DeBow-Huang, at sdebow@publiccounsel.net.