Internship - Fall 2025 - Special Projects Unit
Internship - Fall 2025 - Special Projects Unit
Employer Active
Job Alert
You will be updated with latest job alerts via email
Share
Job Alert
You will be updated with latest job alerts via email
Job Description
Overview
The Special Projects Unit is currently seeking law students for Fall 2025 internship positions. The internship will run from September 8 to December 5 2025. Interns must be enrolled in law school. To applyplease submit a resume and complete the required statement of interest no later than May 9 2025. We are considering applications on a rolling basis so we strongly encourage applicants to submit their completed applications as soon as practically possible. If you have any questions please reach out to Tricia Muse at
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 communityoriented 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 equityand 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 wellbeing 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
CPCSis 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 postconviction and postjudgment 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.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is Massachusetts statewide public defender organization. The Special Projects Unit (SPU) is part of the Private Counsel Division Criminal Appeals Unit. This unit assigns cases to criminal postconviction clients when there have been developments in the law that have a widespread impact on CPCS postconviction clients and may provide grounds for vacating a conviction. The SPU notifies clients and attorneys about these developments and in some cases litigates these issues. For more information please see our webpage at assist the SPU on postconviction case investigation by reviewing case files and court dockets. In the Fall 2025 interns will primarily aid attorneys in preparation for an anticipated evidentiary hearing relating to forensic testing performed at the now shuttered Hinton Drug Lab. In addition interns will also research state and federal constitutional issues relating to other postconviction litigation and participate in the preparation of arguments to be presented to the appellate courts. They may also field questions from attorneys and others regarding SPU litigation. Interns are encouraged to attend court to observe motions and arguments in the appellate courts as well as hearings and trials in the trial court.
Our office is committed to preparing students to be excellent public defenders. All interns will participate in trainings focused on the Massachusetts criminal court system and appellate practice.
Our office is easily accessible via public transportation so students are not required to have a car.
Qualifications
QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS
All eligible applicants must have completed their first year of law school by the start of their internship.
Preferred qualifications:
- Students who have taken classes in evidence criminal law criminal procedure constitutional law critical legal theory and/or trial advocacy
- Students with experience working with lowincome clients people of color immigrants LGBT people and other underrepresented groups
- Students who speak a foreign language
Responsibilities
RESPONSIBILITIES
Interns work directly with two attorneys as well as our administrative assistant and paralegal on the following:
- Case investigation and document review online and at the court
- Discovery review using an electronic discovery tool
- Conducting legal research
- Drafting legal memoranda
- Strategizing about legal theories to pursue in current litigation
- Responding to client inquiries
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 Director of Human Resources Management Sandra DeBowHuang at
Required Experience:
Intern
Employment Type
Full-Time
