The Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is the state agency in Massachusetts responsible for providing legal services to indigent persons in criminal and civil matters in which the law requires the appointment of a lawyer for any person who cannot afford one. CPCS oversees both public defenders (staff attorneys) and private attorneys affiliated with CPCS through its Private Counsel Division (e.g., bar advocates).
This program is geared toward helping solo and small firm practitioners learn more about CPCS, including its different divisions and policies, as well as the differences between public defenders and bar advocates. It will also address how to join panels as a private attorney and ways to build your practice around the work.
We will have speakers with firsthand experience to explore the following divisions within CPCS: