The meeting will be REMOTE starting at 4:30 p.m.
Registration is required – details below.

AGENDA

1. Approval of minutes of the March 11 & 18, 2026 meetings
2. Monthly Financial Overview
3. Counsel Capacity & Hiring Update
4. Fiscal Year 2027 Update
5. Chief Counsel’s Report

Register in advance for this webinar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_72GGvmveRZKpGD3G35FZUA

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

The post Committee Meeting Agenda – April 15, 2026 appeared first on CPCS Website.

Mental health appellate practice is an exciting and developing area of the law, with the potential to be involved in cases of first impression while being a voice for clients whose voices are often ignored. Our clients have been deprived of their liberty by virtue of having been civilly committed, deprived of the ability to make their own treatment decisions, placed under guardianship or all of the above. You will gain client contact, appellate experience, and the satisfaction of providing zealous, client-centered advocacy for some of the most marginalized people in the Commonwealth.

Application Submission: Admission to the MHLD appellate panel is by application only. Space is limited. Applicants are invited to begin applying through the CPCS Application portal on April 4, 2026. All attorneys who accept CPCS assignments are required to maintain professional liability insurance. The deadline to submit completed applications is Friday, April 24, 2026.

If you would like to learn more about our panel and our work, an information session is being held via Zoom on March 31, 2026. Link: https://wkf.ms/4bCr9nF

For the full announcement and link to application, please click HERE.

For questions and further information, please contact Director of Mental Health Appeals, Karen Owen Talley at ktalley@publiccounsel.net

The post MHLD Appellate Certification Training Spring 2026 appeared first on CPCS Website.

The meeting will be REMOTE starting at 4:30 p.m.
Registration is required – details below.

AGENDA

1. Approval of minutes of the February 18, 2026 meeting
2. Legal – Request for Committee Action
   a. Amicus request – Commonwealth v. Esteras, SJC-13899
   b. Amicus request – Commonwealth v. Levi L.,
   Appeals Court No. 24-P-0493 (Mass. App. Ct. R. 23.0)
   Application for further appellate review – not yet filed
3. Monthly Financial Overview
4. Commitments $10,000 and Over Report
5. Chief Counsel’s Report

Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ma4A0mUISQGM8jFS822TLQ
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar

The post Committee Meeting Agenda – March 18, 2026 appeared first on CPCS Website.

COMMITTEE FOR PUBLIC COUNSEL SERVICES

MARCH 11, 2026 at 5:45 p.m.

REMOTE MEETING 

AGENDA

1. Executive Session
   a. To discuss a matter authorized by the CPCS Rules and Regulations and consistent with categories similar to those enumerated in M.G.L. c. 30A for executive session discussion.

Register in advance for this webinar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8dXsoumGSZOqcA0ubn0RcQ
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

The post SPECIAL MEETING – MARCH 11, 2026 appeared first on CPCS Website.

The meeting will be REMOTE starting at 4:30 p.m.
Registration is required – details below.

AGENDA

1. Approval of minutes of the January 21, 2026 meeting
2. Legal – Request for Committee Action
   a. Amicus request – Commonwealth v. Hsu (SJC-13855)
3. Monthly Financial Overview
4. Commitments $10,000 and Over Report
5. Tufts Tier Evaluation Contract Approval
6. Chief Counsel’s Report
7. Executive Session

Register in advance for this webinar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_reU_VsIXSC-SlBmTesJCCg

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

The post Committee Meeting Agenda – February 18, 2026 appeared first on CPCS Website.

The meeting will be REMOTE starting at 4:30 p.m.
Registration is required – details below.

AGENDA

1. Approval of minutes of the December 16, 2025 meeting
2. Legal – Request for Committee Action
   a. Amicus request – Commonwealth v. Thompson, SJC-13856
3. Monthly Financial Overview
4. Commitments $10,000 and Over Report
5. Update on Unrepresented Clients, Attorney Work Stoppage and Legislative Response
6. Chief Counsel’s Report

Register in advance for this webinar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mFmTQl-tS52yVWmA8cMxCw

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

The post Committee Meeting Agenda – January 21, 2026 appeared first on CPCS Website.

Dear Committee, Colleagues and Friends:

We are excited to announce the opening of nominations for the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) 2026 Awards. These awards aim to recognize outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of public defense and legal advocacy.

CPCS is seeking nominations from professionals like yourself who are familiar with the exemplary work being done within the legal community. If you know someone deserving of recognition for their dedication, innovation, and impact in the field of public defense, we encourage you to submit a nomination by 5 p.m. on March 16, 2026 by completing our online nomination form that you may access by clicking this link. The nomination form includes a detailed list of the award categories as well as links to past years’ award recipients.

All nominations must include a written explanation of why the nominee should be honored and only nominations submitted through our online form will be considered.

The awards ceremony will take place at Suffolk University Law School on May 26, 2026, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at David J. Sargent’s Hall. We will open registration for this event when we announce this year’s award recipients.

Thank you for your commitment to recognizing excellence in public defense and legal advocacy. We look forward to receiving your nominations and making the 2026 CPCS Awards a memorable celebration of the outstanding individuals within our community.

Sincerely,

Anthony J. Benedetti

Chief Counsel

The post CPCS Annual Awards Nomination 2026 appeared first on CPCS Website.

All meetings will begin at 4:30 p.m. and will be held on the third Wednesday of the month.

January 21st

February 18th

March 18th – in person remote

April 15th – in person remote

May 20th

June 17th – in person 24th remote

July 15th

NO AUGUST MEETING

September TBD

October TBD

November TBD

December TBD

The post CALENDAR YEAR 2026 COMMITTEE MEETING DATES appeared first on CPCS Website.

The meeting will be REMOTE starting at 4:30 p.m.
Registration is required – details below.

AGENDA

1. Approval of minutes of the November 17, 2025 meeting
2. Legal – Request for Committee Action
   a. Amicus request – Walshe v. Miller, SJC-13846
3. Monthly Financial Overview
4. Commitments $10,000 and Over Report
5. Update on Unrepresented Clients, Attorney Work Stoppage and Legislative Response
6. Chief Counsel’s Report
7. Committee Meeting Dates 2026
8. Executive Session
   a. Litigation

Register in advance for this webinar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_43Yt-xvwSv6xgciTFy0G_g

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

The post Committee Meeting Agenda – December 16, 2025 appeared first on CPCS Website.

Guardianship cases involve substantial deprivation of liberty and court-imposed restrictions on an individual’s ability to make independent decisions on many issues including where to live, what medical treatment to accept or refuse, and other decisions people make every day. Because these cases involve significant infringements upon an individual’s civil rights, respondents are entitled to court-appointed counsel.

There is a great need for attorneys to represent these clients in this rewarding work. You will get client contact, litigation experience, and the satisfaction of providing zealous, client-centered advocacy for some of the most marginalized and disempowered people in the Commonwealth. The hourly rate of payment is $75.00 through 7/1/2026 and then $85.00 thereafter.

Application Submission: Admission to the MHLD trial panel is by application only. All attorneys who accept CPCS assignments are required to maintain professional liability insurance. Completed applications must be submitted by Friday, January 9, 2026. MHLD will notify applicants on or about January 16, 2026 whether they have been admitted to the training program and with instructions for how to register. The link to our online application is at the end of this announcement.

Training Format and Requirements: Please review all information below carefully to make sure the format and dates work for you considering your work/family/other obligations.

**It is challenging to maintain a full workload and usual responsibilities while participating in this course, so please be mindful of the required time commitment.

This intensive mini course is hybrid certification training with a mix of live Zoom sessions and substantial online learning through our online learning management system (Talent LMS). There will also be a half-day mock trial held in person in either Boston or Worcester.

The class sessions will meet on: February 3, 6, 10, 13, 24 & 27.

• Class 1 (February 3) will meet in-person from 10AM – 3PM
• Class 2 (February 6) is a live Zoom session from 1PM – 4PM
• Class 3 (February 10) is a live Zoom session from 1PM – 4PM
• Class 4 (February 13) is a live Zoom session from 1PM – 4PM
• Class 5 (February 24) will meet in-person from 10AM – 3PM
• Class 6 (February 27) will meet in-person from 10AM – 3 PM

In addition, each course participant will be scheduled for an in-person mock trials on one of the following dates: March 10, 11, 13, 16 or 20 (morning and afternoon options, to be scheduled once registration is complete). Please hold these dates open pending notification of acceptance.

The online learning will include watching recorded lectures and other videos, reading articles and cases, and completing some quizzes and written assignments. There will be some pre-work before the training begins; the rest will be done in between the live sessions. You should expect a substantial number of hours of this self-directed work per week, in addition to the live sessions.

The class sessions include interactive discussions and small group skills exercises that you prepare for in advance. The mock trial will take significant preparation in advance (you will be examining witnesses on cross and direct, as well as making legal arguments). The mock trial is an important part of the certification training, where you practice what you learned in the first part of the course and get constructive feedback from experienced mental health attorneys.

The cost of the training is $250*, which includes access to the LMS and the MCLE Mental Health Proceedings in Massachusetts Manual for Defense Counsel. After receiving confirmation that you have been accepted into the training, you will receive registration and payment instructions.

MHLD Panel Requirements: 

• Certification is based on successful completion of the training course, including all live sessions, all required materials in the learning management system, and a mock trial. Attorneys who have successfully completed the course training requirements are provisionally certified and assigned to a mentor.
• During the period of the attorney’s provisional certification, the attorney must adhere to the CPCS Performance Standards for these cases and work cooperatively with their mentor as required by the MHLD Mentor Program requirements. The mentor will periodically report to the MHLD Trial Support Unit about the attorney’s progress towards full MHLD panel certification.

Link to the on-line application is below

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO APPLY  (No fee to apply)

CERTIFICATION PAYMENT: Attorneys who successfully complete the entire training and and within eighteen months accept at least ten (10) MHLD guardianship matters and also bill at least two hundred (200) hours will be eligible to receive a certification training payment.

If you have any questions or need reasonable accommodations to complete the application, please email Beau Kealy, bkealy@publiccounsel.net, or call (617) 910-5714.

* We do not want the cost of this training to be a barrier for interested attorneys who are dedicated to representing our clients against petitions for guardianship and authority for treatment. If the cost of this training is a financial hardship, please contact Beau Kealy when you submit your application to discuss a confidential fee waiver.

The post CPCS MHLD Guardianship Certification Training appeared first on CPCS Website.