DO YOU WANT TO HELP PROTECT THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF PEOPLE FACING GUARDIANSHIP PETITIONS? APPLY TO JOIN THE MENTAL HEALTH LITIGATION DIVISION TRIAL PANEL!

The Mental Health Litigation Division (MHLD) of the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) is now accepting applications to its spring 2019 Guardianship Certification Training.

A guardianship is a substantial deprivation of liberty – under guardianship the person can no longer legally make their own decisions about many issues,including where to live, what medical treatment to accept or refuse, and other decisions adults make every day. Because of this significant infringement on civil rights, respondents are entitled to court-appointed counsel.

There is a great need for certified attorneys to represent these clients and it is rewarding work. Effective advocacy by attorneys can make a real difference in these cases. You will get client contact, litigation experience, and the satisfaction of knowing that the some of the most vulnerable people in the Commonwealth had a lawyer to fight for their rights.

This certification training will be held at Community Legal Aid in Worcester on March 18, 19, 20 (8:45 a.m. to 5:00 each day) and April 10, 2019.  April 10^th will be mock trials (schedule to be determined depending on the number of accepted applicants).

Please download the application from our website at :  https://www.publiccounsel.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/MHLD-Panel-Application-1.9.19.pdf

The deadline to apply is February 19, 2019. Applicants to the program must be accepted before registering. The cost of the training is $125.00.

For more information about the Mental Health Litigation Division Guardianship Certification Training, please contact Miriam Ruttenberg at (617) 910-5782, [email protected] or Paulette Marie at (617) 910-5844, [email protected].