SLJ Announces New Contract Policy

The policy below was adopted in December 2009 and amended for clarification in January 2010.

     Over the next three years, SLJ will phase out the current one-year contracts offered to panel attorneys and replace them with three-year contracts.  At the end of the contract term, the attorney will have to apply for readmission to the panel. Bar advocates currently under contract with SLJ are advised to read the following information carefully.

     In the first year the three-year contracts are offered (effective July 1, 2010 ), SLJ will offer approximately 125 three-year contracts.  Anyone interested in applying, including current SLJ panel members, are invited to do so.  Current SLJ panel members need not apply for a three-year contract, but instead may choose to seek renewal of their one-year contracts under the existing system.  Moreover, any existing panel members applying for three-year contracts beginning on July 1, 2010 , who are not awarded three-year contracts, will still be eligible to seek renewal of their one-year contracts under the existing system. 

     Effective immediately, attorneys who are not currently SLJ panel attorneys will be permitted to apply only for three-year contracts. Also beginning on July 1, 2010, all new contracts offered by SLJ (both one and three-year) will require panel members to accept at least six (6) appointments each year in an effort to prevent attorneys from “reserving” a panel spot without actually taking appointments.  

     In the second year the three-year contracts are offered (effective July 1, 2011 ), SLJ will again make approximately another 125 three-year contracts available.  Any panel member with an annual contract will again be offered the opportunity to renew if the attorney is not awarded a three-year contract. Starting July 1, 2012, and each year thereafter, SLJ will offer only three-year contracts.  Any panel attorneys with one-year contracts will be required to apply for a three-year contract in order to continue accepting appointments through SLJ.  We will offer approximately 75-125 three-year contracts for the period beginning July 1, 2012 and each year thereafter, depending on demand.

     Previously admitted panel members who are awarded three-year contracts will continue to receive appointments without re-application for three years, as long as SLJ’s contract with CPCS is renewed and the attorney continues to comply with applicable CPCS and SLJ policies, procedures and guidelines.

     The three-year contract application is based on those used for the CPCS superior court panel and the federal Criminal Justice Act panel in the District of Massachusetts.  The application is available on the SLJ website, as are the criteria that will be considered.  In addition to the application, current panel attorneys will be reviewed based on: the attorney’s most recent performance evaluation report; CPCS data about total number of appointments and open cases each year; and any information submitted via the Evaluation Committee regarding an attorney’s failure to comply with performance standards.     

Click on the following links for the three-year contract application:   Word   PDF

Suffolk Lawyers for Justice          101 Tremont Street, Suite 600, Boston, MA  02108           Tel: (617) 348-0088           Fax: (617) 348-0099