Issue Position: Community Engagement

Issue Position

As the people's law firm, the Attorney General's Office must engage with the needs of the community. This requires being proactive, not only by listening to complaints, but by communicating with community organizations, advocacy groups, and local leaders to know what is happening on the ground

As Chief of the Civil Rights Division, I oversaw a team of paralegals and lawyers that handled dozens of constituent complaints each week. I was committed to trying to help every person who called. I also met with stakeholders, community groups, and advocacy organizations on a regular basis to ensure that we were focused on the issues that confronted the communities we were charged with protecting.

I will expand the Office's public engagement and outreach efforts, implement a more coordinated system for reviewing constituent complaints, and expand outreach to communities. By devoting more resources to these endeavors, and by recruiting and retaining a more diverse workforce, I know we can better serve the people of Massachusetts.

My proposal for community engagement and outreach includes:

Ensuring diversity in hiring
Developing internships and mentoring programs for students and non-lawyers
Expanding outreach to neighborhoods across Massachusetts
Enhance the work of the regional offices
1. Ensuring Diversity in Hiring

To best serve the people of Massachusetts, the Attorney General's Office must reflect the people of Massachusetts. As Attorney General, I will prioritize recruiting and hiring more lawyers and staff from diverse backgrounds. I will bolster the Office's diversity by:

Increasing efforts to recruit individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences, including those who have grown up in inner-city neighborhoods, immigrants and children of immigrants, and individuals with disabilities;
Expanding the Attorney General's Fellowship Program, which brings recent law school graduates into the Office, and by increasing diversity within the Program;
Prioritizing the hiring of personnel with language skills to serve the needs of the diverse population of Massachusetts; and
2. Developing Internship and Mentoring Opportunities

The Attorney General's Office can expand its reach by actively participating in job training and mentoring programs for young people. As Attorney General, I will increase opportunities for students to join the Office and learn about public service by:

Participating in the City of Boston's youth jobs program, and looking for similar opportunities in cities where regional offices are located;
Recruiting more college students throughout the year to intern or shadow lawyers and other personnel within the Office; and
Creating an honors program for college graduates who are interested in public service, building partnerships with local bar associations and other organizations to support this growth.
3. Expanding Outreach Efforts

As Attorney Genera, I will expand outreach to neighborhoods across Massachusetts by:

Call upon each division head to develop a community outreach plan for their team that builds upon existing relationships and partnership to broaden the reach of the office into communities.
Designating an outreach coordinator in every regional office;
Creating a portal on the Attorney General's website that allows community organizations to request trainings, meetings, and other events with the Office's outreach team or specific divisions.
Have Attorney General's Office staff regularly attend community meetings and track these engagements over time;
Utilize mapping technology to look at where complaints are coming from and identify locations for further outreach, including communities of color and immigrant communities.
4. Expanding the Regional Offices

The Attorney General's Office currently has four permanent offices, in Boston, New Bedford, Springfield, and Worcester. Regional offices enable the Attorney General to better serve local communities. We can enhance the work of the regional offices and expand our footprint through technology and establishing office hours across the state. As Attorney General, I will establish regular visiting hours with staff from the Attorney General's Office in areas without permanent regional offices, by partnering with local legislators, municipalities and state agencies. These office hours will provide regular opportunities for all people, including the elderly, people with disabilities, and those with easy access to transportation, to speak directly with assistant attorneys general and investigators.

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