How to be a Prosecution/PD Gunner? Forum

[BlueLotus]

"BlueLotus' Neurotic Waiting Thread."[/quote]
Brave use of anon.[/quote]

LOL, I am nervous about the flood of dings that awaits me, as I applied to every PD's office and Legal Aid office coming to EJW!

[gdane]

Yea above anon don't be a pussy.

BlueLotus, I know that you're nervous about the job hunt but chill out a bit. You ask about multiple differnt organizations every day in multiple threads. It's great to get info on places, but land interviews first and then worry about going into details. You're still early in the process and most public interest employers don't hire until late 3L or even after the bar. So just relax a bit.

[samcro_op]

"BlueLotus' Neurotic Waiting Thread."

Brave use of anon.[/quote]

LOL, I am nervous about the flood of dings that awaits me, as I applied to every PD's office and Legal Aid office coming to EJW![/quote]

We know... I am not trying to be mean and I am not the anon who said things earlier today but because most of us are tagged into the 3L PD apps, EJW, this thread and the Vale (and besides those not much else) it is a bit overwhelming. I know this is stressful and I'm not trying to be a dick but I can see where anon is coming from.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know if there is a decent benefit to graduating early as far as hiring goes? I am a PD gunner but also interested in any related PI jobs as well.

[MURPH]

Anyone know if there is a decent benefit to graduating early as far as hiring goes? I am a PD gunner but also interested in any related PI jobs as well.

I do not know of any hiring benefits. Many PI jobs schedule their annual new hiring to begin after the July bar exam. There are a couple of openings here and there through out the year. So you may grab something. AND it may give you a leg up in fall hiring if you passed the February bar and are competing against July bar takers with no results.
But generally, no it won't help. Spending a semester interning/clerking at a place that will be hiring in the Fall will help a lot more than graduating early.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know if there is a decent benefit to graduating early as far as hiring goes? I am a PD gunner but also interested in any related PI jobs as well.

I graduated a semester early, and I'm pretty sure that's why I got offered by the Colorado PD. I interviewed at the EJW conference and they offered me a job in November, so that I would have plenty of time to prepare for the February bar. I didn't have a stellar resume or interview, but I was obviously available able to start working months earlier than other applicants. And when you are dealing with a large statewide agency that has openings pop up year-round, that helps.

[Anonymous User]

have an 2L summer offer with brooklyn DA which i hear has a good shot of turning into full time employment. Recently got a USAO offer in the state im studying in. Like brooklyn and new york. What would you guys recommend doing. Goal is to eventually be an AUSA, but I still need that first permanent job

[Anonymous User]

Take the summer gig with Brooklyn and do a school-year internship with the USAO.

I should have clarified, USAO is still like 3 hours away from my school. Going to see if i can split summer but otherwise I think you are right about taking brooklyn

[iShotFirst]

Anyone know if there is a decent benefit to graduating early as far as hiring goes? I am a PD gunner but also interested in any related PI jobs as well.

I graduated a semester early, and I'm pretty sure that's why I got offered by the Colorado PD. I interviewed at the EJW conference and they offered me a job in November, so that I would have plenty of time to prepare for the February bar. I didn't have a stellar resume or interview, but I was obviously available able to start working months earlier than other applicants. And when you are dealing with a large statewide agency that has openings pop up year-round, that helps.

So did you start working earlier as well? I'm wondering how often spots open up there.

[Anonymous User]

How did you guys apply to Legal Aid Society criminal defense practice? There is an email address on the hiring site, but my email didn't go through for some reason.

[gdane]

Take the summer gig with Brooklyn and do a school-year internship with the USAO.

I should have clarified, USAO is still like 3 hours away from my school. Going to see if i can split summer but otherwise I think you are right about taking brooklyn

Work at the local district attorney's office. You'll get way more experience. being an intern at a USAO won't do much for you if you eventually want a full time job there (which will take at least five years as a state prosecutor).

[Anonymous User]

have an 2L summer offer with brooklyn DA which i hear has a good shot of turning into full time employment. Recently got a USAO offer in the state im studying in. Like brooklyn and new york. What would you guys recommend doing. Goal is to eventually be an AUSA, but I still need that first permanent job

Congrats on both your offers. For Brooklyn, did you do two interviews or one? They interviewed at my school a few weeks ago and the interviewer didn't know if a second interview is required. How long did it take you to hear from them?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone intern/work for the Alameda PD office? I have an interview soon (2L) and would like information I can bring up during the interview as well as input on how their summer program works. Obviously I still need to land the positions but I have a lot of interviews and good programs and might need to make tough decisions.

Also does anyone know how the timelines usually work at these offices? I am worried I will need to make a decision before EJW offers come out.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone intern/work for the Alameda PD office? I have an interview soon (2L) and would like information I can bring up during the interview as well as input on how their summer program works. Obviously I still need to land the positions but I have a lot of interviews and good programs and might need to make tough decisions.

Also does anyone know how the timelines usually work at these offices? I am worried I will need to make a decision before EJW offers come out.

I am also interested in the answer to OPs questions. I am in a similar boat.

[BlueLotus]

Are tattoos/non-ear piercings OK for PD/Legal Aid?

[gdane]

Are tattoos/non-ear piercings OK for PD/Legal Aid?

They're never *ok* in any professional environment, but if you can keep them hidden that's fine. This applies in general.
Youre really overthinking things. Just relax.

[Anonymous User]

Are tattoos/non-ear piercings OK for PD/Legal Aid?

They're never *ok* in any professional environment, but if you can keep them hidden that's fine. This applies in general.

Yeah, I don't think this is true for PD offices, especially those in more progressive areas. I've seen several attorneys with visible wrist or lower arm tattoos, and even one with a couple of neck tattoos.

[gdane]

This isn't an argument dude. Sure you'll find one ex cholo PD that might have visible tattoos, but it's still something that you don't want to go overboard with. keep them hidden as best as you can during the interviewing process.

[anon sequitur]

This isn't an argument dude. Sure you'll find one ex cholo PD that might have visible tattoos, but it's still something that you don't want to go overboard with. keep them hidden as best as you can during the interviewing process.

I wouldn't want to go overboard, because personally I wouldn't get any tattoos at all. But you said they're not okay in *any* context, when specifically asked about DA and PD offices. Visible tattoos just don't seem to be a big deal, I've seen them in more than one PD office. They seem to be okay in that context, though I imagine it varies by region.

[BlueLotus]

Would PD gunners on here recommend attending the PATH conference?

[CaptainLeela]

Welcome to TLS

[samcro_op]

Would PD gunners on here recommend attending the PATH conference?

It was fantastic this year. 100% recommend

I'm really upset that my school didn't promote this more. They really suck when it comes to PI stuff. I am a bit shocked but excited they gave me 300$ to go to EJW.

[akili]

I'm waiting for bar results and doing the post-bar intern thing at a DA's office. It's awesome and I'm getting great experience but it looks like they kind of kick people out after results. Maaaybe one out of the post-bar interns will get hired.

I can't really apply anywhere until I (hopefully) am licensed. What can I be doing now to make myself a better candidate for prosecutor jobs in a relatively small area (roughly 5 counties to work with?

[gdane]

Just keep working and make connections. Talk to people. Let them know that you want a job. Either they can help you get a job where you are now or they can put in a good word for you elsewhere.

[ash0117]

Would PD gunners on here recommend attending the PATH conference?

I would recommend it to anyone looking to do PD work. The interview tips and general hiring suggestions were invaluable to me. I also learned more about what I was looking for in an office. The mock hypos were good and I was able to ask specific questions to specific people in offices I liked. I thought it was great.

I believe its only held every 2 years, so unless you're a 1L I don't think you'll need it by the time it comes around again. By 2016, current 2Ls and 3Ls will have been through interviews and know the drill (not to mention hoepfully have jobs).