How to be a Prosecution/PD Gunner? Forum

[Anonymous User]

For those of us who were dinged by BDS (Brooklyn), how are you directly applying, if you are? The website has basically a "don't bother us, we're good as of May 2013" paragraph for the criminal defense division, and I'm not sure if that also applies for 2014 grads as well (as in, we'll hire through job fairs, buh bye).

[spleenworship]

Anybody ever applied to New Hamster PD directly? I'm really interested in them. Mostly because my wife tells me to be interested in it. Just wondering if anyone has any info on what their hiring Practices might be like outside of EJW.

[Anonymous User]

Anybody ever applied to New Hamster PD directly? I'm really interested in them. Mostly because my wife tells me to be interested in it. Just wondering if anyone has any info on what their hiring Practices might be like outside of EJW.

I worked for them last summer. Awesome organization, but they already rejected me for a full-time job. In the rejection letter they said they've already gotten over 400 applications for 4 jobs FWIW. I know they recruit pretty heavily out of New England law schools. And I think they're pretty serious about the grades thing (I did great 1L but went downhill 2L).

[spleenworship]

Anybody ever applied to New Hamster PD directly? I'm really interested in them. Mostly because my wife tells me to be interested in it. Just wondering if anyone has any info on what their hiring Practices might be like outside of EJW.

I worked for them last summer. Awesome organization, but they already rejected me for a full-time job. In the rejection letter they said they've already gotten over 400 applications for 4 jobs FWIW. I know they recruit pretty heavily out of New England law schools. And I think they're pretty serious about the grades thing (I did great 1L but went downhill 2L).

Wow. 1% chance at a jerb. I got the grades for them... But probably 30% of their applicants do too. And I'm nowhere near New England. I'll table talk them, and direct app them. But thanks for letting me know not to hold my breath.

[Anonymous User]

Anybody ever applied to New Hamster PD directly? I'm really interested in them. Mostly because my wife tells me to be interested in it. Just wondering if anyone has any info on what their hiring Practices might be like outside of EJW.

I worked for them last summer. Awesome organization, but they already rejected me for a full-time job. In the rejection letter they said they've already gotten over 400 applications for 4 jobs FWIW. I know they recruit pretty heavily out of New England law schools. And I think they're pretty serious about the grades thing (I did great 1L but went downhill 2L).

Wow. 1% chance at a jerb. I got the grades for them... But probably 30% of their applicants do too. And I'm nowhere near New England. I'll table talk them, and direct app them. But thanks for letting me know not to hold my breath.

I'm wondering what the origin of the "grades matter" talk is - I keep seeing it here but not sure where it comes from. I have an interview with them at EJW, but my grades are pretty bad. I had great 1L grades, transferred and got median pwned as a 2L.

ETA: Also no ties to New England.

[Anonymous User]

Anybody ever applied to New Hamster PD directly? I'm really interested in them. Mostly because my wife tells me to be interested in it. Just wondering if anyone has any info on what their hiring Practices might be like outside of EJW.

I worked for them last summer. Awesome organization, but they already rejected me for a full-time job. In the rejection letter they said they've already gotten over 400 applications for 4 jobs FWIW. I know they recruit pretty heavily out of New England law schools. And I think they're pretty serious about the grades thing (I did great 1L but went downhill 2L).

Wow. 1% chance at a jerb. I got the grades for them... But probably 30% of their applicants do too. And I'm nowhere near New England. I'll table talk them, and direct app them. But thanks for letting me know not to hold my breath.

I'm wondering what the origin of the "grades matter" talk is - I keep seeing it here but not sure where it comes from. I have an interview with them at EJW, but my grades are pretty bad. I had great 1L grades, transferred and got median pwned as a 2L.

ETA: Also no ties to New England.

When they came to OCI at my school, the listing said they wanted top 30%

[Anonymous User]

To anon above, what was your school ranked, roughly? I don't want to come across as one of those dicks, but they may require higher grades from a Tier 2 than a Tier 1.

[Anonymous User]

T30.

[Anonymous User]

T30.

Huh. Me too. Welp, I'll hope they decided it didn't matter instead of they just didn't notice when screening and will hold it against me later.

[spleenworship]

That's weird. Someone from last year said they slammed them in the interview about their grades.


If they're going to demand top third and be a stickler about grades, why do they choose people with bad grades for interviews. Doesn't make sense.

[Anonymous User]

How do you apply to Clark County PD? I'm having trouble following directions on the site, and am now utterly confused as to how to apply.

[Anonymous User]

Maybe NH has different standards for grades for summer internship compared to permanent hires. I'm bottom 1/4 at MVP, no ties to the area, nothing NH specific in my app and got an EJW interview with them for a 2L summer internship. I got rejected at Bronx PD, so it's not like I was accepted everywhere.

[Anonymous User]

Hey does anyone know for 2L summers if CO, MD, AK or NOLA ask for hypos?

Feel free to chastise me if its mentioned in the thread already.
Thx!

[Anonymous User]

Hey does anyone know for 2L summers if CO, MD, AK or NOLA ask for hypos?

Feel free to chastise me if its mentioned in the thread already.
Thx!

AK, no - I don't remember any hypos, just more of why you want to be a public defender, what your experience is, etc.It was a half-hour phone interview, pretty low-pressure.

NOLA - also no hypos last year, but they got a late start in filling their intern class because they hadn't looked at some resumes, so I'm not sure if they deviated from their usual interview style. They really want the true believer PDs and will want to know why you want to be a PD.
Good luck!

[FlanAl]

Maybe NH has different standards for grades for summer internship compared to permanent hires. I'm bottom 1/4 at MVP, no ties to the area, nothing NH specific in my app and got an EJW interview with them for a 2L summer internship. I got rejected at Bronx PD, so it's not like I was accepted everywhere.

Yeah they gave me an interview for 2L last year and I definitely don't have hot grades.

[Anonymous User]

just needed to vent quickly about kids who worked at firms over summer and have offers at their firms bitching about money. This is the only forum I have for that. End rant

[spleenworship]

just needed to vent quickly about kids who worked at firms over summer and have offers at their firms bitching about money. This is the only forum I have for that. End rant

Understood. I also feel and hate this.

There is also the vale of tears thread for this. Just FYI.

[adonai]

just needed to vent quickly about kids who worked at firms over summer and have offers at their firms bitching about money. This is the only forum I have for that. End rant

And then they come and swoop up the DA/PD jobs with ease. I've seen this happen more than once. Not a lick of public service/in court experience and they're taken over people who have been interning every semester and have in court experience. Well, I guess there's a reason why they got biglaw jobs in the first place. They have those qualities.

[BlueLotus]

just needed to vent quickly about kids who worked at firms over summer and have offers at their firms bitching about money. This is the only forum I have for that. End rant

And then they come and swoop up the DA/PD jobs with ease. I've seen this happen more than once. Not a lick of public service/in court experience and they're taken over people who have been interning every semester and have in court experience. Well, I guess there's a reason why they got biglaw jobs in the first place. They have those qualities.

Really? Which PD/DA's office has been scooping up kids with zero PI experience? That makes me MAF.

I thought the conventional wisdom about these sorts of jobs was that demonstrated commitment thru clinics, internships, volunteering, etc. was paramount, with SA being a red flag suggesting that you "sold out".

[Tanicius]

It's much easier to switch from Biglaw to DA work than it is to lateral into a PD job. It occasionally happens if you can demonstrate an important skill, like if you're vying for a federal defender position or an appellate position where research and writing are more than half the job.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know how long the LAS panel interview lasts?

[Tanicius]

Does anyone know how long the LAS panel interview lasts?

If you're talking about the first interview, it lasts about an hour.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know how long the LAS panel interview lasts?

mine lasted 45 minutes.

[Anonymous User]

Have any 3L's heard back from Colorado PD? Not counting via EJW

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know how long the LAS panel interview lasts?

mine lasted 45 minutes.

Mine (assuming you're talking about the hypo) was 75 minutes.