How to be a Prosecution/PD Gunner? Forum

[A. Nony Mouse]

Probably.

[adonai]

Probably.

Except that DAs are probably more amenable to undoing wrongful convictions than PDs are to you convicting their clients. I wouldn't worry about it too much, just have a story to spin "a prosecutor's duty is to convict the guilty and protect the innocent.." etc.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Probably.

Except that DAs are probably more amenable to wrongful convictions than PDs are to you convicting their clients.

Oh, I don't know that it prevent you from getting hired, but I do think you'd get asked about it.

[BlueLotus]

Probably.

Except that DAs are probably more amenable to wrongful convictions than PDs are to you convicting their clients.

Oh, I don't know that it prevent you from getting hired, but I do think you'd get asked about it.

Good, glad to know it's not a dealbreaker and possibly a plus.

[sd5289]

Probably.

Except that DAs are probably more amenable to wrongful convictions than PDs are to you convicting their clients.

Oh, I don't know that it prevent you from getting hired, but I do think you'd get asked about it.

Really depends on the DA's office in question. Some might grill you on it whereas some might just ask about it whereas others will see it as a good thing.

[Anonymous User]

Would it be worth it to take evidence during my 1L summer so I can be bar certified? The class itself would be four nights a week for two hours, five weeks total. Seems like it'd be hell, but a really great opportunity if I actually got to argue motions that early on.

[encore1101]

I was hired in one of the NYC DA offices alongside someone who previously interned doing Innocence Project stuff. So yeah, not a disqualifier.

[FlanAl]

Would it be worth it to take evidence during my 1L summer so I can be bar certified? The class itself would be four nights a week for two hours, five weeks total. Seems like it'd be hell, but a really great opportunity if I actually got to argue motions that early on.

Only if the office you are interning for will let you appear in court. Even if you can get bar certified some places end up not putting interns in court to argue very often.

TBF it would probably be easier to learn evidence while you are doing an internship so that you can put all the rules in a practical context.

[FlanAl]

Also, i stumbled upon a couple of videos of PD's getting punched in the face by their clients. Turns out when you google "public defender punched in the face" a lot of stuff comes up.

[gdane]

Would it be worth it to take evidence during my 1L summer so I can be bar certified? The class itself would be four nights a week for two hours, five weeks total. Seems like it'd be hell, but a really great opportunity if I actually got to argue motions that early on.

Lame use of anonymous. You definitely want to be bar certified if that will allow you to be in court. Experience, experience is key. I will second what flanal said though. Make sure that you'll actually be allowed to argue in court.

[adonai]

Would it be worth it to take evidence during my 1L summer so I can be bar certified? The class itself would be four nights a week for two hours, five weeks total. Seems like it'd be hell, but a really great opportunity if I actually got to argue motions that early on.

Only if the office you are interning for will let you appear in court. Even if you can get bar certified some places end up not putting interns in court to argue very often.

TBF it would probably be easier to learn evidence while you are doing an internship so that you can put all the rules in a practical context.

I'd second this. Taking evidence while doing in court stuff will really solidify the rules in your head. Your motions/prelims will basically be you doing practice evidence hypos which could help you get a better grade. I wish I had done it that way.

[sd5289]

Also, i stumbled upon a couple of videos of PD's getting punched in the face by their clients. Turns out when you google "public defender punched in the face" a lot of stuff comes up.

I have more than a few PD friends and some of the stuff they hear from their clients is just

I thought what was occasionally said to DA's was bad. I feel for the PD's in the thread.

[XxSpyKEx]

[youtube] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shtJSMjEncc [/youtube]

I thought this one was particularly awesome (a judge starts beating the shit out of a public defender--and he's still on the bench! haha. There's a video in the link.):
http://benswann.com/florida-judge-loses ... -language/

[FlanAl]

[youtube] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shtJSMjEncc [/youtube]

I thought this one was particularly awesome (a judge starts beating the shit out of a public defender--and he's still on the bench! haha. There's a video in the link.):
http://benswann.com/florida-judge-loses ... -language/

yeah the top one is what I saw. The second one is pretty ridiculous. Pretty sad that when a lawyer doesn't waive speedy trial a judge thinks that that is physical altercation worthy.

[MURPH]

Will I be grilled for volunteering at the Innocence Project by DAs?

I'd be surprised if they do more than ask. I get asked about my work with the ACLU. I just give a straight answer sometimes - I did this and that work, etc. Sometimes I've taken it as a challenge, and I respond a little more argumentatively. I did work on abuse in private prisons. And if I begin telling them about what happens in these prisons, I sound like a prosecutor. There is no reason you can't do the same with your work on the innocence project. Just tell them the facts of the case you worked on, the violations that occurred and how you worked to correct them. There are some gungho offices out there but any office that is not willing to take you on because you worked for the innocence project is really not a place you want to work.

[Anonymous User]

Is anyone else finding the summer job search to be a bit too easy? I submitted an app to Cook County PD and got a next day offer for a 1L summer spot. Also wrote an email expressing interest in working for a PD office in a mid-sized city and got a next day offer, I didn't even submit a resume/cover letter!!

Not in any way complaining, I'm super pumped about the offer, but it just seems a bit weird. My career services office told me Cook was really tough to get and that usually you have to know someone; really surprised to pick up a no-interview offer.

Also what are ya'lls thoughts on Cook vs. Bronx, Miami, LA, ect....?

Sorry if this comes off as humblebrag, but I'd like to know if this is a normal thing.

[Anonymous User]

Is anyone else finding the summer job search to be a bit too easy? I submitted an app to Cook County PD and got a next day offer for a 1L summer spot. Also wrote an email expressing interest in working for a PD office in a mid-sized city and got a next day offer, I didn't even submit a resume/cover letter!!

Not in any way complaining, I'm super pumped about the offer, but it just seems a bit weird. My career services office told me Cook was really tough to get and that usually you have to know someone; really surprised to pick up a no-interview offer.

Also what are ya'lls thoughts on Cook vs. Bronx, Miami, LA, ect....?

Sorry if this comes off as humblebrag, but I'd like to know if this is a normal thing.

That was my 1L experience and, to a lesser extent, my 2L experience. Permanent employment is a totally different beast, though.

[ThisMan]

Is anyone else finding the summer job search to be a bit too easy? I submitted an app to Cook County PD and got a next day offer for a 1L summer spot. Also wrote an email expressing interest in working for a PD office in a mid-sized city and got a next day offer, I didn't even submit a resume/cover letter!!

Not in any way complaining, I'm super pumped about the offer, but it just seems a bit weird. My career services office told me Cook was really tough to get and that usually you have to know someone; really surprised to pick up a no-interview offer.

Also what are ya'lls thoughts on Cook vs. Bronx, Miami, LA, ect....?

Sorry if this comes off as humblebrag, but I'd like to know if this is a normal thing.

I'm totally jelly, anon. I'm top 1/3rd, URM, have a decent resume committed to public service and haven't gotten anything besides cold, hard silence. I feel like the girl who got stood up at prom. I know a couple people have talked about this before but what's the turnaround for applying to PDS for a 1L summer clerkship? I applied earlier this month, but haven't heard anything. And has anyone tried Gideon's Promise? They're promoting it hard-core down here and I'm wondering if it's worth it...

[Anonymous User]

It's not tough to get an internship at PD offices, especially as a 1L when you're not going to be doing any oral advocacy. There's more process for the 2L summer, and getting an actual, paying job is an absolute song-and-dance.

[Anonymous User]

Is anyone else finding the summer job search to be a bit too easy? I submitted an app to Cook County PD and got a next day offer for a 1L summer spot. Also wrote an email expressing interest in working for a PD office in a mid-sized city and got a next day offer, I didn't even submit a resume/cover letter!!

Not in any way complaining, I'm super pumped about the offer, but it just seems a bit weird. My career services office told me Cook was really tough to get and that usually you have to know someone; really surprised to pick up a no-interview offer.

Also what are ya'lls thoughts on Cook vs. Bronx, Miami, LA, ect....?

Sorry if this comes off as humblebrag, but I'd like to know if this is a normal thing.

A lot of these PD offices are so heavily understaffed (e.g. Cook County) that they'll gladly take on any free help that they get. Cook County is unique to in that they're union and their union prohibits them from taking on any unpaid volunteer attorneys, but their attorneys are so massively overloaded with cases that they'll take on pretty much anyone who hasn't already passed the bar. FWIW, Cook County is kind of a terrible PD office. They're frequently cited as an example of a heavily understaffed PD office, and I recall reading somewhere that their attorneys spend an average of something like 8 minutes per case (meaning that they're basically pushing all of their clients to plead out quickly, which usually doesn't correlate to what's most beneficial for the defendant). I think you'll probably get a decent experience as an intern there, but it might not be the best place to work after you're an attorney (assuming you have other choices) for a number of reasons most of which are related to their union.

[MURPH]

If anyone has interviewed with Orange County CA for a DDA I position, please PM me. I have an interview coming up soon. I'd like to chat.

[BlueLotus]

How rigorous of a background check do PDs offices do, if any?

[Anonymous User]

If you can pass the bar you can be a PD. I guess if you have active warrants you may have trouble visiting your clients in jail?

[BlueLotus]

If you can pass the bar you can be a PD. I guess if you have active warrants you may have trouble visiting your clients in jail?

well, fuck. i also have pretty serious c&f issues too. :sigh:

[Tanicius]

If you can pass the bar you can be a PD. I guess if you have active warrants you may have trouble visiting your clients in jail?

well, fuck. i also have pretty serious c&f issues too. :sigh:

I mean, you would need to pass the bar for any of these jobs.