Too much DA experience on PD resume?
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 1:59 am
By the time 2L starts, I'll have interned for two PD's offices, two DA's offices, a Chief District Judge and (maybe) be set to work for a Federal Public Defender's Office in the Fall. The whole "public service" distinction should be rather clear by now and I suspect if I was going the Prosecution route this wouldn't be an issue. There a few other legal matters on my resume but they aren't that relevant (pro bono work, etc.)
...However, it becomes quite clear after a while that certain PD's offices don't have the most - shall we say - appreciative view of people who work on the other side. I don't know if that extends to people who intern - but the very specific office PD I'll be applying to for a job after law school had a boss that didn't appear to like Prosecutor's very much; when I say that, I'm saying there was a visceral dislike in the "way too much of a true believer" sense rather than a purely professional adversary sense, if the distinction makes a difference to anyone.
My question is whether I should lay off any other experience in a DA's office or even think about taking off the second DA experience entirely. It should be noted that I was also told specifically by public service folks at the law school to be wary of adding any further kind of Prosecution experience on my resume when I got there. It's not as if I won't be able to handle spinning the reason why I continued interning for DA's offices - I don't see how you can be the best in an adversarial system if you don't have at least a moderate understanding of how the other side thinks - but any other insight would be appreciated.
...However, it becomes quite clear after a while that certain PD's offices don't have the most - shall we say - appreciative view of people who work on the other side. I don't know if that extends to people who intern - but the very specific office PD I'll be applying to for a job after law school had a boss that didn't appear to like Prosecutor's very much; when I say that, I'm saying there was a visceral dislike in the "way too much of a true believer" sense rather than a purely professional adversary sense, if the distinction makes a difference to anyone.
My question is whether I should lay off any other experience in a DA's office or even think about taking off the second DA experience entirely. It should be noted that I was also told specifically by public service folks at the law school to be wary of adding any further kind of Prosecution experience on my resume when I got there. It's not as if I won't be able to handle spinning the reason why I continued interning for DA's offices - I don't see how you can be the best in an adversarial system if you don't have at least a moderate understanding of how the other side thinks - but any other insight would be appreciated.