public vs. private sector need advice big decisions ahead Forum

[Anonymous User]

A bit about me, and I'll try to stay brief:

I go to a t30 regional powerhouse in the same general area as the one where I grew up. I got the vast majority of tuition paid for via merit (thank you TLS for making me retake!), and chose this school over lower t14 due to (1) region, and (2) money BECAUSE i knew I wanted to be an ADA in this region. that desire has not changed. took out living-money loans from private source, and for reasons i won't go into, i can take a bit of time paying this back.

fast forward 3 years. I literally could not have gunned for prosecution any harder. cultivated network at 2-3 surrounding DA's offices, done trials, appeals, literally more than a handful of prosecution internships throughout my time in LS. add moot court AND mock trial, as well as having been published. i'm probably top like 40-45%. i had not ever applied to anything private in my life (no oci or anything--no interest).

FOr whatever reason, this year, the DA's offices near me that hire pre-bar are moving exceptionally slowly. i'm in the interview process, having done first interviews at both, but who knows where I stand. it's all a black box, and the other offices don't even start their processes until post bar results. my network connections can't tell me more than "i'm in the running."

my school recently released two FIRM postings in the area I want to work that are basically looking for people exactly like me (with heavy pros background; heavier the better). I would be shocked if I do not get interviewed and have a good chance at getting hired at both of these places based on my resume. reluctantly, I submitted my resume.

I say reluctantly because anybody who feels committed to crim defense (probably a PD type) or committed to prosecution knows how conceptually difficult it might be to "switch sides." that is my true struggle. if it were just a matter of wanting a job [any job], this would not be a quandary. I am basically trying to minimize risk of being unemployed past december, while also trying to avoid working in defense if I possibly can.

let's assume for the sake of argument I get an interview. what should I do?

the way I see it, I could

1. move full speed ahead with one of these firms. give it my all. they give offer, I accept. then can I bail a few months later? I know that this is highly frowned upon in the public sector. what about the private sector? what would be entailed in the paperwork they make you sign, and when would this come? how bad is bailing on a firm? how far after the offer could I push out the signing of anything?

2. go to the interview. and let's assume for the sake of argument that it is small to mid crim defense, paying like 20-30 grand/year more than the DA's offices (how much exactly do these kinds of firms pay?). I learn this and withdraw because I literally don't know how I would feel about myself doing defense. in this scenario, I obviously run the risk of being unemployed through the fall. I feel decent, though, because I gave it a fair shake and went in with an open mind.

3. (let's assume i get the offer), I try to put these DA's offices on a short time frame and leverage it. the problem is that I don't know if I could get enough information from them before I have to make a decision. I might end up putting myself into a corner where I have to take the offer. additionally, doing this, I kind of lose the ability to apply to the other offices following bar results because I would be employed in this private sector firm.

4. again, let's say I get the offer. I do it for...a few months while applying to DA's offices to start immediately, and then go to a DA's office? can one even do that, or is it resume suicide? would I have to stay for at least a year?

relevant info-- I can afford to be unemployed through about nov/dec...but definitely not longer.


now before you all say that I am counting my chickens before they hatch, I am seeking info ahead of time because both of these positions are only posted for extremely short periods of time, making me think that their timelines will move very quickly (especially relative to the DA"s offices). I would like to gather all info possible ahead of time and I do not trust OCS as their goals might differ from mine in this respect, for obvious reasons.

I therefore turn to TLS, a source that has steered me in the correct direction in the past.

sorry for the long post, but thank you in advance for advice.

[objctnyrhnr]

interesting q's. tag.

[Anonymous User]

Move full speed with firm(s), get an offer in hand and wait for DA unit firm offer almost expires, accept offer if DA has not come through yet. Always want to take the bird in hand (if you can get one).

If you are at firm a few months already then the DA spot opens up, make the jump and never looks back. Best time to find a new job is when u already have a job or working.

[dixiecupdrinking]

Apply for everything, decide later. You're putting the cart before the horse, though, I don't understand why you would be a shoo in for these jobs.

[Anonymous User]

If a job posting says a or b or c or d is required, and specifically recruits from your school, and you have a, b, c, and d, I do not think it is far-fetched to assume you will get an interview. If there are two similar postings like this, I think the assumption is even less far fetched.

When firms give you a verbal offer and you say yes within a week or two, what happens next? Is there some sort of contract? If so, how much later is this usually signed? What is the penalty, usually, for backing out of this contract? What about backing out after you say yes, but before anything is signed?

I apologize for my ignorance--I don't know anything about how the private sector works in this way.

[dixiecupdrinking]

If a job posting says a or b or c or d is required, and specifically recruits from your school, and you have a, b, c, and d, I do not think it is far-fetched to assume you will get an interview. If there are two similar postings like this, I think the assumption is even less far fetched.

When firms give you a verbal offer and you say yes within a week or two, what happens next? Is there some sort of contract? If so, how much later is this usually signed? What is the penalty, usually, for backing out of this contract? What about backing out after you say yes, but before anything is signed?

I apologize for my ignorance--I don't know anything about how the private sector works in this way.

You can probably back out at any time. You are very unlikely to have a contract and very likely to be employed at-will. The only consequence would be reputational.

[guano]

If a job posting says a or b or c or d is required, and specifically recruits from your school, and you have a, b, c, and d, I do not think it is far-fetched to assume you will get an interview. If there are two similar postings like this, I think the assumption is even less far fetched.

Do not assume... especially if you do not apply right away. Firms get plenty of applications and the spot could fill up while you dilly-dally