Upcoming OCI with District Attorney's Office Forum

[Mayakovsky]

Hi, everyone-

I'm a 2L attending school in the Midwest, and have an interview this Tuesday with the District Attorney's office for a one-year internship beginning Summer 2015. It is a great opportunity, and I'd love to leave my interviewers with a great impression--one that will stand out compared to the other interviewees. (But isn't that what we all seek to do when we interview, ha?)

I'm not sure what to expect in this interview--namely, what kinds of questions I will be asked. I'm not sure if an interview with the DA's office is going to be substantially different from an interview with a firm, or if I'll likely be asked the same kinds of questions that I've been asked in other interviews with firms.

I suppose I was wondering if any of you might have some insight on this kind of interview, and/or if you could offer some advice on how I can give the best interview possible. I'd appreciate any words of wisdom you have to share!

[transferror]

- why do you want to work in public interest?
- what have you done in law school/college/work to demonstrate a commitment to public interest?
- why do you want to work as a prosecutor?
- why do you want to be in that DA's office, specifically?
- what skills did you gain from your summer experience (or previous work experience) that will allow you to be successful at a DA's office? (so you'll need to know what skill set they're looking for)

If you can answer those questions sincerely and confidently, you'll be fine.

[didntretake]

Also be prepared for hypothetical questions about situations involving prosecutor ethics. Prosecutors are faced with difficult ethical choices often and DA offices love to ask about these. Your school OCS should prep you for this and have some examples, plus there are plenty of examples online. You might not get any but it's smart to be prepared for it and could really set you apart from other interviewees.

[Mayakovsky]

Thank you both for your responses--this information is very helpful! I've been thinking about the questions/thoughts you both posted, and feel a little more prepared for the interview this morning. Thank you, again!