How to be a Prosecution/PD Gunner? Forum

[BlueLotus]

Anyone else hoping to interview for Philly DA 2L gig?

[dreakol]

Anyone else hoping to interview for Philly DA 2L gig?

never have been able to get an interview there

hopefully 3 times really is a charm

[BlueLotus]

Anyone else hoping to interview for Philly DA 2L gig?

never have been able to get an interview there

hopefully 3 times really is a charm

You got ties to Philly?

[lmr]

Need advice-I'm doing my 2L summer now and in my third internship with a PD's office. Goal is to have five semesters total by spring 3L. Should I intern in another PD county in the fall or continue on with my current county? I don't want to work in either county after graduation-I just want to get the best PD experience possible and hope that's enough somewhere. The other county would prob be easier to get misdemeanor experience than the one I'm currently at. Also, how would a semester of juvenile PD work look like? Is that a plus or a minus or doesn't matter?

[Borhas]

Need advice-I'm doing my 2L summer now and in my third internship with a PD's office. Goal is to have five semesters total by spring 3L. Should I intern in another PD county in the fall or continue on with my current county? I don't want to work in either county after graduation-I just want to get the best PD experience possible and hope that's enough somewhere. The other county would prob be easier to get misdemeanor experience than the one I'm currently at. Also, how would a semester of juvenile PD work look like? Is that a plus or a minus or doesn't matter?

The one that let's you do more in court stuff

[Ded Precedent]

With the 711 in Illinois can you actually argue misdemeanor trials? Also, anyone have any experience of what you can do as a 2L in Iowa? Argue misdemeanor trials, motions, etc.?

[Geist13]

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 5&start=50

so this thread has me kinda freaked out. Where you guys able to secure private loans for the bar etc?

There are bar loans, that dude just didnt think about it ahead of time. BUT there is no reason to borrow money for the bar. If you're a 3L and you either don't have post grad job or your employer isn't paying for the bar, work 20 hours a week during the school year. You'll easily have enough to pay the bar and stay unemployed for months. I didn't even really focus on saving money this year but I have enough now to stay unemployed until the new year. Just get a part time school year gig and you won't have to worry about bar cost at all.

[Anonymous User]

I'm doing my 1L summer at a local pd office and its been great..I get to go to the jail alone to interview clients, help with trial preparation, assist with arraignments, and explain plea offers to clients, its really hands on but I've been there for 4 weeks and haven't had any writing assignments..mainly because my attorney doesn't write much, when she does its something small with no research required..how do I get a writing sample out of my summer??

[seatown12]

I'm doing my 1L summer at a local pd office and its been great..I get to go to the jail alone to interview clients, help with trial preparation, assist with arraignments, and explain plea offers to clients, its really hands on but I've been there for 4 weeks and haven't had any writing assignments..mainly because my attorney doesn't write much, when she does its something small with no research required..how do I get a writing sample out of my summer??

Tell the attorney you'd really like to write a motion to suppress. PDs usually have to submit stock motions due to time constraints but they love it when an intern is able to spend a little more time on one, particularly if it has merit. If you tell her that's something you want to do and are confident in your ability she will almost definitely give you one to write.

[lmr]

I'm doing my 1L summer at a local pd office and its been great..I get to go to the jail alone to interview clients, help with trial preparation, assist with arraignments, and explain plea offers to clients, its really hands on but I've been there for 4 weeks and haven't had any writing assignments..mainly because my attorney doesn't write much, when she does its something small with no research required..how do I get a writing sample out of my summer??

It is still early so I'd relax a bit. If your goal is to be a PD eventually you won't get asked for many writing samples but obviously the more exposure to different types of motions that come up is extremely beneficial to your growth. I think you should ask other attorneys if they had a motion you could write. Maybe ask your attorney if she knows another attorney who may need help. It would broaden your network, get you exposed to a different attorney w perhaps a different style, and make you look like you are taking initiative. There has to be an attorney in the office who needs a motion to dismiss or a statement in mitigation or something, just find them.

[Anonymous User]

Got grades back. Am I f*cked for prosecution type gigs--as some in my thread suggested--even if I've done all the right things otherwise (clinics, internships, relevant coursework, mock trial/moot ct. etc.)? Not talkin' Miami or Manhattan DA here, but offices in less desirable areas. Soooooo confused and sad.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=211090

[lmr]

Got grades back. Am I f*cked for prosecution type gigs--as some in my thread suggested--even if I've done all the right things otherwise (clinics, internships, relevant coursework, mock trial/moot ct. etc.)? Not talkin' Miami or Manhattan DA here, but offices in less desirable areas. Soooooo confused and sad.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=211090

You need to calm down. You just want to be a DA, you'll be fine. the most important thing is excelling at your internships and getting the most experience you can. Grades don't matter-be flexible in where you are willing to move, though. (I'd say this even if you had excellent grades). You go to a T30 which is decent-there's a bunch of people with mediocre grades at 4Ts who get hired at local DA offices. You will only have 80k debt-which is pretty manageable (hopefully they are all federal loans? you can do income based repayment if that stresses you out). If this is what you are really passionate about, and you think you have what it takes to back it up, then you should stick it out.

[seatown12]

Got grades back. Am I f*cked for prosecution type gigs--as some in my thread suggested--even if I've done all the right things otherwise (clinics, internships, relevant coursework, mock trial/moot ct. etc.)? Not talkin' Miami or Manhattan DA here, but offices in less desirable areas. Soooooo confused and sad.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=211090

People on this site outside this and the "3L PD hiring" thread have no idea how PI-type hiring works; grades are basically irrelevant, like the previous poster said. Sorry about your dad and that F.

[Anonymous User]

^thanks, this is comforting. still gotta hustle!

[Anonymous User]

Sorry about your dad and that F.

Huh?...you mistook me for another poster contemplating dropping out, lol. It's ok, there are lots of these threads this time of year.

[MSUlaw49]

I plan to apply to a ton of offices next year. How do you guys do it?

Just look up each office and ask if they are hiring? Or do you email and say here are my resume and cover letter?

[Anonymous User]

I plan to apply to a ton of offices next year. How do you guys do it?

Just look up each office and ask if they are hiring? Or do you email and say here are my resume and cover letter?

Many of the large offices hire a class of 3Ls, including Miami, Chicago, NYC, Philadelphia, (maybe L.A.?). Apply to all of those, keeping in mind that everyone applies to these offices so they are very competitive. Their websites should have info on how to apply - usually an application component and at least three rounds of interviews.

Outside of the major offices, you're going to have a hard time finding places that hire 3Ls. You can try and inquire, but I think you'll find that most of them only hire licensed attorneys, and only when they have spots open up. You can check their websites to see if they say anything about hiring, and if not, try giving them a call.

[Anonymous User]

I'm doing my 1L summer at a local pd office and its been great..I get to go to the jail alone to interview clients, help with trial preparation, assist with arraignments, and explain plea offers to clients, its really hands on but I've been there for 4 weeks and haven't had any writing assignments..mainly because my attorney doesn't write much, when she does its something small with no research required..how do I get a writing sample out of my summer??

thought about saying this in PD interviews for the "why do you want to be a PD" question haha. Seriously though man just ask and someone will have a suppression motion you can do. Sounds like my 1L internship but my supervisor promised work down the road, which he did end up giving me but not until about 4 weeks into it. I ended up filing a number of motions throughout the summer.

[Anonymous User]

I'm doing my 1L summer at a local pd office and its been great..I get to go to the jail alone to interview clients, help with trial preparation, assist with arraignments, and explain plea offers to clients, its really hands on but I've been there for 4 weeks and haven't had any writing assignments..mainly because my attorney doesn't write much, when she does its something small with no research required..how do I get a writing sample out of my summer??

thought about saying this in PD interviews for the "why do you want to be a PD" question haha. Seriously though man just ask and someone will have a suppression motion you can do. Sounds like my 1L internship but my supervisor promised work down the road, which he did end up giving me but not until about 4 weeks into it. I ended up filing a number of motions throughout the summer.

It probably depends a lot on the office or division you're in, but I personally have never seen a PD motion that was not boilerplate.

[Anonymous User]

anyone think it would be valuable to let PD interviewers know that instead of a bar trip or whatever I plan to spend the whole period between bar and employment trying to learn Spanish through an intensive program in a location where no one speaks English? I know that this probably sounds stupid, but I've been in Spanish classes since elementary school up through undergrad but have never had the opportunity to go and live somewhere to try and learn the language. I'd say I'm almost conversational and would like to think that 2 months of intense learning could get me close to fluency.

Anyways, I'll do it either way since I know how valuable it will be and its also like my last chance to spend such a large chunk of time abroad, but do you think I could sell the plan to interviewers?

[Scotusnerd]

anyone think it would be valuable to let PD interviewers know that instead of a bar trip or whatever I plan to spend the whole period between bar and employment trying to learn Spanish through an intensive program in a location where no one speaks English? I know that this probably sounds stupid, but I've been in Spanish classes since elementary school up through undergrad but have never had the opportunity to go and live somewhere to try and learn the language. I'd say I'm almost conversational and would like to think that 2 months of intense learning could get me close to fluency.

Anyways, I'll do it either way since I know how valuable it will be and its also like my last chance to spend such a large chunk of time abroad, but do you think I could sell the plan to interviewers?

I'm only a rising 2L, but my general rule of thumb has been "if I can do it, it's on my resume. If I can't, I don't put it." I'd avoid mentioning it until you can speak Spanish. You plan that now, but what if they need someone in their office *now*? You might be telling them you'd rather learn Spanish than work for them.

[Anonymous User]

Got grades back. Am I f*cked for prosecution type gigs--as some in my thread suggested--even if I've done all the right things otherwise (clinics, internships, relevant coursework, mock trial/moot ct. etc.)? Not talkin' Miami or Manhattan DA here, but offices in less desirable areas. Soooooo confused and sad.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=211090

Might be worth mentioning that the office I applied to required top 50%. So while others are correct in that grades aren't necessarily a huge consideration with prosecutor's offices, for some of them there might be a percentile cutoff. I don't know about the offices you're applying to, but I just wanted to throw that out there to undercut the notion that grades never matter at all for any prosecutor's office.

[jml8756]

anyone think it would be valuable to let PD interviewers know that instead of a bar trip or whatever I plan to spend the whole period between bar and employment trying to learn Spanish through an intensive program in a location where no one speaks English? I know that this probably sounds stupid, but I've been in Spanish classes since elementary school up through undergrad but have never had the opportunity to go and live somewhere to try and learn the language. I'd say I'm almost conversational and would like to think that 2 months of intense learning could get me close to fluency.

Anyways, I'll do it either way since I know how valuable it will be and its also like my last chance to spend such a large chunk of time abroad, but do you think I could sell the plan to interviewers?

Obviously don't put it on your resume, and don't try to shoehorn it into the interview, but if it comes up naturally I don't see any harm in mentioning it. Don't sacrifice any of your real talking points though. If you tried cases as an intern or anything like that, those types of things should be the real focus.

[Anonymous User]

anyone think it would be valuable to let PD interviewers know that instead of a bar trip or whatever I plan to spend the whole period between bar and employment trying to learn Spanish through an intensive program in a location where no one speaks English? I know that this probably sounds stupid, but I've been in Spanish classes since elementary school up through undergrad but have never had the opportunity to go and live somewhere to try and learn the language. I'd say I'm almost conversational and would like to think that 2 months of intense learning could get me close to fluency.

Anyways, I'll do it either way since I know how valuable it will be and its also like my last chance to spend such a large chunk of time abroad, but do you think I could sell the plan to interviewers?

Obviously don't put it on your resume, and don't try to shoehorn it into the interview, but if it comes up naturally I don't see any harm in mentioning it. Don't sacrifice any of your real talking points though. If you tried cases as an intern or anything like that, those types of things should be the real focus.

Same anon who posed the question. I guess the way I was thinking about it was when I heard bout the 2/1 start dates for legal aid. I guess I figured that in an interview they might say "how do you feel about a deferred start date?" and I could answer something like "although I'd love to start asap I think that a deferred start date would be a great opportunity for me to go and perfect my spanish skills"

[jml8756]

Same anon who posed the question. I guess the way I was thinking about it was when I heard bout the 2/1 start dates for legal aid. I guess I figured that in an interview they might say "how do you feel about a deferred start date?" and I could answer something like "although I'd love to start asap I think that a deferred start date would be a great opportunity for me to go and perfect my spanish skills"

Maybe rather than saying a deferred start date "would be a great opportunity" to work on Spanish (because then they might well defer you), say you would strongly prefer to start ASAP but you understand a deferment is a possibility and if you wound up in that position you would try to use the time to prepare for the job by gaining Spanish fluency.