How to be a Prosecution/PD Gunner? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I just got invited to do a screener interview with a PD agency out East. Unfortunately it seems I'm gonna have to pay my way out there. Has anyone had success in asking for a phone screener? Best way to do so?

[lmr]

I just got invited to do a screener interview with a PD agency out East. Unfortunately it seems I'm gonna have to pay my way out there. Has anyone had success in asking for a phone screener? Best way to do so?

If it could lead to a job just pay for the trip. Phone v. person is just different why give the in-person competitor an advantage? Also, you should contact your career services office and get them to fund the trip they do that at my school so hopefully yours has some kind of an arrangement they can work out for you. Also as a last resort, i'd ask for a skype interview or just ask the office if they conduct skype interviews-that's better than phone.

[kapital98]

I just got invited to do a screener interview with a PD agency out East. Unfortunately it seems I'm gonna have to pay my way out there. Has anyone had success in asking for a phone screener? Best way to do so?

If it could lead to a job just pay for the trip. Phone v. person is just different why give the in-person competitor an advantage? Also, you should contact your career services office and get them to fund the trip they do that at my school so hopefully yours has some kind of an arrangement they can work out for you. Also as a last resort, i'd ask for a skype interview or just ask the office if they conduct skype interviews-that's better than phone.

Skype interviews are fun. This may sound obvious, but dress professionally. Prepare for the interview the same way you would prepare for OCI.

[BlueLotus]

Hey all,

Couple of questions:

1) I'm currently a 2L looking for opportunities for my 2L summer. My state (WA) has a rule allowing students to practice after they've completed 2 years of school, under attorney supervision, and I'm wondering if anyone knows where I might find a comprehensive list of states that have a similar rule?

2) Has anyone here had any luck finding (preferably paid) summer positions with local DA/Prosecutor offices or State AGs merely through applying with the "mass mail" strategy. I'd prefer to work in WA, but the number of counties offering paid positions that give you courtroom experience are few and far between - as far as I know (if anyone can dispel this for me that'd be awesome too).

For what it's worth, I have decent grades (top third) at a T2, and worked in a large county's prosecutor's office this past summer.

Thanks in advance.

ETA: I'm primarily interested in the Mountain West, Alaska, and New England, but I'll take anything I can get.

I'm in New England, and I'm pretty sure there is no such thing as a paid state govt internship in any New England state. Even asking about it would probably result in being laughed at around here. I know graduates who have been volunteering DA offices for months, so there's no chance they'd pay a rising 3L. Good luck.

Philly DA pays 2L summer interns $460 per week.

[Void]

Hey all,

Couple of questions:

1) I'm currently a 2L looking for opportunities for my 2L summer. My state (WA) has a rule allowing students to practice after they've completed 2 years of school, under attorney supervision, and I'm wondering if anyone knows where I might find a comprehensive list of states that have a similar rule?

2) Has anyone here had any luck finding (preferably paid) summer positions with local DA/Prosecutor offices or State AGs merely through applying with the "mass mail" strategy. I'd prefer to work in WA, but the number of counties offering paid positions that give you courtroom experience are few and far between - as far as I know (if anyone can dispel this for me that'd be awesome too).

For what it's worth, I have decent grades (top third) at a T2, and worked in a large county's prosecutor's office this past summer.

Thanks in advance.

ETA: I'm primarily interested in the Mountain West, Alaska, and New England, but I'll take anything I can get.

I'm in New England, and I'm pretty sure there is no such thing as a paid state govt internship in any New England state. Even asking about it would probably result in being laughed at around here. I know graduates who have been volunteering DA offices for months, so there's no chance they'd pay a rising 3L. Good luck.

Philly DA pays 2L summer interns $460 per week.

cool

[BlueLotus]

Sacramento DA 2L interns also paid ($15.40/hour). Deadline is Nov. 15.

Manhattan DA is $500/week, Dec. 15 deadline

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard anything from CPCS yet? Around what time do interview offers tend to pick up (for any employer)? The next couple weeks?

[BlueLotus]

This salary has gotta be a typo, lol. Maybe they meant $4000 for the whole summer?

"LEGAL INTERN-EXTERN PROGRAM (SPRING, SUMMER & FALL)
OFFICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY
BOISE, IDAHO
[...]
DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM:

The Office seeks 2Ls for 2 paid ($4,000/mo)and 1 unpaid Summer positions"

[Tanicius]

This salary has gotta be a typo, lol. Maybe they meant $4000 for the whole summer?

"LEGAL INTERN-EXTERN PROGRAM (SPRING, SUMMER & FALL)
OFFICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY
BOISE, IDAHO
[...]
DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM:

The Office seeks 2Ls for 2 paid ($4,000/mo)and 1 unpaid Summer positions"

It sounds like a pay commiserate with the actual position (4k x 12 months = 48k/year). I think it's stupid because I'd much rather they put this money into the pot to hire more actual attorneys, or at least be fair and spread it out evenly instead of making a couple interns get paid nothing while the others make $12,000 over the summer for the same exact work.

[BlueLotus]

This salary has gotta be a typo, lol. Maybe they meant $4000 for the whole summer?

"LEGAL INTERN-EXTERN PROGRAM (SPRING, SUMMER & FALL)
OFFICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY
BOISE, IDAHO
[...]
DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM:

The Office seeks 2Ls for 2 paid ($4,000/mo)and 1 unpaid Summer positions"

It sounds like a pay commiserate with the actual position (4k x 12 months = 48k/year). I think it's stupid because I'd much rather they put this money into the pot to hire more actual attorneys, or at least be fair and spread it out evenly instead of making a couple interns get paid nothing while the others make $12,000 over the summer for the same exact work.

I'm just surprised that a prosecutor's office in bumfuck Idaho can pay its interns 12K over the summer, when big-city DAs pay their 2L interns a fraction of that (Philly, Manhattan) or nothing at all (Suffolk).

[Tanicius]

I'm just surprised that a prosecutor's office in bumfuck Idaho can pay its interns 12K over the summer, when big-city DAs pay their 2L interns a fraction of that (Philly, Manhattan) or nothing at all (Suffolk).

It all has to do with the individual system set up in each state. If it's a city crushed for cash on all ends (like NYC), it's going to veer on the side of not paying its summers. If it's a county drowning in juicy property taxes (Santa Clara), then it's more able to pay. Or if it's a state with comparatively little stress on its legal services, it need not hire as many attorneys, which can open up money for other things like internships.

[RaleighStClair]

This salary has gotta be a typo, lol. Maybe they meant $4000 for the whole summer?

"LEGAL INTERN-EXTERN PROGRAM (SPRING, SUMMER & FALL)
OFFICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY
BOISE, IDAHO
[...]
DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM:

The Office seeks 2Ls for 2 paid ($4,000/mo)and 1 unpaid Summer positions"

Thanks to everyone for their input!

Blue Lotus, where did you find this? I'm definitely going to apply, as I have family and friends in Boise. Do you think city attorneys' offices are more likely to provide paid internships than counties and state AG?

[RaleighStClair]

I never got paid for prosecutor work but I did qualify for my school's Public Interest grant, which carried me one summer. You might look into that.

Thanks! My school has a public interest grant program, but it is notorious for only providing them to defense and social justice-oriented internships . I think there's only been one or two grants given to people doing prosecutorial internships over the past couple of years.

[RaleighStClair]

Sacramento DA 2L interns also paid ($15.40/hour). Deadline is Nov. 15.

Manhattan DA is $500/week, Dec. 15 deadline

I assume Manhattan is unreachable for me, but I'll give it a shot. Does anyone know how competitive the Sacramento DA is?

[BlueLotus]

Sacramento DA 2L interns also paid ($15.40/hour). Deadline is Nov. 15.

Manhattan DA is $500/week, Dec. 15 deadline

I assume Manhattan is unreachable for me, but I'll give it a shot. Does anyone know how competitive the Sacramento DA is?

I'm getting all this info from the AZ Gov Honors site (your CSO should have the password).

Sacramento: "In 2013, 12 interns were hired from approximately 100 applications."

Manhattan: "In 2013, 50 interns were hired from 840 applications." I'd still give it a shot, though they do seem to be more prestige whoring than most DAs (posting stated preference for journal, tho DAs typically dgaf about journal).

[BlueLotus]

Miami-Dade County Att'y also pays. Hella competitive tho. Deadline is Dec. 1:

"The Office seeks 4-6 1Ls and 2Ls for its paid ($1,000/wk) Summer 2013 Law Clerk Program. In 2012, 6 were hired out of hundreds of applications. The program runs for 10 weeks from May to August (preferred), but split Summers are sometimes permitted. " [...]

"Top 15% with moot court or law review experience preferred."

[BlueLotus]

is EJW *crickets* for y'all?

[gdane]

Miami-Dade County Att'y also pays. Hella competitive tho. Deadline is Dec. 1:

"The Office seeks 4-6 1Ls and 2Ls for its paid ($1,000/wk) Summer 2013 Law Clerk Program. In 2012, 6 were hired out of hundreds of applications. The program runs for 10 weeks from May to August (preferred), but split Summers are sometimes permitted. " [...]

"Top 15% with moot court or law review experience preferred."

This is not a prosecutors office though. That's the Miami Dade State Attorney and they do not pay.

This is the county attorneys office, which is just essentially the legal counsel for countywide matters.

[BlueLotus]

Miami-Dade County Att'y also pays. Hella competitive tho. Deadline is Dec. 1:

"The Office seeks 4-6 1Ls and 2Ls for its paid ($1,000/wk) Summer 2013 Law Clerk Program. In 2012, 6 were hired out of hundreds of applications. The program runs for 10 weeks from May to August (preferred), but split Summers are sometimes permitted. " [...]

"Top 15% with moot court or law review experience preferred."

This is not a prosecutors office though. That's the Miami Dade State Attorney and they do not pay.

This is the county attorneys office, which is just essentially the legal counsel for countywide matters.

lol, oops, you're right. was confused b/c plenty of prosecutor's offices are referred to as "County Attorney's Offices"

[Tanicius]

is EJW *crickets* for y'all?

Mmhm.

[xChiTowNx]

is EJW *crickets* for y'all?

Yup.

This thread has the potential to blow up in a week or so...

[Anonymous User]

is EJW *crickets* for y'all?

yup nothing here..I'm a 2L urm at t30, aiming for pd work..I do know places are making decisions though, I hav friends who applied to legal aid places and are getting accepts and rejects from ejw..I haven't applied to any other places directly yet, I'm waiting to see who I get interviews with at ejw to see..hopefully I'm not late in the game for applying directly

does anyone know of pd places that hire pre bar that aren't at ejw..I'm willing to apply anywhere but the west coast

[BlueLotus]

is EJW *crickets* for y'all?

yup nothing here..I'm a 2L urm at t30, aiming for pd work..I do know places are making decisions though, I hav friends who applied to legal aid places and are getting accepts and rejects from ejw..I haven't applied to any other places directly yet, I'm waiting to see who I get interviews with at ejw to see..hopefully I'm not late in the game for applying directly

does anyone know of pd places that hire pre bar that aren't at ejw..I'm willing to apply anywhere but the west coast

philly pd hires prebar and is not at ejw. app deadline is 12/31.

coming from the philly area, be warned that it is an insular market, and you will likely be asked "why philly" if no ties are apparent on your resume/CL.

[xChiTowNx]

is EJW *crickets* for y'all?

yup nothing here..I'm a 2L urm at t30, aiming for pd work..I do know places are making decisions though, I hav friends who applied to legal aid places and are getting accepts and rejects from ejw..I haven't applied to any other places directly yet, I'm waiting to see who I get interviews with at ejw to see..hopefully I'm not late in the game for applying directly

does anyone know of pd places that hire pre bar that aren't at ejw..I'm willing to apply anywhere but the west coast

Would you happen to know what places at EJW have completed pre-selections already?

[Anonymous User]

is EJW *crickets* for y'all?

yup nothing here..I'm a 2L urm at t30, aiming for pd work..I do know places are making decisions though, I hav friends who applied to legal aid places and are getting accepts and rejects from ejw..I haven't applied to any other places directly yet, I'm waiting to see who I get interviews with at ejw to see..hopefully I'm not late in the game for applying directly

does anyone know of pd places that hire pre bar that aren't at ejw..I'm willing to apply anywhere but the west coast

Would you happen to know what places at EJW have completed pre-selections already?

federal defender offices r making moves, as well as Arlington capital