Research and Writing Focused Jobs? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Wouldn't going to a firm after working public service for 10 years be tough, because you'd be going in as a partner and therefore would have to be able to make a pitch to be able to bring in business? Not sure if boutiques necessarily operate this way though.

(Also there just aren't a lot of attorney-advisor positions in DOJ Crim, because it's a litigating component. Not none, but really not a lot. There are more in crim-adjacent components like BOP or ATF.)

[Anonymous User]

As PP said, 10 years out would be tricky because your salary would be so high but you would be (relatively) inexperienced in the practice area. I think the limit really would be 5 years or so, depending on circumstances. It's also a pretty unusual path -- the most common is clerk --> boutique or biglaw for 2-3 years --> boutique or some combination of the two. I know a handful of people who have come in from ADA/PD/FPD roles after more years, but there the experience was more directly translatable. I guess it depends what kind of work you do at the state/local/federal level. If you developed a niche specialty in some regulatory area, you might be able to parlay that into a job at firm that does a lot of government relations work/work advising client on regulatory issues (I've worked across from some such people, using them as consultants), but I have no idea how research/writing heavy those positions actually are and it seems pretty boring to me -- you get to know one niche area super well but then, that's it. If you landed an AUSA position and worked your way up to some leadership position (not necessarily chief of crim or civil, but some other managing role) of course, the calculus would be very different as a lot of white collar criminal partners come from the USAO, but those jobs are obviously very hard to get. I think maybe a good bet would be to try for a staff attorney position at a court. I know that the Second Circuit at least has staff attorneys that handle a lot of the immigration cases, for instance, reviewing cases and offering recommendations to the judges. I'm not sure what the career path for such people is, but it may be helpful to reach out a few in the district or circuit where you are and see if anyone will chat with you.