How to be a Prosecution/PD Gunner? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know the contact information for the Stanislaus Count (CA) public defender. When I googled the two people on the guide published from UC Davis it seemed like they did not work there anymore. Thanks.

[llachans]

2L gunning for prosecution. I've already taken evidence and Crim Pro I and am signed up for Trial Ad and Crim Pro II next semester. There's no other criminal related classes (except for advanced trial ad).

Are there any classes that are beneficial to a career in criminal law even though it's not directly related to crim? I'm not sure what else to take as a lot of the classes don't seem like they'd benefit me much.


Thanks!

[llachans]

is it possible to intern with two PD offices 1L summer, part time at each?

Yeah, but I wouldn't do it. The offices are likely open M-F 8:30-4:30, meaning that you'd only be in one office 2 days a week and the other 3 days a week. 2 days a week isn't that beneficial (from my own experience, the more time you're in an office, the more likely an attorney is to give you real work). You need to make a name for yourself in one office and you make connections by meeting EVERY attorney in the office since you're there five days a week. Choose the office you'd rather work at post-graduation or ask around and see what the office atmospheres are like.

[BlueLotus]

2L gunning for prosecution. I've already taken evidence and Crim Pro I and am signed up for Trial Ad and Crim Pro II next semester. There's no other criminal related classes (except for advanced trial ad).

Are there any classes that are beneficial to a career in criminal law even though it's not directly related to crim? I'm not sure what else to take as a lot of the classes don't seem like they'd benefit me much.


Thanks!

does your school have a class on DV? that would be useful, as you'd be prosecuting DV cases all the time.

eta: i'd second immigration

[BlueLotus]

also, if your law school is connected to a larger institution, see if the undergrad offer spanish classes you can take (that is, if you don't know spanish already!)

[deadpanic]

2L gunning for prosecution. I've already taken evidence and Crim Pro I and am signed up for Trial Ad and Crim Pro II next semester. There's no other criminal related classes (except for advanced trial ad).

Are there any classes that are beneficial to a career in criminal law even though it's not directly related to crim? I'm not sure what else to take as a lot of the classes don't seem like they'd benefit me much.


Thanks!

Maybe see if there is some kind of Fourth Amendment course (probably a writing seminar or something)

[llachans]

Maybe immigration? It's much more relevant for defense attorneys, obviously, but if there's nothing else to take I think it's a useful framework to have in your head as a prosecutor (even a state one. For federal prosecutors it's hugely relevant).

I know there's an immigration class and considering I live in an urban area, I've seen a lot of immigration issues at the place I'm currently interning. That's a great suggestion. Thanks!

does your school have a class on DV? that would be useful, as you'd be prosecuting DV cases all the time.

eta: i'd second immigration

It doesn't unfortunately.

Maybe see if there is some kind of Fourth Amendment course (probably a writing seminar or something)

I've taken two semesters of Crim Pro so that covers a lot of the Fourth. Unfortunately, my school doesn't have a huge option of classes. I'll keep my eyes open for something similar though. Thanks!

[gdane]

2L gunning for prosecution. I've already taken evidence and Crim Pro I and am signed up for Trial Ad and Crim Pro II next semester. There's no other criminal related classes (except for advanced trial ad).

Are there any classes that are beneficial to a career in criminal law even though it's not directly related to crim? I'm not sure what else to take as a lot of the classes don't seem like they'd benefit me much.


Thanks!

Both prosecutors offices that I interviewed for didn't ask a single question about my course selection. They just went straight to hypos without asking whether or not I took X criminal procedure class. The main focus during my interviews was on my relevant experience. I never once talked about what classes I took or what I learned in X class.

This is not to say that you shouldn't take certain criminal law courses for fun or for learning purposes, but taking every single criminal law class possible probably won't mean much for hiring purposes.

[BlueLotus]

2L gunning for prosecution. I've already taken evidence and Crim Pro I and am signed up for Trial Ad and Crim Pro II next semester. There's no other criminal related classes (except for advanced trial ad).

Are there any classes that are beneficial to a career in criminal law even though it's not directly related to crim? I'm not sure what else to take as a lot of the classes don't seem like they'd benefit me much.


Thanks!

any other skills classes? like negotiations, appellate advocacy, advanced legal research/writing etc.

also any clinic, yes even if it's civil, would be helpful (this is true for all PI careers)

[Anonymous User]

I think the best class to take is Crim Pro-Investigation because it will help with the hypos for prosecution offices and it also helped me with my 2L internship because I worked on the drug team in a large prosecution office.

Other than that class, particularly stood outl. I took evidence, but you'll find that each state has its own variations so the specific office will really reteach you all you need to know.

The biggest thing you need to concentrate on is experience through internships/externships/clinics. That supersedes even being a moot court/mock trial star.

[BlueLotus]

Any word from Philly DA?

[Anonymous User]

Have a resume that's pretty heavy leaning towards one political party.. do I leave off some of it if the DA's office I'm applying to (1L Summer) has a DA of the opposite party? Or not a big deal?

[deadpanic]

Have a resume that's pretty heavy leaning towards one political party.. do I leave off some of it if the DA's office I'm applying to (1L Summer) has a DA of the opposite party? Or not a big deal?

I would probably not list it because it is not really relevant work experience to prosecution work.

I would only list it if it helped establish you to some connection to the DA, i.e. a big political backer that helps him/her during re-election. It doesn't sound like it does so I would probably just leave it off completely.

[gdane]

Have a resume that's pretty heavy leaning towards one political party.. do I leave off some of it if the DA's office I'm applying to (1L Summer) has a DA of the opposite party? Or not a big deal?

Because this will be 1L summer I'm guessing you won't have any other experience. Keep it on there.

Besides, for a summer internship you almost certainly won't meet with the DA and your political party affiliation likely won't come up at all.

[deadpanic]

Have a resume that's pretty heavy leaning towards one political party.. do I leave off some of it if the DA's office I'm applying to (1L Summer) has a DA of the opposite party? Or not a big deal?

Because this will be 1L summer I'm guessing you won't have any other experience. Keep it on there.

Besides, for a summer internship you almost certainly won't meet with the DA and your political party affiliation likely won't come up at all.

Valid points, but you never know who sifts through the resumes. It could be someone with a really strong political affiliation. I guess what I'm saying is: for your resume, if you are not going to work in politics, I would make it as neutral as possible because that could take you out of the running for a number of legal jobs.

I'm probably being overly cautious here, but just throwing it out there.

[desiballa21]

probably an insignificant question but if it says send apps for DA office 1L summer through e-mail or mail, is there a preference at all? don't do both, right?

[gdane]

probably an insignificant question but if it says send apps for DA office 1L summer through e-mail or mail, is there a preference at all? don't do both, right?

Yea not both. Send your application materials usps priority first class certified mail. It's like $5.35. I'm skeptical of sending stuff through email unless it's explicitly stated to do so. Your materials could get buried or sent to spam. Plus, the hiring person will pay more attention to a hard copy of materials on his or her desk than an email with unseen attachments.

[Anonymous User]

probably an insignificant question but if it says send apps for DA office 1L summer through e-mail or mail, is there a preference at all? don't do both, right?

Yea not both. Send your application materials usps priority first class certified mail. It's like $5.35. I'm skeptical of sending stuff through email unless it's explicitly stated to do so. Your materials could get buried or sent to spam. Plus, the hiring person will pay more attention to a hard copy of materials on his or her desk than an email with unseen attachments.

This is the exact opposite of true, in my experience as a hiring manager (and that's why I'm anonymous here, so that I can give hiring advice without risking revealing who I'm hiring for). I have done a lot of hiring in my career. Unless it's explicitly required in the job announcement, never send paper. Most places that receive a lot of applications, the hiring manager has a system for managing the applications. And in this day and age, it's almost certain that that system is electronic. When I get a paper application, it's pretty likely to end up at the bottom of a pile of papers on my desk and get lost and never get read. And I very well may just throw them away, because paper is clutter, and clutter is annoying. It's going to be harder for me to send it to other people in the office, so I won't have it read by others who might be your potential boss. And I'll think that you're some combination of pretentious, a Luddite, and really annoying. If there is an option to send your materials electronically, do that. Electronic submissions have a better chance of actually getting read.

And whatever you do, don't be that person who sends paper materials on "fancy" paper that is just a slightly different color or weight or whatever than regular printer paper. It makes you look affected and like you're getting job tips from a book from the 1970s. You want to stand out because your work experience and credentials are impressive, and because your cover letter is passionate and smart and engaging. You do not want to stand out because you have insisted on doing things in a way that messes up the hiring manager's well-organized system for managing the hundreds of job candidates looking for her attention.

[gdane]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll defer to you because you know what you're talking about because you're an actual hiring person.

My advice was based on me sending in my application materials in the mail and receiving interviews from the two places I sent stuff to. Maybe I got lucky that my stuff wasn't thrown out. Heh.

[deadpanic]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll defer to you because you know what you're talking about because you're an actual hiring person.

My advice was based on me sending in my application materials in the mail and receiving interviews from the two places I sent stuff to. Maybe I got lucky that my stuff wasn't thrown out. Heh.

Yeah, I think it depends. Personally, if there is an option, I send e-mail and snail mail. From my experience, some of the DA offices prefer getting physical mail. They have a mail person and that will set the resume on the hiring person's desk who will look at it. A lot of the hiring people are older and don't bother looking at a bunch of e-mail attachments. They barely even use e-mail altogether. If it is a smaller office and the hiring person is a bit older, I'm going to physically mail them my information to be on the safe side.

[sd5289]

Checking in.

Hopeful prosecutor here. Worked at a local prosecutor's office 1L summer, and hired to work at a USAO for 2L summer. Having a good time so far.

[gdane]

Checking in.

Hopeful prosecutor here. Worked at a local prosecutor's office 1L summer, and hired to work at a USAO for 2L summer. Having a good time so far.

I did USAO and I loved it. My advice to you is to do some kind of work for everyone in your section. Literally pop into every office and ask the AUSA if they need help with something. Build relationships and try to find out who the former state prosecutors were. One of the AUSA's I worked with actually put in a good word for me with one of the higher ups at the office he used to work at. He did this on his own and god knows that I appreciated it.

You're gonna watch a lot of trials too. Use them as an opportunity to learn trial technique from great litigators.

[BlueLotus]

Anyone here apply to Bronx Defenders Family Defense unit? What was the interview like?(PM me if you want)

[sd5289]

I did USAO and I loved it. My advice to you is to do some kind of work for everyone in your section. Literally pop into every office and ask the AUSA if they need help with something. Build relationships and try to find out who the former state prosecutors were. One of the AUSA's I worked with actually put in a good word for me with one of the higher ups at the office he used to work at. He did this on his own and god knows that I appreciated it.

Thanks! Did the office you work at assign you to two different AUSA's? I was told during the interview that we'd be assigned to one in general crimes and one in whichever advanced unit we're assigned to.

[gdane]

I did USAO and I loved it. My advice to you is to do some kind of work for everyone in your section. Literally pop into every office and ask the AUSA if they need help with something. Build relationships and try to find out who the former state prosecutors were. One of the AUSA's I worked with actually put in a good word for me with one of the higher ups at the office he used to work at. He did this on his own and god knows that I appreciated it.

Thanks! Did the office you work at assign you to two different AUSA's? I was told during the interview that we'd be assigned to one in general crimes and one in whichever advanced unit we're assigned to.

Kind of. But they were both in the same section. One was the section chief and the other was the deputy chief. They gave me assignments to work on, but I had the freedom to ask anyone in my section if they needed my help.