How to be a Prosecution/PD Gunner? Forum

[gmail]

Any ADAs in the DC metro area? I'm going to Georgetown this fall and my own web searches on the NoVA/MD counties prosecutors pages hasn't turned much up. Any DA offices in the DC area known to do a decent amount of entry level hiring? Apologize if this is a gooberish question, but figured I'd give it a shot.

Does Georgetown offer a class on teenage penis photography? You'd be an auto-hire in Manassas.

[TheSpanishMain]

Any ADAs in the DC metro area? I'm going to Georgetown this fall and my own web searches on the NoVA/MD counties prosecutors pages hasn't turned much up. Any DA offices in the DC area known to do a decent amount of entry level hiring? Apologize if this is a gooberish question, but figured I'd give it a shot.

Does Georgetown offer a class on teenage penis photography? You'd be an auto-hire in Manassas.

It looks like they're threatening to give him some kind of injection to get him hard. I guess that's better than making him jerk off in a room with six cops watching, because that would make the whole thing weird and creepy.

[Anonymous User]

I'm trying to think what constitutional rights aren't being violated...

[Anonymous User]

How much in court experience should you have after 1l summer as a pd gunner? From my internship I got abt two weeks worth. Is this below average?

[samcro_op]

How much in court experience should you have after 1l summer as a pd gunner? From my internship I got abt two weeks worth. Is this below average?

What do you mean court experience?

[Anonymous User]

How much in court experience should you have after 1l summer as a pd gunner? From my internship I got abt two weeks worth. Is this below average?

What do you mean court experience?

The kind a certified law student would get. Negotiating for clients etc.

[samcro_op]

How much in court experience should you have after 1l summer as a pd gunner? From my internship I got abt two weeks worth. Is this below average?

What do you mean court experience?

The kind a certified law student would get. Negotiating for clients etc.

Well if you were certified as a 1L I am sure you got more than most. Very few 1Ls have the option of being certified. I was just excited for my opportunity to talk to a judge at the bench on behalf of a client.

[rpcb]

How much in court experience should you have after 1l summer as a pd gunner? From my internship I got abt two weeks worth. Is this below average?

What do you mean court experience?

The kind a certified law student would get. Negotiating for clients etc.

Well if you were certified as a 1L I am sure you got more than most. Very few 1Ls have the option of being certified. I was just excited for my opportunity to talk to a judge at the bench on behalf of a client.

Yeah I would agree with this. I thought by court experience s/he meant watching trials. I am just finishing up my pd internship and it was a great experience. But no one in the office got any sort of actual experience in court. I don't think very many 1Ls do anywhere.

[spleenworship]

Everyone knows New Hampshire is rolling in murders -- so many that first-year attorneys have to get them for routine assignments. It's that cartel corridor up through Dartmouth College, you see.

I'll be starting there in the fall. In interviews when you ask about how much responsibility you get they say "well you usually get low level felonies BUT we had this one guy who did a first degree murder in his first two years, but he was really good. How good will you be?" haha it was like a weird army recruiting tactic.

Also, there is crime in NH http://247wallst.com/special-report/201 ... soaring/3/ and apparently its soaring.

Haha! In my NH interview they asked "How do you feel about defending white people?" (I am white.) I thought the question was so weird I just paused and went...."well, some of my best friends are white." Could not tell if she was amused but I didn't get an offer from them haha. Oh NH. I have two good friends starting there this fall, you'll have a great time

I LOL'd.

[Displeased]

Any ADAs in the DC metro area? I'm going to Georgetown this fall and my own web searches on the NoVA/MD counties prosecutors pages hasn't turned much up. Any DA offices in the DC area known to do a decent amount of entry level hiring? Apologize if this is a gooberish question, but figured I'd give it a shot.

Some/most Commonwealth attorney openings in Virginia are advertised on the Commonwealth Attorney Services Council site.

If you are looking for particular cities, I'd check the city's employment listings. For example, don't go on the City of Fairfax Commonwealth attorney website looking for a job, go to the City of Fairfax employment website. Since Commonwealth attorneys are city employees (counter-intuitive as that may seem), any openings are required to be posted on the city employment website.

[DayTripper1967]

How long should a cover letter be (approximately) when applying to PD offices?

[sd5289]

How long should a cover letter be (approximately) when applying to PD offices?

One page at most?

In what context would a cover letter longer than one page be necessary?

[MURPH]

Imperial county, CA's PD office is scheduling interviews for Friday August 22nd for barred attorneys. The interviews are one day only. I was invited to interview but I am taking my family on vacation that week and cannot change my flights now. Good luck to anyone who can get an interview in my place.

[Anonymous User]

Interesting article about Miami-Dade's PD office: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/201 ... -defenders

[rpcb]

Interesting article about Miami-Dade's PD office: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/201 ... -defenders

This is actually Broward County's PD office which is the county just north of Miami-Dade. It is a really interesting article though.

[Easy-E]

How does someone shooting for Prosecution/PD ideally spend their 2L summer?

[cooperlaserpup]

How does someone shooting for Prosecution/PD ideally spend their 2L summer?

This is hard to answer because you said both prosecution AND PD....most PD offices (in major cities, which may not be what you're looking for) aren't going to hire someone who gives away in their resume that they would also be happy to be a prosecutor. Just my 2 cents.

That being said: GET AS MUCH IN COURT/ CLIENT EXPERIENCE AS POSSIBLE. Go somewhere where you can get certified and do student practice. It is a huge help when you start interviewing your 3L fall to be able to talk about actual experiences.

[aelzbp]

How does someone shooting for Prosecution/PD ideally spend their 2L summer?

In a job that indicates that you have clearly chosen one or the other.

[sd5289]

How does someone shooting for Prosecution/PD ideally spend their 2L summer?

This is hard to answer because you said both prosecution AND PD....most PD offices (in major cities, which may not be what you're looking for) aren't going to hire someone who gives away in their resume that they would also be happy to be a prosecutor. Just my 2 cents.

100% true for New York. The PD offices won't even touch you if you indicate you'd be fine working as a prosecutor, and you'll generally have to "explain" any prosecutor related experience on your resume.

It's not quite the same the other way around, and some of the offices actually like to see some type of defense experience.

[coldshoulder]

Looking at AG jobs (Washington, which I'm sure a few others in this thread are applying to, and some other states). Good chance I'll end up doing something on the civil side if I were to get a job, could that be a good stepping stone to a DA or PD job down the road?

[spleenworship]

How does someone shooting for Prosecution/PD ideally spend their 2L summer?

This is hard to answer because you said both prosecution AND PD....most PD offices (in major cities, which may not be what you're looking for) aren't going to hire someone who gives away in their resume that they would also be happy to be a prosecutor. Just my 2 cents.

100% true for New York. The PD offices won't even touch you if you indicate you'd be fine working as a prosecutor, and you'll generally have to "explain" any prosecutor related experience on your resume.

It's not quite the same the other way around, and some of the offices actually like to see some type of defense experience.

In my state they ask you to explain, but if you aren't militantly pro PD and admit you just wanted to see what the other side was like, but didn't enjoy it, they're ok with hiring you.

[rpcb]

So registration and applications for the 2014 EJW Conference have begun. If anybody has previous experience as a 2L trying to get an internship with a PD office I would love some advice, particularly with cover letters. Good luck everybody!!

[Displeased]

How does someone shooting for Prosecution/PD ideally spend their 2L summer?

This is hard to answer because you said both prosecution AND PD....most PD offices (in major cities, which may not be what you're looking for) aren't going to hire someone who gives away in their resume that they would also be happy to be a prosecutor. Just my 2 cents.

100% true for New York. The PD offices won't even touch you if you indicate you'd be fine working as a prosecutor, and you'll generally have to "explain" any prosecutor related experience on your resume.

It's not quite the same the other way around, and some of the offices actually like to see some type of defense experience.

In my state they ask you to explain, but if you aren't militantly pro PD and admit you just wanted to see what the other side was like, but didn't enjoy it, they're ok with hiring you.

Its not like PDs think prosecutors have cooties, or are so ideologically blinded that they can't imagine working with prosecutors. People switch sides all the time. But hiring a 3L is risky enough, and PD offices always have insanely high turnover. There's already a huge risk that a fresh 3L won't have the stomach for the job, or the courtroom skill, or the thick skin required. Why take the additional risk of hiring a 3L that is comfortable with both sides?

But if you have worked for both sides, no reason to panic. I agree with Spleen (as I seem to always do in this thread), just say that you wanted to see what both sides were like, and have a coherent explanation for why you favor one side over another.

[Anonymous User]

Is it better to intern during 2L summer at an office that handles cases vertically? Or does it not matter. Also, what kind of work should PD gunners be doing during 2l summer?

[samcro_op]

How did you all stomach not doing OCI? It's a long shot for me anyways but I am already stressing about the Vale and I am only a 2L. It seems counterintuitive to not take interviews with the legal market but as my summer at a PD has progressed I am positive this is what I want to do.

Today anyone in my shoes *hug*

I think I might skip EJW this year, I think I want to try to get into one of the Bay Area places that pay their post bars.