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Well, so much for trying out Criminal Law before delving into the civil side before graduating law school. I'm trying to reason why not one of the FIVE local DA's offices I applied to did not contact me for an interview -- all are hiring and some are even attending a career fair.

I am a transfer student, and I have good grades (top 5% at 1L school (#50ish) and top 10% at 2L school (#50ish too) and wrote solid cover letters that career services people said were adequate.

However, I am brand new to the part of the country where my school is located after living in a (very) distant state my whole life... Tried to explain why I transferred and want to stay in the state (even city) of my new 2L school in the cover letters.

I also suspect that my previous work history (academic tutor for athletic department for 4 years during college and summer) does not match up with the skills they expect. But still, with such good grades, I wonder why I didn't get a single interview.

Clean criminal record (not even sure if they back ground check for interview screening anyway) but no extra curriculars outside of a secondary journal.

1. Do DA's offices just not care about grades as much? I've taken Crim Law, Procedure, and am currently taking Evidence/Ethics.

2. Do some offices hire off a good old boy network?

3. Any other reason why my desire to -try- being a prosecutor has been crushed under the cruel anonymity of interview screening?

Thanks! I have several interviews with non-DA office positions and private firms... Weird.

Have you called the place and followed up? That may get you a response.

No possible. Was submitted through career services.

I have heard that DA offices really like extensive "work" experience, military backgrounds, strong community connections, previous DA work, and older students.

If these rumors have any truth, it would help explain things.

Nightsideclipse wrote:No possible. Was submitted through career services.

I have heard that DA offices really like extensive "work" experience, military backgrounds, strong community connections, previous DA work, and older students.

If these rumors have any truth, it would help explain things.

I find your situation bizarre. You should maybe apply directly?

ggocat wrote:I find your situation bizarre. You should maybe apply directly?

This?

Also, DA's offices are more likely to ignore people who have no prior criminal experience whatsoever, especially ITE where they're probably being swamped with folks going "PLEASE TAKE ME FOR A SUMMER LOOK I WANT TO BE A CRIMINAL LAWYER I DID ALL THESE THINGS".

Ah, gotcha. Yeah, the applications were collected through a career fair. I figured with good grades, I'd at least get one interview offer. And yes, I have ZERO exposure to criminal law, and almost no relevant work experience.

The positions are also paid, and over 70 people applied for each one from my school alone, I think.

I'll try applying directly too.

Hiring can be pretty political. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you applied to NY places. I don't even go to school in NY, but I did grow up there. Not that I used this as a 2L (although I'm exploiting the hell out of it as a 3L), but I know people in every office in NY through family connections. In some, I used to get the initial interview, others I saved it to see if I advanced. But don't think that in NY that stuff doesn't matter. It does, especially when you consider the high number of affluent people who are connected to each other. It sounds silly, but these are folks who live in the same town, coach little league together, etc and they're mostly in positions where they can make a difference for things like this so they do.

Also, these offices are in serious budget cut mode. Queens is still sorting through 2010 grads for hiring with no regard to 2011 grads. Bronx completed 3L interviewing and isn't really making offers until June. That stuff especially matters for you, because if the difference is between keeping 3-5 experienced prosecutors or paying 20 interns, the choice is pretty obvious right now.

Lastly, competition is just generally stiff got government work. The market has contracted to the point where while your grades are fine, rest assured there are students from better-ranked schools with similar grades competing for the same job as firms no longer scoop up those top end kids anymore in such high numbers. It's a shitty reality, but a reality it is. If you really want to do criminal work, carpet bomb everything besides prosecution. They're so understaffed they'll appreciate the help.

I'm in the same situation w/out any prior crim law work experience and I have pretty dang good grades. I'll post any updates on this thread.