Post DA careers Forum

eliekedourie · Post by **eliekedourie** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 7:04 pm

I'm a 0L attending a T14 next year and I am anticipating significant debt. I have considerable valuable law enforcement related experience and the idea of working in DA's office was a significant motivation for attending law school. However, I've never thought that I would be a lifer at a DA's office and I'm curious what the exit options are in a market like NY or Chicago? Is biglaw a possibility after 5 or so years at a DA's office?

kalvano · Post by **kalvano** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 7:08 pm

Typically, if you can make it 10 years, you can wipe the debt slate clean.

eliekedourie · Post by **eliekedourie** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 7:13 pm

But then what? My interest in biglaw is not limited to the money. I know I have some time to figure these matters out, but at a certain point during 1L, I'll be making choices that will improve or diminish my chances at biglaw or a DA's office. Even if I make it the 10 years, if I don't want to make a career of it, can I parlay success in a DA's office into biglaw?

CanadianWolf · Post by **CanadianWolf** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 7:17 pm

Run for political office on a "tough on crime" ticket.

eliekedourie · Post by **eliekedourie** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 7:19 pm

You guys are killing me.

Is there a biglaw chance post-DA?

kalvano · Post by **kalvano** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 7:34 pm

Yes. There is. However, Biglaw tends to want young people that it can make it's bitches, so I'd be wary of planning to go into Biglaw after a DA career.

mcat4life87 · Post by **mcat4life87** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 7:38 pm

If you want biglaw so much, why are you going to the DA's office instead of biglaw directly?

BruceWayne · Post by **BruceWayne** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 7:41 pm

I'm a 1L at a top 14 who's been thinking about this a lot as well. I'm interested in working as an ADA post law school, but I'm afraid I'll end up shutting the biglaw door forever. I don't understand why law firms are so averse to hiring people who don't take the biglaw path directly out of law school.

mcat4life87 wrote:If you want biglaw so much, why are you going to the DA's office instead of biglaw directly?

Maybe that's not all he wants to do? Maybe he's interested in doing White collar work at a firm one day? Why do you have to do one thing for your entire legal career?

There is no other career field that has this odd mentality.

eliekedourie · Post by **eliekedourie** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 7:47 pm

I have diverse interests that converge in litigation. White collar defense and internal investigations are of particular interest. Many individuals in big law who practice in these areas have worked in the DOJ on a USAO, but I haven't seen many coming out of the New York County DA's office or equivalent offices in other major markets.

Master Tofu · Post by **Master Tofu** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 8:53 pm

ADA to large law firms tend to be the exception rather than the rule. I think there is a perception that ADAs aren't good writers due to the nature of their work. If you want to go to the USAO or a large law firm, you should aim to work in the appellate bureau of the DA's office, where you will get more substantive writing experience.

Sup Kid · Post by **Sup Kid** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 11:37 pm

If you want to do biglaw (for whatever reason), you need to get good grades and go straight from law school. I'm not going to argue whether this is or isn't fair, or whether it should or shouldn't be done this way, but it's the truth. If you can get into biglaw, do it, and do litigation. The attrition rate is so high after 5 years you can move into a DA office or USAO. I worked at the USAO in a large city last summer and almost all of the attorneys there came from biglaw. HTH.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 9:51 pm

I think it may be easier to go from biglaw to the DA's office than the other way around. I was pleasantly surprised to discover recently that DA's offices are willing to consider civil litigators (but have a good story ready for why you want to be a prosecutor, and have taken the relevant crim law classes to back up your interest). But I think it'd be hard to persuade a big firm that you could start as a 4th-5th year associate after several years at the DA's office.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 9:57 pm

I promise that you will have virtually no lateral success from DA to biglaw. I worked in the DA for a 1 mil + city and can tell you this just doesn't happen. Go to biglaw straight out. Chances are that even if you like it you won't make partner. This will give you the opportunity to pursue DA. Don't shackle yourself to a life of prosecuting drug deals and DUIs if you don't plan on staying 10+ years. The exception would be federal prosecution, but, um, good luck...

ArthurDigbySellers · Post by **ArthurDigbySellers** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 9:59 pm

For life!

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 10:02 pm

Anonymous User wrote:This will give you the opportunity to pursue DA. Don't shackle yourself to a life of prosecuting drug deals and DUIs if you don't plan on staying 10+ years. The exception would be federal prosecution, but, um, good luck...

So what were the exit options at your DA's office for people who came to get trial experience but stayed for less than ten years?

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