How to be a Prosecution/PD Gunner? Forum

[Anonymous User]

This may be a no brainer..

Does anyone have any idea if it makes one bit of difference if you "volunteer" at a DA's office for 1L summer or if you "extern" there for the summer?

My school sets up externships at several DA offices near my school, and I'd rather have the safety net of loan money to get me through the summer in case I can't find another paying summer job, but if it looks better to volunteer rather than extern for that reason, I'll do that.

My gut was that they don't care at all, but.. just thought I'd ask around!

no difference at all. in fact, if you can get school credit for the time spent there, people would think you are weird for not doing that.

[Anonymous User]

Hey All,

I'm up for a summer fellowship via my school to work a paid gig with Public Counsel, a well regarded non-profit for those that don't know. Would I be crazy to turn it down to work for a CA PD office for free? My best guess is no, but everyone has been telling me yes. This is 1L summer if that matters.

My hope is that I don't end up getting the fellowship so the decision is made for me, but I wanted to get the opinion of this thread.

I honestly dont think it would matter 1L year, but if you can afford to go the summer without pay, really want to do PD work, and really want to work at that office post-grad, i'd take PD position.

[Anonymous User]

Hey All,

I'm up for a summer fellowship via my school to work a paid gig with Public Counsel, a well regarded non-profit for those that don't know. Would I be crazy to turn it down to work for a CA PD office for free? My best guess is no, but everyone has been telling me yes. This is 1L summer if that matters.

My hope is that I don't end up getting the fellowship so the decision is made for me, but I wanted to get the opinion of this thread.

Which CA PD office? Makes a difference...

[Anonymous User]

This may be a no brainer..

Does anyone have any idea if it makes one bit of difference if you "volunteer" at a DA's office for 1L summer or if you "extern" there for the summer?

My school sets up externships at several DA offices near my school, and I'd rather have the safety net of loan money to get me through the summer in case I can't find another paying summer job, but if it looks better to volunteer rather than extern for that reason, I'll do that.

My gut was that they don't care at all, but.. just thought I'd ask around!

no difference at all. in fact, if you can get school credit for the time spent there, people would think you are weird for not doing that.

OP here, thank ya!

That was my line of thinking as well, but just wanted to make sure I wasn't shooting myself in the foot.

[wbrother]

Hey All,

I'm up for a summer fellowship via my school to work a paid gig with Public Counsel, a well regarded non-profit for those that don't know. Would I be crazy to turn it down to work for a CA PD office for free? My best guess is no, but everyone has been telling me yes. This is 1L summer if that matters.

My hope is that I don't end up getting the fellowship so the decision is made for me, but I wanted to get the opinion of this thread.

Which CA PD office? Makes a difference...

So far it's not one that would likely hire me post-grad. Santa Barbara & Monterey are my only offers so far, but I'm waiting on SD, LA, Ventura, Contra, SF, San Bernadino, and Riverside.

[Anonymous User]

Hey All,

I'm up for a summer fellowship via my school to work a paid gig with Public Counsel, a well regarded non-profit for those that don't know. Would I be crazy to turn it down to work for a CA PD office for free? My best guess is no, but everyone has been telling me yes. This is 1L summer if that matters.

My hope is that I don't end up getting the fellowship so the decision is made for me, but I wanted to get the opinion of this thread.

Which CA PD office? Makes a difference...

So far it's not one that would likely hire me post-grad. Santa Barbara & Monterey are my only offers so far, but I'm waiting on SD, LA, Ventura, Contra, SF, San Bernadino, and Riverside.

Can I ask you how the experience is going? I am a 1L PD gunner as well looking at some places in CA (not any of those strangely). Are they interviewing or just basically saying "sure come work for free"? Any advice on writing cover letters? I feel like I am just having a mental block about even starting because I am so anxious about it all.

[wbrother]

Hey All,

I'm up for a summer fellowship via my school to work a paid gig with Public Counsel, a well regarded non-profit for those that don't know. Would I be crazy to turn it down to work for a CA PD office for free? My best guess is no, but everyone has been telling me yes. This is 1L summer if that matters.

My hope is that I don't end up getting the fellowship so the decision is made for me, but I wanted to get the opinion of this thread.

Which CA PD office? Makes a difference...

So far it's not one that would likely hire me post-grad. Santa Barbara & Monterey are my only offers so far, but I'm waiting on SD, LA, Ventura, Contra, SF, San Bernadino, and Riverside.

Can I ask you how the experience is going? I am a 1L PD gunner as well looking at some places in CA (not any of those strangely). Are they interviewing or just basically saying "sure come work for free"? Any advice on writing cover letters? I feel like I am just having a mental block about even starting because I am so anxious about it all.

Yeah, I was the same way before I sent out apps. It can definitely feel sort of bewildering before your start, so no worries.
One of my offers was like, "lWe expect you to renege for a paid gig, but if you don't then come hang out!" I wrote back saying something about my intentions to work as a PD after law school and how I was more interested in gaining meaningful experience that will help gain a PD job than anything else, etc. They were stoked.

My other offer was after a phone interview. Most places interview in person, so I expect that to be the norm. I think the first office was just surprised to see a Trojan. According to my CSO less than 10 people currently enrolled in the entire law school worked in a PD office, so I don't blame them.

This thread and http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... 4&t=215132 can give you more help than I can about cover letters, but I basically expressed interest in the specific office and explained why I wanted to be PD. A lot of places probably won't hire until the SoCal Public Interest Day, but I'm guessing your looking more at NorCal? What offices are you targeting?

[wbrother]

I just got offered the paid Summer Fellowship through my school and I'm wondering if I should accept or do PD for my 1l Summer. Can anyone give me insights on the quality and type of work a 1L summer would able to do at Public Counsel?

[BlueLotus]

will having spent 1L summer assisting "illegal" immigrants, some with (non-violent) criminal records, look bad if applying to DAs? I did do a lot of U Visa work which I could spin positively.

[Anonymous User]

will having spent 1L summer assisting "illegal" immigrants, some with (non-violent) criminal records, look bad if applying to DAs? I did do a lot of U Visa work which I could spin positively.

first of all, you putting "illegal" in quotes shows me that you know it's not the right terminology, but i'll get off my soapbox. I worked with undocumented minors doing SIJS work (which is fairly uncontroversial), and a DA's office gave me a pretty hard time about it. Instead of working for the DA, I opted for direct legal services with noncitizens.

I'm sure you can spin it, but you're usually supposed to talk passionately about things you've done in interviews.

[BlueLotus]

will having spent 1L summer assisting "illegal" immigrants, some with (non-violent) criminal records, look bad if applying to DAs? I did do a lot of U Visa work which I could spin positively.

first of all, you putting "illegal" in quotes shows me that you know it's not the right terminology, but i'll get off my soapbox. I worked with undocumented minors doing SIJS work (which is fairly uncontroversial), and a DA's office gave me a pretty hard time about it. Instead of working for the DA, I opted for direct legal services with noncitizens.

I'm sure you can spin it, but you're usually supposed to talk passionately about things you've done in interviews.

yeah i've done SIJS work as well. disappointed that they gave you such a hard time about it!

[adonai]

will having spent 1L summer assisting "illegal" immigrants, some with (non-violent) criminal records, look bad if applying to DAs? I did do a lot of U Visa work which I could spin positively.

first of all, you putting "illegal" in quotes shows me that you know it's not the right terminology, but i'll get off my soapbox. I worked with undocumented minors doing SIJS work (which is fairly uncontroversial), and a DA's office gave me a pretty hard time about it. Instead of working for the DA, I opted for direct legal services with noncitizens.

I'm sure you can spin it, but you're usually supposed to talk passionately about things you've done in interviews.

yeah i've done SIJS work as well. disappointed that they gave you such a hard time about it!

Kind of strange considering some Da offices fill out uvisas for undocumented informants.

[BlueLotus]

will having spent 1L summer assisting "illegal" immigrants, some with (non-violent) criminal records, look bad if applying to DAs? I did do a lot of U Visa work which I could spin positively.

first of all, you putting "illegal" in quotes shows me that you know it's not the right terminology, but i'll get off my soapbox. I worked with undocumented minors doing SIJS work (which is fairly uncontroversial), and a DA's office gave me a pretty hard time about it. Instead of working for the DA, I opted for direct legal services with noncitizens.

I'm sure you can spin it, but you're usually supposed to talk passionately about things you've done in interviews.

yeah i've done SIJS work as well. disappointed that they gave you such a hard time about it!

Kind of strange considering some Da offices fill out uvisas for undocumented informants.

yeah, some of DA offices i worked with last summer in a large northeastern city had someone specifically in charge of certifying the helpfulness/cooperation of immigrants who entered EWI seeking u visas.

i guess it depends on the location. i could def. see DA's offices in the boonies looking askance at helping undocumented immigrants.

[Anonymous User]

Any other 2Ls heard from CO's PD office? I know a couple people have received offers, some for paid spots. I'm still waiting. Any idea on when they'll announce more or how they're announcing?

[Anonymous User]

just FYI, i'm the original responder who was given a hard time. It wasn't the boonies. It was the Manhattan DA's office, who frankly, treats noncitizens very poorly.

[BlueLotus]

just FYI, i'm the original responder who was given a hard time. It wasn't the boonies. It was the Manhattan DA's office, who frankly, treats noncitizens very poorly.

damnnnn. well, i'm glad you found a great legal aid gig elsewhere.

[mtyler19]

How low of a grade in Evidence is considered really bad if I want to do prosecution? Exam was not at all what I was expecting & I'm fearing the worst.

[jess]

.

[paisaaa]

How low of a grade in Evidence is considered really bad if I want to do prosecution? Exam was not at all what I was expecting & I'm fearing the worst.

Don't know how this translates to DA hiring but I'm a PD hopeful and straight up bombed evidence.
Have interviewed with top offices and it hasn't come up once.
Like I said, not sure if DA/PD offices operate differently when it comes to grades, and this is a one person sample, but keep your chin up!

If you need some winter break peace of mind, just resolve to do an independent study with the prof next semester if the grade turns out as badly as you think it will. That way, if it comes up in interviews, you can point to the independent study and show that you followed up on your poor performance.

Solidarity, man. Enjoy the time off!

[wbrother]

Google UC Davis's PD hiring guide. It has good info on individual offices.

It was posted earlier in this thread, but I leave it was proven to be out of date/wrong. I think it's still good for getting starting point info.

[FlanAl]

http://www.law.ucdavis.edu/current/care ... ctices.pdf

2011 is probably recent enough.

[Tanicius]

http://www.law.ucdavis.edu/current/care ... ctices.pdf

2011 is probably recent enough.

Can say that the Alameda and Contra Costa descriptions do not have up-to-date names or contact info.

[FlanAl]

haha i can also say that contra costa stopped looking for people back in october. (an alum who works there told me to apply, so I did, and then got a quick email back saying they were done, kinda funny)

[wbrother]

http://www.law.ucdavis.edu/current/care ... ctices.pdf

2011 is probably recent enough.

Can say that the Alameda and Contra Costa descriptions do not have up-to-date names or contact info.

A couple other contact names are off, and I've been told a lot of the info about who has paid vs non paid internships/post-bars is outdated. Cause I'm feeling especially giving, I'll post all the updates I've acquired after I'm done with finals.

[Anonymous User]

haha i can also say that contra costa stopped looking for people back in october. (an alum who works there told me to apply, so I did, and then got a quick email back saying they were done, kinda funny)

Actually no. They started interviewing people again in December very randomly. PDS summer alums and such. We were all told that their last interviews were in October and to expect offer announcements in early November. As far as I know, nobody has heard anything at all because they suddenly decided to do a bunch of a last minute interviews. Certainly does not bode well for those of us who interviewed earlier...