USAO DC 2L Summer Forum

mavsman88 · Post by **mavsman88** » Sun Nov 06, 2011 1:15 pm

Is an unpaid internship with the USAO in DC prestigious and worth taking or should I (top half at a T30 law school) look for a paid firm job?

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Sun Nov 06, 2011 1:17 pm

mavsman88 wrote:Is an unpaid internship with the USAO in DC prestigious and worth taking or should I (top half at a T30 law school) look for a paid firm job?

Right now just take what you can bro.

Also, prestigious to whom?

mavsman88 · Post by **mavsman88** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 11:21 am

Prestigious to future employers

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 12:35 pm

mavsman88 wrote:Prestigious to future employers

What future employers do you want it to be prestigious to

mavsman88 · Post by **mavsman88** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 1:34 pm

Looking at small litigation firms or DA/AG/FedDef

Still undecided.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 4:10 pm

mavsman88 wrote:Is an unpaid internship with the USAO in DC prestigious and worth taking or should I (top half at a T30 law school) look for a paid firm job?

Do you know if they'd let you split? A lot of unpaid internships will accommodate splits so you can keep looking for a paid job for half the summer. However, in my experience this varies greatly from agency to agency, and can even vary within sections of the same agency.

The DC USAO handles local as well as federal prosecutions. As a result it's both more and less prestigious; they need more attorneys and handle "lower-level" cases more often, but on a practical level you can get far more trial experience than most other USAO offices. A lot of big-city DAs will recognize the experience you can get in a place like this. If your end goal is DA/AG, then I would say sure, go there. If you want to work for a firm... it will depend on the firm.

I'll warn you that some PDs, including federal defenders, have a large distaste for former prosecutors. The experience gets outweighed by the feeling you're morally "on the wrong side" and aren't committed enough to the cause. This will vary by office. I can tell you that in terms of local PDs, you can't ever apply to the DC PDS after working for the DC USAO. (Well, I mean you can, but it's probably going straight to the round file.)

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 4:36 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
I'll warn you that some PDs, including federal defenders, have a large distaste for former prosecutors. The experience gets outweighed by the feeling you're morally "on the wrong side" and aren't committed enough to the cause. This will vary by office. I can tell you that in terms of local PDs, you can't ever apply to the DC PDS after working for the DC USAO. (Well, I mean you can, but it's probably going straight to the round file.)

Agree with this. The PD offices I've come into contact with seem more serious about hiring "true believers" than the DA.

mavsman88 · Post by **mavsman88** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 5:47 pm

Is the DC office a very competitive one that will offer enough experience to make it a better choice then working for a small firm and making money?

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 5:48 pm

mavsman88 wrote:Is the DC office a very competitive one that will offer enough experience to make it a better choice then working for a small firm and making money?

If you can get a small firm that has possibility of full time employment after graduation, I'd do that, unless you have a burning passion for govt.

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