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I was just offered a position to be a brief writer for a government organization (public defenders) - not sure how good that'll be for my future career prospects. What do you guys think? Do you even have to be a lawyer to be a brief writer?

Law28487 wrote:I was just offered a position to be a brief writer for a government organization (public defenders) - not sure how good that'll be for my future career prospects. What do you guys think? Do you even have to be a lawyer to be a brief writer?

Is this for 2L summer or full time? What is the pay? So many questions here...

For summer or spring?

NoleinNY wrote:For summer or spring?

passed the bar, full-time position, $50K

What does brief writer mean?

ben4847 wrote:What does brief writer mean?

literally a person who writes briefs. There are people like that at firms too. Firms try to be fancier and call them "members of the firm's appellate practice" etc...

Are you interested in govt? If so, doesn't sound too bad. Pay isn't bad for PD (then again, I don't know what market you're in), plus 10 yr IBR if you have debt.

Aqualibrium wrote:

ben4847 wrote:What does brief writer mean?

literally a person who writes briefs. There are people like that at firms too. Firms try to be fancier and call them "members of the firm's appellate practice" etc...

Those aren't usually attorneys?

ben4847 wrote:

Aqualibrium wrote:

ben4847 wrote:What does brief writer mean?

literally a person who writes briefs. There are people like that at firms too. Firms try to be fancier and call them "members of the firm's appellate practice" etc...

Those aren't usually attorneys?

Every one I ever met was...

Aqualibrium wrote:

ben4847 wrote:What does brief writer mean?

literally a person who writes briefs. There are people like that at firms too. Firms try to be fancier and call them "members of the firm's appellate practice" etc...

What? That's absurd. Those people are just that: members of the firm's appellate practice (usually rising superstar studs or senior litigators). The PD equivalent would be . . . appellate defender, which sounds like a far cry from what you've been offered.

Take the job, it pays, will have pretty awesome hours, no stress, loan forgiveness eligibility, you'll get your foot in the door, and may eventually have a chance to move into a regular PD position if they like you.

Geist13 wrote:

Aqualibrium wrote:

ben4847 wrote:What does brief writer mean?

literally a person who writes briefs. There are people like that at firms too. Firms try to be fancier and call them "members of the firm's appellate practice" etc...

What? That's absurd. Those people are just that: members of the firm's appellate practice (usually rising superstar studs or senior litigators). The PD equivalent would be . . . appellate defender, which sounds like a far cry from what you've been offered.

Take the job, it pays, will have pretty awesome hours, no stress, loan forgiveness eligibility, you'll get your foot in the door, and may eventually have a chance to move into a regular PD position if they like you.

Perhaps I should have said "some firms call them members of the firm's appellate practice?"

I've worked at 4 mid sized/large law firms...at each one, there were people who whose sole job was to write and edit briefs; at each place, they were identified as members of the firms appellate practice. They never argued the brief themselves, and if they went to court, they were simply there to backup the person who was doing the arguing. Some were partners, some were associates, but in each case their jobs were solely to write and edit briefs.

Aqualibrium wrote:

Geist13 wrote:

Aqualibrium wrote:

ben4847 wrote:What does brief writer mean?

literally a person who writes briefs. There are people like that at firms too. Firms try to be fancier and call them "members of the firm's appellate practice" etc...

What? That's absurd. Those people are just that: members of the firm's appellate practice (usually rising superstar studs or senior litigators). The PD equivalent would be . . . appellate defender, which sounds like a far cry from what you've been offered.

Take the job, it pays, will have pretty awesome hours, no stress, loan forgiveness eligibility, you'll get your foot in the door, and may eventually have a chance to move into a regular PD position if they like you.

Perhaps I should have said "some firms call them members of the firm's appellate practice?"

I've worked at 4 mid sized/large law firms...at each one, there were people who whose sole job was to write and edit briefs; at each place, they were identified as members of the firms appellate practice. They never argued the brief themselves, and if they went to court, they were simply there to backup the person who was doing the arguing. Some were partners, some were associates, but in each case their jobs were solely to write and edit briefs.

Ah yeah, there's people who are responsible for just writing the briefs. I misunderstood what you were saying.