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USAO or DA for 2L Summer?
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 9:53 pm
by Anonymous User
I would like to get some advice. I'm currently a 2L who wants to go into criminal prosecution and have been offered externship positions at a USAO and several DA's offices for the summer. Which offer should I take - USAO or DA?
Just some factors I am considering:
In general the DA's offices will have more court time (obviously) - a classmate I know who interned at one of the DA's offices that have given me an offer actually put on several trials last summer. There is a possibility that if I do well, I will be given preference when hiring for post-bars / DDA rolls around. Also, I live near a couple USAOs and can always apply for an externship with either one for the academic year.
However, the USAO is a well-connected office can open a lot of doors from what I understand. Also, I am interning at a DA's office on the misdo team right now and am getting a fair amount of court time arguing 1538s.
Thanks for your advice, greatly appreciated.
Re: USAO or DA for 2L Summer?
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 10:17 pm
by conn09
Without knowing your grades, schools, etc. I'm going to say the DA's office is better. Your #1 priority is getting post law school employment. The simple fact is most if not all USAO's don't hire directly from law school. A DA's office at least gives you a shot at post grad employment with that office. Also, the court time you'd get in a DA's office is more relevant to entry level criminal employment than the stuff you'd be doing at a USAO's office.
Re: USAO or DA for 2L Summer?
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 10:18 pm
by bk1
conn09 wrote:Without knowing your grades, schools, etc. I'm going to say the DA's office is better. Your #1 priority is getting post law school employment. The simple fact is most if not all USAO's don't hire directly from law school. A DA's office at least gives you a shot at post grad employment with that office. Also, the court time you'd get in a DA's office is more relevant to entry level criminal employment than the stuff you'd be doing at a USAO's office.
+1
Re: USAO or DA for 2L Summer?
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 10:40 pm
by rad lulz
bk187 wrote:conn09 wrote:Without knowing your grades, schools, etc. I'm going to say the DA's office is better. Your #1 priority is getting post law school employment. The simple fact is most if not all USAO's don't hire directly from law school. A DA's office at least gives you a shot at post grad employment with that office. Also, the court time you'd get in a DA's office is more relevant to entry level criminal employment than the stuff you'd be doing at a USAO's office.
+1
Re: USAO or DA for 2L Summer?
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 11:26 pm
by Anonymous User
Thanks guys for the advice.
I didn't bring this up because I wanted some honest opinions, but I accepted the USAO offer last week (they gave me 48 hours to decide) over other DA's offices. It basically came down to money: I would be able to move home and commute to the USAO, whereas I'd have had to fork out $$ to live in the same area as the other DA's offices.
I got an offer from a DA's office today that has a strong 2L program with a chance of post-grad employment and is in the same city / county as the USAO. So, financial concerns are moot, and chances of potential employment are up. Would it be advisable to withdraw an offer made to the USAO? How should I do it?
I've only sent in my e-Qip form and haven't completed any background check forms, so I don't think I've wasted that much time of their time. I keep thinking it's a bad idea to renege; at the same time, I'm just an intern, and as someone correctly pointed out, I won't be getting hired at their office anytime soon. I'm sure they have plenty of other candidates to take my place.
Again, any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Re: USAO or DA for 2L Summer?
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 11:30 pm
by rad lulz
Anonymous User wrote:Thanks guys for the advice.
I didn't bring this up because I wanted some honest opinions, but I accepted the USAO offer last week (they gave me 48 hours to decide) over other DA's offices. It basically came down to money: I would be able to move home and commute to the USAO, whereas I'd have had to fork out $$ to live in the same area as the other DA's offices.
I got an offer from a DA's office today that has a strong 2L program with a chance of post-grad employment and is in the same city / county as the USAO. So, financial concerns are moot, and chances of potential employment are up. Would it be advisable to withdraw an offer made to the USAO? How should I do it?
I've only sent in my e-Qip form and haven't completed any background check forms, so I don't think I've wasted that much time of their time. I keep thinking it's a bad idea to renege; at the same time, I'm just an intern, and as someone correctly pointed out, I won't be getting hired at their office anytime soon. I'm sure they have plenty of other candidates to take my place.
Again, any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Just tell them the truth. Tell them there is a possibility of poast grad employment. They probably won't give a shit. They know that they don't pay you or hire you.
.
Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 4:52 am
by Myself
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Re: USAO or DA for 2L Summer?
Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 10:00 am
by luckyduck
See about splitting. My USAO office allowed me to split after I got a second (paying) position.
Re: USAO or DA for 2L Summer?
Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 10:02 am
by rad lulz
luckyduck wrote:See about splitting. My USAO office allowed me to split after I got a second (paying) position.
Don't split. If the DAs office likes to employ its former interns, you're gonna want to spend the whole time there.