uncompensated special assistant us attorney Forum

[NYLAW20]

Anyone know anything about how the uncompensated sausa looks on a resume? Do employers look favorably or unfavorably on this position? Thanks

[jml8756]

I guess I do not understand why you would do this? How do you finance a year of unpaid work? The position basically looks like you're a glorified law clerk, so it's not even like you're an uncompensated AUSA. You won't be getting AUSA experience. It doesn't even look like a gateway to getting hired by the USAO. You'll be getting similar experience as if you were a law school intern with a student practice license.

Personally, I would focus my efforts on applying to paid legal jobs while working at Starbucks or whatever. I don't know if SAUSA would look much better on a resume than whatever experience you already got during law school.

[anon168]

Anyone know anything about how the uncompensated sausa looks on a resume? Do employers look favorably or unfavorably on this position? Thanks

Generally, there are two kinds of uncompensated SAUSAs, and they will vary from district to district.

The first is when a local prosecuting office (e.g. DA or County Prosecutor) sends one of its own on a USAO detail and that person becomes a SAUSA. It's "uncompensated" because the SAUSA is being paid by their originating local office (e.g. DA) and not by the Feds -- hence, it's an uncompensated position. The same situation can apply where an ICE or DEA attorney does a detail at the USAO.

The second is when a firm lends one of its associates (or lawyers) and lets them do sort of a quasi-sabbatical at the USAO. The associate is not paid by anyone during the term of the SAUSA, but the firm sort of, ahem, agrees to defer the salary post-SAUSA to avoid any notion of conflicts of interest. Bridge loans are not unheard here.

Then there's the rest. Who just do it because they want the experience and resume jewelry. But be warned, ONE single year at the USAO will not get you much experience, at least not substantively.

So, long way of saying, yes, it does look good.

Good luck.

[anon168]

I guess I do not understand why you would do this? How do you finance a year of unpaid work? The position basically looks like you're a glorified law clerk, so it's not even like you're an uncompensated AUSA. You won't be getting AUSA experience. It doesn't even look like a gateway to getting hired by the USAO. You'll be getting similar experience as if you were a law school intern with a student practice license.

Personally, I would focus my efforts on applying to paid legal jobs while working at Starbucks or whatever. I don't know if SAUSA would look much better on a resume than whatever experience you already got during law school.

If there ever was a post showing how wrong and ignorant someone can be with their response, this post would be pretty close to the front of the line. If not leading the march entirely.

[jml8756]

I guess I do not understand why you would do this? How do you finance a year of unpaid work? The position basically looks like you're a glorified law clerk, so it's not even like you're an uncompensated AUSA. You won't be getting AUSA experience. It doesn't even look like a gateway to getting hired by the USAO. You'll be getting similar experience as if you were a law school intern with a student practice license.

Personally, I would focus my efforts on applying to paid legal jobs while working at Starbucks or whatever. I don't know if SAUSA would look much better on a resume than whatever experience you already got during law school.

If there ever was a post showing how wrong and ignorant someone can be with their response, this post would be pretty close to the front of the line. If not leading the march entirely.

Aw, are you an SAUSA? Did I hurt your feelings? Because you yourself said:

But be warned, ONE single year at the USAO will not get you much experience, at least not substantively.

Some of the SAUSA job descriptions I've read flat-out say you'll be responsible for misdemeanors. Others are pretty vague, but if you do the math there's no way a 6-month / 1-year stint will allow you to see major cases through from arraignment to trial.

So tell me again how you can't get most of this experience as a law student intern? Because you were pretty non-specific in your freakout response calling me wrong and ignorant.

[NYstate]

I think that New Jersey will only take grads for these positions? I don't think this will hurt you too much in looking for jobs if this is what you want to try to do to get a job.

There are plenty of people who want these jobs. They just can't afford it.

It does piss my off that the government uses people like this - just get the most you can out of it.

[Anonymous User]

I guess I do not understand why you would do this? How do you finance a year of unpaid work? The position basically looks like you're a glorified law clerk, so it's not even like you're an uncompensated AUSA. You won't be getting AUSA experience. It doesn't even look like a gateway to getting hired by the USAO. You'll be getting similar experience as if you were a law school intern with a student practice license.

Personally, I would focus my efforts on applying to paid legal jobs while working at Starbucks or whatever. I don't know if SAUSA would look much better on a resume than whatever experience you already got during law school.

If there ever was a post showing how wrong and ignorant someone can be with their response, this post would be pretty close to the front of the line. If not leading the march entirely.

Aw, are you an SAUSA? Did I hurt your feelings? Because you yourself said:

But be warned, ONE single year at the USAO will not get you much experience, at least not substantively.

Some of the SAUSA job descriptions I've read flat-out say you'll be responsible for misdemeanors. Others are pretty vague, but if you do the math there's no way a 6-month / 1-year stint will allow you to see major cases through from arraignment to trial.

So tell me again how you can't get most of this experience as a law student intern? Because you were pretty non-specific in your freakout response calling me wrong and ignorant.

LOL to the dude who said that ANYONE SHOULD work at Starbucks. Come on, man, you can't be serious!

If you can afford to do an unpaid AUSA position (either bc some other employer is paying or you can just afford to do it bc you are rich) then you DEFINITELY should if you have no better options. Starbucks is NOT a better option, fyi. You can meet excellent attorneys this way, you WILL learn skills (even if you are doing more minor work) and you can continue to look for paid work while working there OBVI.

Seriously, this is an absolute no brainer if the alternative is doing nothing or something nonlegal (and you WANT to be a lawyer). I actually think this could help you a good bit if you play your cards right and get lucky. Yes, luck will matter. It always does.

[anon168]

I guess I do not understand why you would do this? How do you finance a year of unpaid work? The position basically looks like you're a glorified law clerk, so it's not even like you're an uncompensated AUSA. You won't be getting AUSA experience. It doesn't even look like a gateway to getting hired by the USAO. You'll be getting similar experience as if you were a law school intern with a student practice license.

Personally, I would focus my efforts on applying to paid legal jobs while working at Starbucks or whatever. I don't know if SAUSA would look much better on a resume than whatever experience you already got during law school.

If there ever was a post showing how wrong and ignorant someone can be with their response, this post would be pretty close to the front of the line. If not leading the march entirely.

Aw, are you an SAUSA? Did I hurt your feelings? Because you yourself said:

But be warned, ONE single year at the USAO will not get you much experience, at least not substantively.

Some of the SAUSA job descriptions I've read flat-out say you'll be responsible for misdemeanors. Others are pretty vague, but if you do the math there's no way a 6-month / 1-year stint will allow you to see major cases through from arraignment to trial.

So tell me again how you can't get most of this experience as a law student intern? Because you were pretty non-specific in your freakout response calling me wrong and ignorant.

No, you didn't hurt my feelings. I'm not sure you know enough at this point to hurt my feelings.

As to what I know about SAUSAs? I've been part of the hiring committee for SAUSAs and have supervised them.

And if you honestly don't know the difference between what an intern and a SAUSA does, then I'm not sure you are in a position to even ask the question.

It's really people like you that I've sort of stopped posting here.

But I defer to you. If you think Starbucks is better then all the better for you I suppose. Good luck to you and your legal career, my friend.

[NYLAW20]

Thanks for the help everyone