District Attorney's Offices 2015 Forum

[Anonymous User]

Figured I'd start a new thread as Fall '14 OCI/EIW is around the corner, which means our hiring process is about to begin. Same deal as the 2014 thread.

I'll start. Applying to the following:

New York County
Queens
Brooklyn
Bronx
Nassau
Suffolk

May throw my hat in the DOJ HP ring too.

ETA as of 8/6/15:

Pre-bar Hiring Offices:

Cook County State's Attorney - Chicago, IL
Miami-Dade Office of the State Attorney - Miami, FL
Philadelphia District Attorney's Office - Philadelphia, PA
District Attorney of New York (Manhattan) - NY, NY
Bronx District Attorney - Bronx, NY
Nassau County District Attorney - Long Island, NY
Kings County District Attorney (Brooklyn) - Brooklyn, NY
Queens County District Attorney - Queens, NY
Suffolk County District Attorney - Long Island, NY
Suffolk County District Attorney - Boston, MA

*Note: Richmond County (Staten Island) has a job posting up for 4 admitted ADA's right now. It will be up until 8/29/14. Salary is $59,870.

[Anonymous User]

I was hired at one of these offices during the last cycle, and I'm happy to answer any questions.

[Anonymous User]

Miami SAO also willing to help

[Anonymous User]

Can you guys talk about your stats, where you went to school, what you did 1L and 2L summers.. would be a big help, thanks!

[Anonymous User]

Can you guys talk about your stats, where you went to school, what you did 1L and 2L summers.. would be a big help, thanks!

Miami here. I can't say my stats without outing myself. But I worked for a company 1L summer and interned for a different prosecutor's office my 2L summer.

[Anonymous User]

Can you guys talk about your stats, where you went to school, what you did 1L and 2L summers.. would be a big help, thanks!

I'm a new anonymous poster to this thread, but I was hired by one of the offices mentioned in the first post.

My stats are:

Went to strong regional school, but low in rankings;
Had around a 3.2-3.4 gpa when I applied;
Interned with a civil court judge my first summer;
Did a juvenile delinquency clinic during the school year;
Interned with a DA's office my second summer;

Had recommendations from adjunct professors at the office I was eventually hired at. Play the game!

[Anonymous User]

Can you guys talk about your stats, where you went to school, what you did 1L and 2L summers.. would be a big help, thanks!

2nd poster here. I worked for a different prosecutor 1st year, and a major financial company 2nd year. I was at a t20, top 15% when applied (didn't graduate top 15 though ). Also did a criminal related clinic.

[Anonymous User]

Can you guys talk about your stats, where you went to school, what you did 1L and 2L summers.. would be a big help, thanks!

Will do best I can without outing myself.

Top 15% at a higher end NY regional.
Did prosecution both 1L and 2L summers (federal and local).
Did criminal defense clinic in school.
Good prof recommendations.

Etc, etc. Don't really want to give out more than that.

[Anonymous User]

Glad to see this topic is up and running. Anyone else applying to Cook County? Stats from anyone who is a recent hire of Cook County? Thanks, everyone!

[Anonymous User]

I got wait listed at Cook County. Top 20-25% of a school in the midwest. Two summers at CCSAO (one in college and one in law school).

[Anonymous User]

I also accepted a job with one of these offices.

T6, top 25%, secondary journal
1L at a USAO
2L at Big Law
Appellate clinic my 3L year

Happy to answer any questions.

[Anonymous User]

Man, it's really happening now, isn't it?

August 1st seems to be the date to start applying, but does anyone have any word on when they start accepting materials for non-OCI schools rather than just simply "August?"

[Anonymous User]

also happy to provide advice for specific questions

[Anonymous User]

How do we go about awkwardly applying to all the offices and pretending that each office is the number 1 choice? Manhattan would sure know if I were applying to Brooklyn/Bronx/Queens and whatnot.

[Anonymous User]

How do we go about awkwardly applying to all the offices and pretending that each office is the number 1 choice? Manhattan would sure know if I were applying to Brooklyn/Bronx/Queens and whatnot.

You'd be surprised how little DA's offices talk to each other.

[Anonymous User]

How do we go about awkwardly applying to all the offices and pretending that each office is the number 1 choice? Manhattan would sure know if I were applying to Brooklyn/Bronx/Queens and whatnot.

Manhattan, as well as all of the other offices, want to see that you are applying to other offices. Knowing that makes them see that you're serious about becoming a prosecutor. As far as pretending each office is your favorite, I'd advise not bullshitting. Prosecutors are good at seeing through that. I never got asked to rank during my interviews in any of the above offices. I did consistently get asked "why Office X, as opposed to any other office?" So make sure you are ready to answer that question. Do research. Talk to people who work in these offices. Etc.

[Anonymous User]

How do we go about awkwardly applying to all the offices and pretending that each office is the number 1 choice? Manhattan would sure know if I were applying to Brooklyn/Bronx/Queens and whatnot.

You'd be surprised how little DA's offices talk to each other.

I think this comment is generally true, but I have a personal anecdote to the contrary. I got hired at an NYC DA's office after having interned at a different NYC office. The week before I received and accepted my offer, I got an email from an attorney that worked where I interned. He had been asked about me and passed on a favorable recommendation. I hadn't listed this attorney as a reference. So these conversations do happen, at least occasionally. But they probably don't concern the order of an applicant's preferences.

[Anonymous User]

Could anyone who went through the process share some hypotheticals you were asked during interviews? Thanks!

[Anonymous User]

Could anyone who went through the process share some hypotheticals you were asked during interviews? Thanks!

Most hypos were of the ethical, rather than legal nature. So its more important that you flag the ethical issue and give a considered response about implications of the problem on your case, than it is that you know a particular legal rule/doctrine. Just make sure you show your work and don't gloss over anything.

That said, a version of the dead/unavailable witness on the morning of trial hypo shows up quite frequently. So know Brady and prosecutor's obligations regarding exculpatory evidence. Also, it is helpful to have at least a loose background in the 4th amendment.

[Anonymous User]

Could anyone who went through the process share some hypotheticals you were asked during interviews? Thanks!

Most hypos were of the ethical, rather than legal nature. So its more important that you flag the ethical issue and give a considered response about implications of the problem on your case, than it is that you know a particular legal rule/doctrine. Just make sure you show your work and don't gloss over anything.

That said, a version of the dead/unavailable witness on the morning of trial hypo shows up quite frequently. So know Brady and prosecutor's obligations regarding exculpatory evidence. Also, it is helpful to have at least a loose background in the 4th amendment.

Thank you! I'll definitely brush up on Brady/Giglio and 4th (assuming I get any interviews - hah!). Any advice for the situation where a witness you want to subpoena would face retaliation for testifying? I'm asking both for interview purposes and how it goes down IRL.

[Anonymous User]

How do we go about awkwardly applying to all the offices and pretending that each office is the number 1 choice? Manhattan would sure know if I were applying to Brooklyn/Bronx/Queens and whatnot.

Manhattan, as well as all of the other offices, want to see that you are applying to other offices. Knowing that makes them see that you're serious about becoming a prosecutor. As far as pretending each office is your favorite, I'd advise not bullshitting. Prosecutors are good at seeing through that. I never got asked to rank during my interviews in any of the above offices. I did consistently get asked "why Office X, as opposed to any other office?" So make sure you are ready to answer that question. Do research. Talk to people who work in these offices. Etc.

To second this, I only got asked once "Which office is your number one choice?" out of over 10 interviews total, and it was during a first round interview. Either way, you don't have to answer it directly -- "What office is your number one choice?"
"Well, I'd really like to work in Manhattan because..." blahblahblah.

Figure out something unique to the borough or to the DA himself. Make sure you're following recent cases, policies, or programs the DA has enacted. For example, when asked "Why Queens?" I brought up the fact that Queens is the most diverse city in the world, and speaking as a minority, I know personally that minorities have a distrust of law enforcement.

One caveat: I'd probably stay away from Kenneth Thompson until you meet him. Even though he sweeped out Hynes' henchmen, he might still be a polarizing figure with the middlemen, who, by in large, will the be ones conducting your initial interviews.

[Anonymous User]

Could anyone who went through the process share some hypotheticals you were asked during interviews? Thanks!

Most hypos were of the ethical, rather than legal nature. So its more important that you flag the ethical issue and give a considered response about implications of the problem on your case, than it is that you know a particular legal rule/doctrine. Just make sure you show your work and don't gloss over anything.

That said, a version of the dead/unavailable witness on the morning of trial hypo shows up quite frequently. So know Brady and prosecutor's obligations regarding exculpatory evidence. Also, it is helpful to have at least a loose background in the 4th amendment.

Thank you! I'll definitely brush up on Brady/Giglio and 4th (assuming I get any interviews - hah!). Any advice for the situation where a witness you want to subpoena would face retaliation for testifying? I'm asking both for interview purposes and how it goes down IRL.

Just to reiterate, this isn't a knowledge dump, but what would you, in the absence of an authority (rules of supervisor), do in a given situation. What factors would you consider, why, how far can you hold your position before you change your mind, if at all, etc. Knowledge of the substantive law is somewhat helpful, but not necessary.

Really, the thing you need to know is that there's a duty to disclose. Everything else will be "would you disclose this evidence that may or may not be exculpatory? why or why not?"

ETA: for witness for would face retaliation for testifying --

This is the type of thing you'd want to prepare for, and more likely to be the type of question you get than a Fourth Amendment issue -- list some of the factors you'd consider in whether deciding to issue a subpoena or not.

bring up that you'd probably not want to wield your subpoena power immediately, as it may undermine the witness's trust in you, or have them go underground, etc.;
then talk about some things like:
- nature of the crime (if its a huge offense, obviously the need to get a trial is more present than if it was petit larceny);
- how essential is the witness to testify (if she's the sole witness or whether there's other evidence);
- even if she does not wish to testify, can her testimony come in under a hearsay exception? (i.e. medical records, present sense impression);
- availability of hiding witness (if the witness and defendant do not know each other, could she testify in a closed proceeding or can the witness be shielded from view by an opaque screen? need to mention defendant's right to confrontation, etc.);
- if its a dv case, and the sole witness is the victim, is it worth "victimizing" the victim again? will she be cooperative? are there other ways to build a circumstantial case?

[encore1101]

Could anyone who went through the process share some hypotheticals you were asked during interviews? Thanks!

PM me

[Law_student_011089]

all the help on the interview process is great.

I have a questions to those of you that have received offers. I know it is hard to tell who the DA office will accept but im trying to gauge my chances.

I go to a 3rd tier law school in the New York Region.
Top 25%
Worked at big law firm in Long Island since my 1L summer (including part time during 2L year/full time 2Lsummer)
Will be interning at the New York County DA for the fall during the interview process.
I also have done some community service work during undergraduate.

I plan on applying to the following DA's offices in order of preference:
New York County
Queens County
Brooklyn
Bronx
Nassau
Suffolk

how are my chances looking/ is there anything i should try to do this summer that might help me land a job?

- Thanks

[Law_student_011089]

all the help on the interview process is great.

I have a questions to those of you that have received offers. I know it is hard to tell who the DA office will accept but im trying to gauge my chances.

I go to a 3rd tier law school in the New York Region.
Top 25%
Worked at big law firm in Long Island since my 1L summer (including part time during 2L year/full time 2Lsummer)
Will be interning at the New York County DA for the fall during the interview process.
I also have done some community service work during undergraduate.

I plan on applying to the following DA's offices in order of preference:
New York County
Queens County
Brooklyn
Bronx
Nassau
Suffolk

how are my chances looking/ is there anything i should try to do this summer that might help me land a job?

- Thanks

to add i also am on my schools primary law review and have taken criminal law related classes as well as trial advocacy classes