DA's not turning out to be what I thought it was Forum

[Anonymous User]

So I got this idea I wanted to start off my career as a prosecutor. I'm a 3L now, taken lots of crim classes, worked at USAO over the summer and loved it. Started doing an internship with the DA's this fall meant to last the whole year with the hope that if things go well I'd get hired on after graduation. Problem is, I'm not exactly loving it so far. In fact, it's starting to depress me. Just seems like the office is nowhere near having it together like the USAO did. I got put in the asset forfeiture division, and nobody seems to know what's going on. Can't really get a good hold on how the law works for this particular area as my state's jurisprudence and statutes aren't very clear. Tried to find a treatise on the subject and no help there either. To top it off, I'm in a cubicle almost all day and have about zero face to face interaction with anyone other than the attorney I work for and his paralegal. Even then, it's mostly just me coming to them every once in a while to try to understand how the law works better. A vast majority of my time is spent on clerical work.

I feel like if I had a chance to switch divisions, I might enjoy it more but I have no idea how to approach this or who/when I would even ask. All the same, I'd really like to be a AUSA one day, and I know the DA's is my ticket to get there, so I'm really stuck. I've entertained applying to other places for post grad, but I was pretty set on working prosecution. Any ideas?

[Anonymous User]

Are you still in asset forfeiture?

[bruinfan10]

.

[dixiecupdrinking]

It sounds to me that you're finding you dislike being an intern. That's fine! Totally normal. If you've had good internships so far, consider yourself lucky. It's easier for attorneys to stick the interns in a closet somewhere than to give them a meaningful experience, especially if it's for more than just a few weeks over the summer. But I wouldn't rush to assume your experience will be anything like working there as a lawyer full time.

[ronanOgara]

Guys look at the posting date...

[dixiecupdrinking]

Guys look at the posting date...

God dammit anon

[bruinfan10]

lol nice,

[Anonymous User]

Wherever you are Mr/Ms unhappy intern, I hope you passed the bar and found employment, preferably in asset forfeiture.

[kellyfrost]

Asset forfeiture is a terrible department to work in. The traffic court docket is a huge upgrade from asset forfeiture.

[OutOfTheQuestion]

So I got this idea I wanted to start off my career as a prosecutor. I'm a 3L now, taken lots of crim classes, worked at USAO over the summer and loved it. Started doing an internship with the DA's this fall meant to last the whole year with the hope that if things go well I'd get hired on after graduation. Problem is, I'm not exactly loving it so far. In fact, it's starting to depress me. Just seems like the office is nowhere near having it together like the USAO did. I got put in the asset forfeiture division, and nobody seems to know what's going on. Can't really get a good hold on how the law works for this particular area as my state's jurisprudence and statutes aren't very clear. Tried to find a treatise on the subject and no help there either. To top it off, I'm in a cubicle almost all day and have about zero face to face interaction with anyone other than the attorney I work for and his paralegal. Even then, it's mostly just me coming to them every once in a while to try to understand how the law works better. A vast majority of my time is spent on clerical work.

I feel like if I had a chance to switch divisions, I might enjoy it more but I have no idea how to approach this or who/when I would even ask. All the same, I'd really like to be a AUSA one day, and I know the DA's is my ticket to get there, so I'm really stuck. I've entertained applying to other places for post grad, but I was pretty set on working prosecution. Any ideas?

Is this true? In my vast LinkedIn stalking, I've found pretty much nobody has gone this route. Everyone seems to go BigLaw --> AUSA or sometimes DOJ --> AUSA.

I've heard that it depends on the office but is ADA --> AUSA really a thing outside of just a few USAO's? Obviously sss but still curious.

[Anonymous User]

So I got this idea I wanted to start off my career as a prosecutor. I'm a 3L now, taken lots of crim classes, worked at USAO over the summer and loved it. Started doing an internship with the DA's this fall meant to last the whole year with the hope that if things go well I'd get hired on after graduation. Problem is, I'm not exactly loving it so far. In fact, it's starting to depress me. Just seems like the office is nowhere near having it together like the USAO did. I got put in the asset forfeiture division, and nobody seems to know what's going on. Can't really get a good hold on how the law works for this particular area as my state's jurisprudence and statutes aren't very clear. Tried to find a treatise on the subject and no help there either. To top it off, I'm in a cubicle almost all day and have about zero face to face interaction with anyone other than the attorney I work for and his paralegal. Even then, it's mostly just me coming to them every once in a while to try to understand how the law works better. A vast majority of my time is spent on clerical work.

I feel like if I had a chance to switch divisions, I might enjoy it more but I have no idea how to approach this or who/when I would even ask. All the same, I'd really like to be a AUSA one day, and I know the DA's is my ticket to get there, so I'm really stuck. I've entertained applying to other places for post grad, but I was pretty set on working prosecution. Any ideas?

Is this true? In my vast LinkedIn stalking, I've found pretty much nobody has gone this route. Everyone seems to go BigLaw --> AUSA or sometimes DOJ --> AUSA.

I've heard that it depends on the office but is ADA --> AUSA really a thing outside of just a few USAO's? Obviously sss but still curious.

Here in Houston, three ADA's from one DA's office landed gigs at the southern district AUSA within the last 6 months, and that county isn't even the largest county.

[OutOfTheQuestion]

So I got this idea I wanted to start off my career as a prosecutor. I'm a 3L now, taken lots of crim classes, worked at USAO over the summer and loved it. Started doing an internship with the DA's this fall meant to last the whole year with the hope that if things go well I'd get hired on after graduation. Problem is, I'm not exactly loving it so far. In fact, it's starting to depress me. Just seems like the office is nowhere near having it together like the USAO did. I got put in the asset forfeiture division, and nobody seems to know what's going on. Can't really get a good hold on how the law works for this particular area as my state's jurisprudence and statutes aren't very clear. Tried to find a treatise on the subject and no help there either. To top it off, I'm in a cubicle almost all day and have about zero face to face interaction with anyone other than the attorney I work for and his paralegal. Even then, it's mostly just me coming to them every once in a while to try to understand how the law works better. A vast majority of my time is spent on clerical work.

I feel like if I had a chance to switch divisions, I might enjoy it more but I have no idea how to approach this or who/when I would even ask. All the same, I'd really like to be a AUSA one day, and I know the DA's is my ticket to get there, so I'm really stuck. I've entertained applying to other places for post grad, but I was pretty set on working prosecution. Any ideas?

Is this true? In my vast LinkedIn stalking, I've found pretty much nobody has gone this route. Everyone seems to go BigLaw --> AUSA or sometimes DOJ --> AUSA.

I've heard that it depends on the office but is ADA --> AUSA really a thing outside of just a few USAO's? Obviously sss but still curious.

Here in Houston, three ADA's from one DA's office landed gigs at the southern district AUSA within the last 6 months, and that county isn't even the largest county.

Interesting, thanks. Were they very experienced?

[Anonymous User]

They had about 6-7 years of experience, but they weren't that great in court....and didn't come from top law schools.

I have also heard that AUSA do give ADA's shit quite often. During the interview the AUSA will tell them straight up "I already know what ADA's do, so don't tell me what you do, tell me what you can bring to this office"

Things to consider in any hiring market: current applicant pool in ratio to need, amount of newly licensed attorneys without jobs, more associates sticking to big law due to good $$ in questionable economic times.

I think ADA's will have a good chance because of their years of experience against the rest of the applicant pool of people without any criminal experience, newly licensed attorneys, and as long as biglaw associates stick to the biglaw life.

[bruinfan10]

wow, didn't realize the necro would take in this thread.

i've noticed that in major metro markets, SF/NY/etc, USAOS seem to pull a lot more from white shoe firms. In district of nebraska or whatever, there aren't white shoe firms, so maybe your chances of going from state prosecutor to fed prosecutor are better there.

also---and this is an anecdote so take it with a grain of salt---I see a metric sh!tton of prosecutors come through the courthouse every day, and it seems like the boomers more often came from state offices, whereas the recent vintage ausas (in my megamarket) come from intense clerkships, DOJ honors, and serious years of practice in biglaw or lit boutiques.

tl:dr, it's an incredibly tough job to get in a serious district, and working for a state da doesn't really "set you up for it" significantly.