2L who wants to LIVE in the courtroom Forum

[Anonymous User]

T14, well above median, former actor, PhD in Psychology, trial team member

The only thing that excites me about the law is the courtroom; there is nothing that gets my juices flowing like dedicating myself to writing the best statements I can and then presenting them orally.

What is the one job that would get me the most experience inside a courtroom, doing trials?

Public defense?
State's Attorney's Offices?
US Attorney?
Small firm?
Personal Injury?

[whitecollar23]

What does "well above median" mean?

[Danger Zone]

If you're a real person, DA/PD

If not, janitor/bailiff

[ash0117]

In my experience, the best way to get in a courtroom immediately is to go the DA/SA/PD route. A small firm may also give you experience early. I guess it depends on whether you'd rather practice criminal law or do civil lit.

[A. Nony Mouse]

I would agree with PD/DA (or SA) for getting you in the courtroom early and often, though I don't know how much "writing the best statements you can then presenting orally" you'll get - my sense is that a lot of PD/DA argument is done pretty much on the fly, and you're not writing much of anything beforehand. (It may depend how often you actually go trial - most criminal work is pre-trial, since most cases plead out.)

[Actus Reus]

What about bailiff?

Court reporter?

[baal hadad]

Just be a judge

[jbagelboy]

QE -- you'll be trying cases six months in!

[rinkrat19]

AAGs in whatever division deals with child services have a full caseload after like a week (in the states of which I am aware). On the downside, it's very repetitive work and pretty depressing.

[20141023]

.

[encore1101]

be a perp who commits low level misdemeanors so you have to keep going back to court, but never remanded

[patogordo]

be a perp who commits low level misdemeanors so you have to keep going back to court, but never remanded

this seems inefficient. all the other ideas are good though.

[BVest]

What does "well above median" mean?

Well, he's above the median.

[mornincounselor]

Post removed.

[ash0117]

The only thing that excites me about the law is the courtroom; there is nothing that gets my juices flowing like dedicating myself to writing the best statements I can and then presenting them orally.

By the way, I can tell you from experience that you won't be doing much of this as a da/sa/pd, at least not at first. In most offices, new attorneys begin with misdemeanors in district court where its way less formal. Even in superior court, 90-95% of your work won't be the above. It will be motions work, hearings, and pleadings with the occassional trial.

What you actually seem to be describing appellate work, which is hard to get in the beginning.

[smallfirmassociate]

T14, well above median, former actor, PhD in Psychology, trial team member

The only thing that excites me about the law is the courtroom;

Ok, tell me more.

there is nothing that gets my juices flowing

like dedicating myself to writing the best statements I can and then presenting them orally.

That's cool, but trial lawyers don't do very much of that.

What is the one job that would get me the most experience inside a courtroom

Prosecuting a traffic docket. Whether that's the type of experience you want...

doing trials?

Technically, those are trials.

So I guess what I'm saying is ... need more info on what exactly you want to do. If you don't know the answer to that, maybe try to intern with USAO or something, see if you like prosecuting.

[84651846190]

most lawyers who do a lot of trials don't spend most of their time in trials

[gp86]

Have you considered trying out for Law and Order?

[Anonymous User]

most lawyers who do a lot of trials don't spend most of their time in trials

This. I've been a prosecutor in a big city for over 2 years and I've been on 50+ trials, go to court everyday and still spend pretty much all of my time behind a desk.