Describe the ideal PD applicant. Forum

[Anonymous User]

Doubting how I measure up as 3L slowly approaches.

[didntretake]

Doubting how I measure up as 3L slowly approaches.

You can probably find your answer on one of the 161 pages of this thread.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=155423

[Anonymous User]

Based on my experience, ranked in order of most to least important.

1. Summer/semester internships where you can demonstrate that you can hold your own in court/think on your feet/talk to clients/write motions.
2. Classes relating to criminal/racial justice/trial ad
3. Moot court/mock trial participation
4. Relevant life experience that demonstrates why you want to be a pd
5. Connections to the particular office (either being a former intern or knowing people on hiring committee). This may be more or less important depending on the office, in which some draw primarily from their former intern pool (e.g., Alameda and Contra Costa) and some don't seem to care either way (e.g., LA).
6. No prior experience with DAs offices (though some offices don't care, I can't see prior prosecution experience as a positive and is def a dealbreaker with some offices)

[Anonymous User]

I guess the overly neurotic part of me is worried about this particular situation -

I'm interning right now at a NYC pd office and currently and will
Be interning for another NYC pd office this summer. When I submitted my resume - I kept a prosecutor internship from college on my resume. I'm now just worried that even if I prove myself this summer when 3L hiring comes around they're gonna remember that/ it'll haunt me. Or am I being too worrisome?

[Anonymous User]

I guess the overly neurotic part of me is worried about this particular situation -

I'm interning right now at a NYC pd office and currently and will
Be interning for another NYC pd office this summer. When I submitted my resume - I kept a prosecutor internship from college on my resume. I'm now just worried that even if I prove myself this summer when 3L hiring comes around they're gonna remember that/ it'll haunt me. Or am I being too worrisome?

If they've hired you as an intern and you weren't grilled about it during your internship interview, I don't think it'll matter too much. Just make sure you have a good explanation for why you worked for a prosecutor's office and why you're on the PD route now. It's just that some offices literally state that those with prior prosecution experience should not apply.