Manhattan DA or NYC Law Department? Forum

[jellybeans]

Hi everyone,

I'm a 3L with final round interviews at both the Manhattan DA and the Law Department. I don't mean to jump the gun, but in your opinions, which is the better option?

Though being a trial advocacy competitor and having done a litigation-based clinic in law school, I've decided that I want to be a litigator (litigatrix? lol)/do trial work. I think criminal law is fascinating, but am not sure I want to dedicate my life to it. Would I get more of a variety of cases at the law department? How much say do I get in which department/bureau I work in? Also, what are career options like if I decided after practice that it's not the life for me?

I'd really appreciate the help, especially coming from people who have experience in this area.

Thank you, internet!

[Anonymous User]

I work at a different city's Law Department.

First things first: Don't count your chickens before they hatch.

I'll try to answer if you have any general questions, but can't really speak to anything NYC specific. Does NYC's law department hire you for a specific group right from the start? Definitely try to find out where you would be, because that's really the most important thing IMO.

Also, here, DA->law department is a relatively common path, but the reverse isn't so much. That could be because my city very rarely hires people right out of law school (it's very much a 2nd/3rd/4th destination) while people get forced out/sick of the DA's and aren't sure what else to do besides go into private practice. Again, no idea if NYC is like this, but it's worth considering and looking into.

[Anonymous User]

I work at a different city's Law Department.

First things first: Don't count your chickens before they hatch.

I'll try to answer if you have any general questions, but can't really speak to anything NYC specific. Does NYC's law department hire you for a specific group right from the start? Definitely try to find out where you would be, because that's really the most important thing IMO.

Also, here, DA->law department is a relatively common path, but the reverse isn't so much. That could be because my city very rarely hires people right out of law school (it's very much a 2nd/3rd/4th destination) while people get forced out/sick of the DA's and aren't sure what else to do besides go into private practice. Again, no idea if NYC is like this, but it's worth considering and looking into.

Different Anon here, took me a second re-read to realize you weren't talking about NYC.

NYC Law Dept. very much hires law students, but mostly from their 2L summer class, with a few additional hires at 3L. A couple of my current 3L classmates were in their summer class last year.

As to the original OP, I'll try to find out about choosing practice areas from them this week and update you, but from what I recall they try to match you with your interests/ability/experience. The NYC DA offices definitely do this in my experience, (i.e. appellate judge internships & moot court competitions, interviewers steer you towards appeals).

Still, you made the final round, so you have a solid chance, probably a greater chance at NYDA though because that's how they traditionally fill their classes.

I thought about the Law dept, but my resume really screamed criminal and it's truly what I want to do, so I never made it past a screener interview.

It seems that you are the inverse, in that you have more of an interest in general litigation. I can guarantee you will get more trial experience at the NYDA office than at the Law Dept, however it may just be bench trials for fare-jumping at first.

Honestly, if criminal law is just a fascination, I wouldn't be prepared to sink three years of my life into it. I assume you did 2L or 1L at a DA's office?

[jellybeans]

Thanks everyone for all the input

I did intern at a DA last summer, and enjoyed it. I guess one of my fears is being pigeonholed into criminal law, when I'm not 100% about it.

I wonder if people more equally from the Law Dep't or DA to private practice as well?

[Anonymous User]

Go to Manhattan DA, and work your way into Financial Crimes unit. You probably won't start there. But just kick ass on the cases you get and express interest in it. I know many people who started at Manhattan DA and are not pigeonholed into criminal law. In fact, many people end up at federal (civil) financial regulators like the SEC or CFTC. Spend a few years at either of those two agencies and your options will grow ten-fold.

All of that is considering you even have any interest in financial regulation, etc. Cheers.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks everyone for all the input

I did intern at a DA last summer, and enjoyed it. I guess one of my fears is being pigeonholed into criminal law, when I'm not 100% about it.

I wonder if people more equally from the Law Dep't or DA to private practice as well?

Same NY anon.

Too me, the Law Department experience is gonna be more portable. That office deals with a wide range of litigation, including Federal.

Speaking outside of NYDA, because I went to another NYC office, but lots of people there specifically went to avoid civil practice. Their exit options are mainly private crim. defense or policy work. I know of at 1 that went to NYAG's office, non criminal (upstate ADA though), but it's a regional office and he had ties to the area.

Manhattan DA will give you a longshot chance to work in Federal financial regulation as opposed to Law Dept., but to get up to white collar is going to take you a while and as the other poster mentioned, assumes you have an interest in financial regulation.