How many years DA to AUSA?
Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2016 5:13 pm
Generally, and what are other factors to consider? Does location matter and, if so, how?
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BNA wrote:Generally, and what are other factors to consider? Does location matter and, if so, how?
AUSAs generally do a lot of writing and not many trials, so to the extent you will develop more relevant skills there that may be true.Anonymous User wrote:BNA wrote:Generally, and what are other factors to consider? Does location matter and, if so, how?
To piggy back this, I've heard (unreliably) that those in Appeals Bureaus have a leg up. How true is this? Assuming one of the large, pre-bar hiring offices.
True, but hard to tell whether that's because of the offices themselves or the candidates those offices tend to attract/hire (i.e. people with higher grades and a desire to go federal)Anonymous User wrote:Pretty rare to become an AUSA from even pre-bar hiring offices unless DANY. Brooklyn does a little better than the others and then Bronx but generally doesn't happen.
I have not heard this. It might depend on the office and where the hire will be placed. Some USAOs run all appeals through the appellate unit, some have the trial attorneys handle appeals. In my office trial skills are strongly valued over appellate skills, unless the position is specifically appellate, but that's a function of our caseload and charging policies.Anonymous User wrote:To piggy back this, I've heard (unreliably) that those in Appeals Bureaus have a leg up. How true is this? Assuming one of the large, pre-bar hiring offices.
This also varies a ton by office. I've heard SDNY (and probably EDNY) hire almost exclusively out of biglaw, but I would say the majority of AUSAs in my (large but not prestigious and nowhere near NYC) office are former ADAs or other kinds of state prosecutors, and the majority of those are local. I'd say they mostly have 3-6 years experience when hired (it can depend on what the experience is, though).Anonymous User wrote:Pretty rare to become an AUSA from even pre-bar hiring offices unless DANY. Brooklyn does a little better than the others and then Bronx but generally doesn't happen.
Can you PM me?Anonymous User wrote:I have not heard this. It might depend on the office and where the hire will be placed. Some USAOs run all appeals through the appellate unit, some have the trial attorneys handle appeals. In my office trial skills are strongly valued over appellate skills, unless the position is specifically appellate, but that's a function of our caseload and charging policies.Anonymous User wrote:To piggy back this, I've heard (unreliably) that those in Appeals Bureaus have a leg up. How true is this? Assuming one of the large, pre-bar hiring offices.
This also varies a ton by office. I've heard SDNY (and probably EDNY) hire almost exclusively out of biglaw, but I would say the majority of AUSAs in my (large but not prestigious and nowhere near NYC) office are former ADAs or other kinds of state prosecutors, and the majority of those are local. I'd say they mostly have 3-6 years experience when hired (it can depend on what the experience is, though).Anonymous User wrote:Pretty rare to become an AUSA from even pre-bar hiring offices unless DANY. Brooklyn does a little better than the others and then Bronx but generally doesn't happen.
What district office are you in?Anonymous User wrote:I have not heard this. It might depend on the office and where the hire will be placed. Some USAOs run all appeals through the appellate unit, some have the trial attorneys handle appeals. In my office trial skills are strongly valued over appellate skills, unless the position is specifically appellate, but that's a function of our caseload and charging policies.Anonymous User wrote:To piggy back this, I've heard (unreliably) that those in Appeals Bureaus have a leg up. How true is this? Assuming one of the large, pre-bar hiring offices.
This also varies a ton by office. I've heard SDNY (and probably EDNY) hire almost exclusively out of biglaw, but I would say the majority of AUSAs in my (large but not prestigious and nowhere near NYC) office are former ADAs or other kinds of state prosecutors, and the majority of those are local. I'd say they mostly have 3-6 years experience when hired (it can depend on what the experience is, though).Anonymous User wrote:Pretty rare to become an AUSA from even pre-bar hiring offices unless DANY. Brooklyn does a little better than the others and then Bronx but generally doesn't happen.
I've seen <2 years due to funding issues. AUSAs get paid based on the number of years they've been working since passing the bar, so no credit for people like me who worked in a law office while studying for the bar at night. That means that there is a premium on getting people in the 3-5 year window because it's cheaper for them and they can disrupt any bad habits.Anonymous User wrote:Fastest I've ever seen is 2.5 years. But that was a grant position to go and basically try DUIs on federal land. I know others who did it in 6, 10, and 10. The 6 and the other 10 were also at one point cross designated as Special Assistant United States Attorneys before making the jump....here's to hoping I add my name to the list with 3 and a clerkship.