Best DA's Office for Experience Forum

[Cat009]

I'm currently a 2L and I'm hoping to get some opinions on what DA's offices throughout the country you guys have experienced either through internships or actual jobs after passing the bar.

What offices provide the best learning opportunities for law student interns? Anyone out there that interned at a DA's office as an out-of-stater? If so, what was the application/interview process like for you?

My goal is to be a criminal prosecutor in a large city in either a narcotics or violent crime division. My current resume is heavily weighted towards criminal law and prosecution and I'm in the process of seeing what opportunities I might be able to find this summer.

For a summer internship, I'd be willing to go anywhere if it meant I would get valuable experience. I do not attend a prestigious law school but I am of the opinion that I'll send in an application to wherever sounds good and see what happens from there.

Thanks in advance!

[rinkrat19]

Multnomah County (Portland) puts student interns in court on their own (no supervising attorney present) for misdemeanor cases (everything but trials, so arraignment, pleas, release hearings, etc.) basically as soon as you're certified to appear in court and know how to hold the daily docket right side up. Autonomy to write and negotiate plea offers within office guidelines. Solo jury trials after only a few weeks.

They only have like 6 students at a time, though. And students generally don't handle probation violation hearings or DUII trials, unless they've been around a while and proven themselves.

[Anonymous User]

It's not uncommon for Miami prosecutors to have 20+ jury trials in their first three years. I started there and ended up with a little over 30 before I left after three years.

[andythefir]

States like New Mexico and Indiana (the only 2 I've seen first person) let you do trials as long as there is a licensed attorney in the room. I did a felony trial as a student. Generally, no good town is going to give you good experience. If you're serious about getting experience, going to gross, hard to get to towns will be to your ticket. You will also likely have to create your own summer experience, have no office, and have to track down trials. I have a trial on Tuesday I would love to offload onto a student.

[zot1]

Orange County, CA allows interns to do trials with supervision (this is how the CA Bar allows student appearances).

You have to prove yourself a little bit though that you can handle it and show initiative. No one will come to you and say, hey want a trial? But if you bring it up to your supervisor, I'm sure they'll help.

Caveat: this is for branch locations and mostly for misdemeanor cases.

[rinkrat19]

It's not uncommon for Miami prosecutors to have 20+ jury trials in their first three years. I started there and ended up with a little over 30 before I left after three years.

OP asked about experience for student interns, not new hire attorneys, so this doesn't seem very helpful.