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I'm applying for an AUSA position, and I have two questions:

1) The application requires a PDF of bar membership. Does anyone know what I should use for this?
2) The application does not ask for writing samples, just cover letter, resume, and bar membership. Should I not provide a writing sample since this was not requested?

Any insight would be great. Thank you.

You should be able to go online and get a letter of good standing from your jurisdiction - some let you download something, some make you fill out a form and then they e-mail it to you (so it might take a couple of days). If you're up against a deadline, does your jurisdiction give out bar cards? You could try photocopying your current bar card, but I think they're asking for something official from the jdx where you're admitted.

And no, don't send a writing sample. Many offices will do a preliminary cut and then ask a smaller pool for writing samples.

(Current AUSA who's applied a few places.)

Anonymous User wrote:You should be able to go online and get a letter of good standing from your jurisdiction - some let you download something, some make you fill out a form and then they e-mail it to you (so it might take a couple of days). If you're up against a deadline, does your jurisdiction give out bar cards? You could try photocopying your current bar card, but I think they're asking for something official from the jdx where you're admitted.

And no, don't send a writing sample. Many offices will do a preliminary cut and then ask a smaller pool for writing samples.

(Current AUSA who's applied a few places.)

Any rough idea as to how good of a sign making the first cut is? In one major office they requested a writing sample and LORs after my initial submission. Just trying to read tea leaves. Or just make myself feel better.

I think it's a pretty good sign, but unfortunately I can't give you any numbers - like how many they cut or anything. Way better than the alternative, though! Good luck.

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Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:You should be able to go online and get a letter of good standing from your jurisdiction - some let you download something, some make you fill out a form and then they e-mail it to you (so it might take a couple of days). If you're up against a deadline, does your jurisdiction give out bar cards? You could try photocopying your current bar card, but I think they're asking for something official from the jdx where you're admitted.

And no, don't send a writing sample. Many offices will do a preliminary cut and then ask a smaller pool for writing samples.

(Current AUSA who's applied a few places.)

Any rough idea as to how good of a sign making the first cut is? In one major office they requested a writing sample and LORs after my initial submission. Just trying to read tea leaves. Or just make myself feel better.

Very good sign. IME the first cut weeds out like 90% of the applications.

gaddockteeg wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:You should be able to go online and get a letter of good standing from your jurisdiction - some let you download something, some make you fill out a form and then they e-mail it to you (so it might take a couple of days). If you're up against a deadline, does your jurisdiction give out bar cards? You could try photocopying your current bar card, but I think they're asking for something official from the jdx where you're admitted.

And no, don't send a writing sample. Many offices will do a preliminary cut and then ask a smaller pool for writing samples.

(Current AUSA who's applied a few places.)

Any rough idea as to how good of a sign making the first cut is? In one major office they requested a writing sample and LORs after my initial submission. Just trying to read tea leaves. Or just make myself feel better.

Very good sign. IME the first cut weeds out like 90% of the applications.

I sent my resume to EDNY and got a letter requesting that I fill out the application. The website makes it sound like that's standard practice but wondering if it might also be a good sign. Anyone know?

Diff Anon from OP

Does anyone have any insight on what each USA Office prefers in a candidate (ie: former big law vs. local prosecutors vs clerkships etc)?

Generally speaking the major offices have a strong preference for the clerkship-biglaw-USAO route. These are basically SDNY/EDNY/CDCA/NDCA/NDIL/EDVA/D.Mass. I think for other major cities biglaw is preferred as well (EDPA etc.).

For that first group of offices, a clerkship is basically mandatory. SDNY/EDNY have an extremely strong preference towards hiring from biglaw, and will almost never hire from the local DAs office. EDVA might be more amenable to hiring people from main justice.

Anonymous User wrote:Diff Anon from OP

Does anyone have any insight on what each USA Office prefers in a candidate (ie: former big law vs. local prosecutors vs clerkships etc)?

No 2 are going to be the same, and each USA will have slightly different preferences. It's also a big difference between being in Phoenix v Yuma re what the USA is going to look for. But for the prestige offices, yes, they will look for the usual markers of prestige.

What are the "prestige offices?" Obviously SDNY, but what others are there?

Pretty sure prestige is in the eye of the beholder.

Anonymous User wrote:What are the "prestige offices?" Obviously SDNY, but what others are there?

I think the most helpful framework would be there are 3 bands of competitiveness. 1 is SDNY/EDVA/NDCA, 2 is big cities (Chicago, Seattle, Dallas) that attorneys want to live in, then 3 are small towns that are still big enough to have a USAO. Subject to some town-specific wrinkles (law school in town, only office in a state).