Law Firm or District Attorney's Office Forum

[Anonymous User]

Hello,

Big decision weighing on my mind here so thought I would come ask for some advice.

I was offered a job at a mid-size law firm in a small city that I summered at. The people are nice, the salary and benefits are decent, and the job is close to my family. However, I want to litigate, and I would be working in the business practice at this firm with likely no exposure to litigation. I recently interviewed at a District Attorney's office downstate, and if I got an offer I would take it no questions asked.I want to relocate to the New York Metropolitan area, and I'm not getting any younger (34 when I graduate and hoping at some point to settle down, start a family). I interned at a DA's office over my 1L year and loved it. Just wanted to get the "law firm experience" over my 2L summer.

The problem is that I haven't heard back from the DA's office for even a second interview, and my concern is that I am not going to get an offer before the deadline to respond to the law firm occurs. I also don't want to wait until the very last minute to respond to the law firm.

Do I take a leap of faith and decline the nice, safe offer I have without another offer waiting on the table in hopes that I can do what I actually want to do, or do I take the job and see if I like it? I have been told that I am not "stuck" in whatever first job I take, but I also don't want to jeopardize my future ability to be able to work as a prosecutor, especially if my first few years of practice had nothing to do with criminal law, and I also don't want to waste the law firm's time if I don't like working there.

Thank you.

[objctnyrhnr]

Have you told the das office that you have another offer? In my major metropolitan area, that’s typically what one would do in these situations. If they’re serious about you, they’ll give you an offer and worst case delay start a couple months (depending on budget). If they’re not serious about you, they’ll give you a wishy washy response or not respond and then you’ll at least know.

[bluejericho]

Have you told the das office that you have another offer? In my major metropolitan area, that’s typically what one would do in these situations. If they’re serious about you, they’ll give you an offer and worst case delay start a couple months (depending on budget). If they’re not serious about you, they’ll give you a wishy washy response or not respond and then you’ll at least know.

The career services counselor at my school advised me to wait a week until I contact the DA's office. I am planning on contacting them and asking them what their time frame is and also letting them know I have an offer. Thank you for your input.

[objctnyrhnr]

Have you told the das office that you have another offer? In my major metropolitan area, that’s typically what one would do in these situations. If they’re serious about you, they’ll give you an offer and worst case delay start a couple months (depending on budget). If they’re not serious about you, they’ll give you a wishy washy response or not respond and then you’ll at least know.

The career services counselor at my school advised me to wait a week until I contact the DA's office. I am planning on contacting them and asking them what their time frame is and also letting them know I have an offer. Thank you for your input.

Hate to sound like a douche but there’s a reason they work for a law school’s career service dept...

I promise you that, assuming all interviewing is done, nobody ever blew an offer they were otherwise going to get by hitting up the entity about their other offer.

[encore1101]

Assuming you're an incoming 3L and the first-round interview with the DA's Office is for the Fall 2020 class, I'm going to respectfully disagree with the previous poster.

I'm fairly sure that if you told the DA's Office that you have a pending offer and need an answer soon, they'll just reject you, even if you could have otherwise obtained an offer. It's so early in the cycle that, unless you were stellar at your internship and made some deep connections, there's no reason for the DA's Office to commit to one person so early. In all likelihood, they don't have their budget for new hires set in stone yet, so they don't know how many people they can hire.

I used to work in a NYC DA's Office and we'd get this situation a lot, especially when Clark became the new Bronx DA -- Bronx would extend offers VERY early in the cycle, like November, Decemberish, when most other offices were completing their second rounds. The applicants would call our office and say that Bronx extended them an offer, but they'd want to know where they stand with our office. Nine out of ten times, we would simply wish them good luck in their future endeavors.

You can also just accept the firm offer for now and continue to apply with the DA's office. May not be the most morally thing to do, but you should find out from the DA's office what their position is long before you can even start working at the firm anyway. That way, if you end up taking the DA's office position, the firm will have time to find a replacement.

[bluejericho]

Assuming you're an incoming 3L and the first-round interview with the DA's Office is for the Fall 2020 class, I'm going to respectfully disagree with the previous poster.

I'm fairly sure that if you told the DA's Office that you have a pending offer and need an answer soon, they'll just reject you, even if you could have otherwise obtained an offer. It's so early in the cycle that, unless you were stellar at your internship and made some deep connections, there's no reason for the DA's Office to commit to one person so early. In all likelihood, they don't have their budget for new hires set in stone yet, so they don't know how many people they can hire.

I used to work in a NYC DA's Office and we'd get this situation a lot, especially when Clark became the new Bronx DA -- Bronx would extend offers VERY early in the cycle, like November, Decemberish, when most other offices were completing their second rounds. The applicants would call our office and say that Bronx extended them an offer, but they'd want to know where they stand with our office. Nine out of ten times, we would simply wish them good luck in their future endeavors.

You can also just accept the firm offer for now and continue to apply with the DA's office. May not be the most morally thing to do, but you should find out from the DA's office what their position is long before you can even start working at the firm anyway. That way, if you end up taking the DA's office position, the firm will have time to find a replacement.

Let's say I did take the firm offer...is it out of the realm of possibility that I could get in with a downstate DA's office after working in the business practice at this law firm for a year? Does this happen often? I do know someone who worked in real estate law for five years and then transferred into a DA's office where he is now a Sr. ADA.

[encore1101]

Assuming you're an incoming 3L and the first-round interview with the DA's Office is for the Fall 2020 class, I'm going to respectfully disagree with the previous poster.

I'm fairly sure that if you told the DA's Office that you have a pending offer and need an answer soon, they'll just reject you, even if you could have otherwise obtained an offer. It's so early in the cycle that, unless you were stellar at your internship and made some deep connections, there's no reason for the DA's Office to commit to one person so early. In all likelihood, they don't have their budget for new hires set in stone yet, so they don't know how many people they can hire.

I used to work in a NYC DA's Office and we'd get this situation a lot, especially when Clark became the new Bronx DA -- Bronx would extend offers VERY early in the cycle, like November, Decemberish, when most other offices were completing their second rounds. The applicants would call our office and say that Bronx extended them an offer, but they'd want to know where they stand with our office. Nine out of ten times, we would simply wish them good luck in their future endeavors.

You can also just accept the firm offer for now and continue to apply with the DA's office. May not be the most morally thing to do, but you should find out from the DA's office what their position is long before you can even start working at the firm anyway. That way, if you end up taking the DA's office position, the firm will have time to find a replacement.

Let's say I did take the firm offer...is it out of the realm of possibility that I could get in with a downstate DA's office after working in the business practice at this law firm for a year? Does this happen often? I do know someone who worked in real estate law for five years and then transferred into a DA's office where he is now a Sr. ADA.

I can't say that it happens "often," but it does happen and its not unheard of. DA's Offices generally want people who are committed to public service, but they're also aware that people have loans/families and need to take the jobs that are available. It may raise an eyebrow, and you'd get asked why you want to switch to government after working at a firm, so I'd have an explanation ready.
Such an explanation would, of course, be strengthened if you have demonstrable interest in public service prior to/during law school.

[Anonymous User]

Regarding whether or not you can transition into prosecution work after a year at a firm, it depends on the office, the market, and the state of the economy.

My office (Seattle) historically hired only from two pools of candidates: summer interns and post-bar contract attorneys, with 95% of the hires being from the intern group. This has only changed because of higher turnover due to the private market luring away career prosecutors.

[bluejericho]

Regarding whether or not you can transition into prosecution work after a year at a firm, it depends on the office, the market, and the state of the economy.

My office (Seattle) historically hired only from two pools of candidates: summer interns and post-bar contract attorneys, with 95% of the hires being from the intern group. This has only changed because of higher turnover due to the private market luring away career prosecutors.

I have my heart set on a DA's office, so I guess I will just have to keep trying to get in. Thank you for your insight.

[bluejericho]

Assuming you're an incoming 3L and the first-round interview with the DA's Office is for the Fall 2020 class, I'm going to respectfully disagree with the previous poster.

I'm fairly sure that if you told the DA's Office that you have a pending offer and need an answer soon, they'll just reject you, even if you could have otherwise obtained an offer. It's so early in the cycle that, unless you were stellar at your internship and made some deep connections, there's no reason for the DA's Office to commit to one person so early. In all likelihood, they don't have their budget for new hires set in stone yet, so they don't know how many people they can hire.

I used to work in a NYC DA's Office and we'd get this situation a lot, especially when Clark became the new Bronx DA -- Bronx would extend offers VERY early in the cycle, like November, Decemberish, when most other offices were completing their second rounds. The applicants would call our office and say that Bronx extended them an offer, but they'd want to know where they stand with our office. Nine out of ten times, we would simply wish them good luck in their future endeavors.

You can also just accept the firm offer for now and continue to apply with the DA's office. May not be the most morally thing to do, but you should find out from the DA's office what their position is long before you can even start working at the firm anyway. That way, if you end up taking the DA's office position, the firm will have time to find a replacement.

Let's say I did take the firm offer...is it out of the realm of possibility that I could get in with a downstate DA's office after working in the business practice at this law firm for a year? Does this happen often? I do know someone who worked in real estate law for five years and then transferred into a DA's office where he is now a Sr. ADA.

I can't say that it happens "often," but it does happen and its not unheard of. DA's Offices generally want people who are committed to public service, but they're also aware that people have loans/families and need to take the jobs that are available. It may raise an eyebrow, and you'd get asked why you want to switch to government after working at a firm, so I'd have an explanation ready.
Such an explanation would, of course, be strengthened if you have demonstrable interest in public service prior to/during law school.

I do have about 10 tens year prior public service. I also plan on taking on pro bono cases when I have the opportunity. I guess I will just have to keep trying to get into a DA's office. It really is my dream. Thank you for all of your insights.

[Anonymous User]

In my experience, moving into local government work is difficult the longer you wait. Local/state agencies (especially prosecutor offices) tend to have a level of skepticism after you've been with a firm two or more years. That does not seem true necessarily for federal prosecution though, at least for people with biglaw experience.

I often regret not taking the public defender job or ADA jobs that were offered to me as a 3L. It took me almost four years to escape from private practice criminal defense / personal injury and become an ADA. I applied to probably 50 offices in that timeframe, although many were outside of my local market. If you get an opportunity to become a prosecutor in any jurisdiction, and if that's truly what you want to do long-term, I would not pass it up, even if you have already accepted another offer.