State Level AG Entry Level Forum

[tuf40382@temple.edu]

Hey all. I'm a 2L at Temple Law. I got an internship for the spring semester at the New Jersey AG Office Criminal Justice Division. I'm also getting ready for Big Law OCI in January. I'm a decent candidate. 3.5 GPA, in an honors society, some Biglaw connections.

I'm weighing whether I want to go the Biglaw route or pursue a full time job at the Nj AG office. I'm really excited about the potential to work in an AG office after graduation and getting the hands on trial experience that comes with that gig. As someone who's on scholarship and will graduate with no debt, how practical is it to work in a state AG office for a few years after graduation? I know the money isn't amazing, but are there lucrative exit opportunities from a place like that after spending time there? Or if you start there do you struggle to find other opportunities down the line? Would love some insight into the long term prospects if I start my career in a place like that.

[Tide030]

It depends on what type of work you're doing with the AG. If you're part of the team doing headline cases, appeals, antitrust work or suing Big Tech for consumer protection and privacy violations, then yes you will probably have good exit options as well as your name in the news. Those cases, however, won't give you much trial experience.

If you're doing general liability cases, drug investigations, or other criminal work, I wouldn't expect good exit options unless you're running an entire division or dept. You're more likely to get trial experience there though.

[tuf40382@temple.edu]

It depends on what type of work you're doing with the AG. If you're part of the team doing headline cases, appeals, antitrust work or suing Big Tech for consumer protection and privacy violations, then yes you will probably have good exit options as well as your name in the news. Those cases, however, won't give you much trial experience.

If you're doing general liability cases, drug investigations, or other criminal work, I wouldn't expect good exit options unless you're running an entire division or dept. You're more likely to get trial experience there though.

So if I have a say in what bureau I end up interning in, I should do my best to work for the appellate group or financial crimes bureau? Also, you may not know the answer to this, but do state AG offices give hiring preference to interns once they graduate the way Biglaw does? Or is it a totally different hiring process?

[Sackboy]

So if I have a say in what bureau I end up interning in, I should do my best to work for the appellate group or financial crimes bureau? Also, you may not know the answer to this, but do state AG offices give hiring preference to interns once they graduate the way Biglaw does? Or is it a totally different hiring process?

Biglaw doesn't really give a preference. If you summer, you get the position, absent truly outrageous conduct (e.g. homophobic, racist, alcohol).

For state government gigs, interning is usually seen as a nice bump if the people hiring you don't know you. If the people in charge of hiring worked for you, that can make your life considerably easier. Regardless, it's not nearly as strong of a preference.