I'm a 5th year lit associate in a v30 and I am looking for an exit. I have applied to SDNY and EDNY (geographically limited to the NY area because of my spouse's job) but to no avail.
In the long run, though, I really want to be a prosecutor. I know the DAs offices do very similar work and I know the Manhattan District Attorney is very prestigious.
Would it be a dead-end if I moved to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office or maybe the Queens or Brooklyn DAs? Or would it be a good way to then move into SDNY or EDNY?
Firm -> DA -> AUSA Forum
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Anonymous User
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Re: Firm -> DA -> AUSA
If you're not competitive for SDNY/EDNY now, I highly doubt a DA gig will make you competitive.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Tue Aug 08, 2023 9:17 pmI'm a 5th year lit associate in a v30 and I am looking for an exit. I have applied to SDNY and EDNY (geographically limited to the NY area because of my spouse's job) but to no avail.
In the long run, though, I really want to be a prosecutor. I know the DAs offices do very similar work and I know the Manhattan District Attorney is very prestigious.
Would it be a dead-end if I moved to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office or maybe the Queens or Brooklyn DAs? Or would it be a good way to then move into SDNY or EDNY?
That said, why not pursue the division you want at the DA's office? As you note, the Manhattan DA's office is very well regarded and from what I've heard, a pleasure to work in.
If you "really want to be a prosecutor" and are geographically limited to NY, it seems like a no brainer to apply.
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Anonymous User
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Re: Firm -> DA -> AUSA
former manhattan ADA here, now in biglaw.
Most of my friends have left since the new DA came in. It's apparently a very different place to work with very different rules and a lot of people jumped ship. Just anecdotal of course but it's universal from almost everyone I've spoken to.
Why not try a fed job that's still in the NY area? SEC, DHS and other agencies have offices. I think that is really your best bet.
Most of my friends have left since the new DA came in. It's apparently a very different place to work with very different rules and a lot of people jumped ship. Just anecdotal of course but it's universal from almost everyone I've spoken to.
Why not try a fed job that's still in the NY area? SEC, DHS and other agencies have offices. I think that is really your best bet.
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Anonymous User
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Re: Firm -> DA -> AUSA
Totally not true that if you’re not competitive for SDNY/EDNY now, you’ll never be. For many applicants, it takes many rounds to get to those offices. And being an ADA and getting the trial and courtroom experience will make you more competitive.
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Anonymous User
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Re: Firm -> DA -> AUSA
Chiming in, I know of biglaw midlevels who were rejected for AUSA jobs in EDNY/SDNY but got offers when they were seniors in BigLaw. Totally not true that if you didn’t get picked up yet you’re never going to be competitive.
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nealric
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Re: Firm -> DA -> AUSA
I think this is true for a lot of jobs. Your relative credentials will change over time (as you advance in your career) and the needs/preferences of an organization will change over time. I know more than one person at a firm/job that would have rejected them if they had applied at a different point in their career. I also know people at places that DID reject them previously. That's doubly true for government work.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Wed Aug 09, 2023 11:55 amChiming in, I know of biglaw midlevels who were rejected for AUSA jobs in EDNY/SDNY but got offers when they were seniors in BigLaw. Totally not true that if you didn’t get picked up yet you’re never going to be competitive.
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Anonymous User
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Re: Firm -> DA -> AUSA
A lot of the conventional wisdom that's posted on this site about NYC AUSA jobs is outdated. You don't need to clerk anymore—around 50-70 percent of AUSAs in SDNY/EDNY, but it's not a necessary qualification like it was 15 years ago. Likewise, your firm doesn't matter that much either. Obviously, some send more than others but it is not as rigid as it once was.
