Current fed clerk here. I've really enjoyed working on criminal matters during my clerkship, and am thinking about working as a prosecutor after completing my clerkship. I’m not eligible for DOJ Honors, and I imagine it’s pretty hard to get an AUSA job straight from a clerkship. So I’ve been thinking about applying for state/local prosecutor positions.
Does anyone have any experience moving from a federal clerkship to a state or local prosecutor’s office? Do they generally think highly of federal clerkships (I know it probably depends on the office)? And do geographic ties to the office matter? Also, any related advice is welcomed.
State/Local Prosecutor After Fed Clerkship? Forum
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Re: State/Local Prosecutor After Fed Clerkship?
Anonymous User wrote: ↑Thu Feb 08, 2024 10:55 amCurrent fed clerk here. I've really enjoyed working on criminal matters during my clerkship, and am thinking about working as a prosecutor after completing my clerkship. I’m not eligible for DOJ Honors, and I imagine it’s pretty hard to get an AUSA job straight from a clerkship. So I’ve been thinking about applying for state/local prosecutor positions.
Does anyone have any experience moving from a federal clerkship to a state or local prosecutor’s office? Do they generally think highly of federal clerkships (I know it probably depends on the office)? And do geographic ties to the office matter? Also, any related advice is welcomed.
I don't have that experience. But I definitely know it's not impossible to land an AUSA job straight from a clerkship. I think it's worth sending an app.
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Re: State/Local Prosecutor After Fed Clerkship?
It is possible to get an AUSA gig out of a clerkship, especially if you have work experience from before the clerkship (which is what not being eligible for Honors suggests). It’s not necessarily easy, but it’s possible, especially in high-volume offices (like in a border district) and in the district where you’re clerking. As long as you meet the required years of experience, you’ll be considered seriously. That said, you can’t count on it, of course.
As for going from federal clerkship to local prosecution - I think it depends somewhat on the state where you’re applying, but it’s certainly doable. Geographic ties can help but I don’t think they’re dispositive, if you can convince them you want the job and will stick around (a reasonable amount of time, that is). Having geographic ties could help if this is a pivot for you and you don’t really have a lot of other criminal/trial experience. I also think a federal clerkship is always a good credential, just as a general signal that you’re a smart person interested in litigation.
I think a lot will depend on your ability to persuade the office you want the job, and will able to handle the workload/being in court/thinking on your feet. If you have any relevant experience as a student, play that up as well.
Sorry to be so generic, there’s just not a lot of detail to go on. One issue is bar admissions - you will need to be barred locally and they may not be willing to give you time to take another exam - but my understanding is that the UBE has made this a lot easier (not that I’m bitter that I took the last non-UBE bar in my state or anything).
As for going from federal clerkship to local prosecution - I think it depends somewhat on the state where you’re applying, but it’s certainly doable. Geographic ties can help but I don’t think they’re dispositive, if you can convince them you want the job and will stick around (a reasonable amount of time, that is). Having geographic ties could help if this is a pivot for you and you don’t really have a lot of other criminal/trial experience. I also think a federal clerkship is always a good credential, just as a general signal that you’re a smart person interested in litigation.
I think a lot will depend on your ability to persuade the office you want the job, and will able to handle the workload/being in court/thinking on your feet. If you have any relevant experience as a student, play that up as well.
Sorry to be so generic, there’s just not a lot of detail to go on. One issue is bar admissions - you will need to be barred locally and they may not be willing to give you time to take another exam - but my understanding is that the UBE has made this a lot easier (not that I’m bitter that I took the last non-UBE bar in my state or anything).
