What can a 0L do to end up as a Federal Public Defender? Forum

[Stylnator]

That's literally all I've ever wanted, and I am currently applying to law schools right now. My preference is New England area. I've heard that FPD offices don't hire right out of law school. What specifically can I do in law school to make myself more marketable to FPD offices?

Any advice at all would be appreciated!

[Anonymous User]

Intern with a fed defender office and then work for a local state PD out of law school. Wait a couple years and hope there's an opening. That's the path the only people I've known who've gotten hired took.

[grades??]

Also know that some PD offices will not hire you if you have ANY prosecutorial experience-like AUSA, etc. I can think of 2 significant PD offices where this is the case. Your best bet in school is just try to do as much PD type work as possible, intern/extern at your local PD, etc.

[sublime]

Legal Employment forum isn't for 0L's. Moved to the Ask a student/grad forum.

[Stylnator]

Legal Employment forum isn't for 0L's. Moved to the Ask a student/grad forum.

Didn't realize! Thank you!

[A. Nony Mouse]

Also know that some PD offices will not hire you if you have ANY prosecutorial experience-like AUSA, etc. I can think of 2 significant PD offices where this is the case. Your best bet in school is just try to do as much PD type work as possible, intern/extern at your local PD, etc.

Agreed with the above. Innocence Project type of stuff is good, too. Legal Aid can be really good in that you're working with indigent clients, but some of the domestic stuff might raise some red flags to some offices (some places look askance at people who've worked with DV victims, since you'd be on the other side as a PD).

And learn Spanish, if you don't know it already. (Don't know if it's absolutely required in New England, but it is in other places and it's always going to be helpful.)

[Stylnator]

Also know that some PD offices will not hire you if you have ANY prosecutorial experience-like AUSA, etc. I can think of 2 significant PD offices where this is the case. Your best bet in school is just try to do as much PD type work as possible, intern/extern at your local PD, etc.

Agreed with the above. Innocence Project type of stuff is good, too. Legal Aid can be really good in that you're working with indigent clients, but some of the domestic stuff might raise some red flags to some offices (some places look askance at people who've worked with DV victims, since you'd be on the other side as a PD).

And learn Spanish, if you don't know it already. (Don't know if it's absolutely required in New England, but it is in other places and it's always going to be helpful.)

Already starting spanish right now actually! It would be nice if I could take a class or two in law school but I don't know I'm not sure if schools offer it

[A. Nony Mouse]

They may not offer it through the law school itself (my law school sometimes offered "Spanish for lawyers," but it presumed a basic level of fluency and was the brainchild of a specific prof so when he wasn't there, it stopped being offered). You can often take a certain number of non-law school classes for credit through the law school, but they're usually expected to be grad classes, so I don't know if you could swing Spanish - but I know people here have talked about taking, for example, Norwegian (I think it was?) and getting credit, so it will depend on the school.

Otherwise if there's an Instituto Cervantes near your law school, they were pretty cheap and I found the classes really good.

[cavalier1138]

Even if your school doesn't let you take language classes, if it's a larger university, they likely have a club/group that organizes language practice and exchange. So you might be able to set up a situation where you meet with a native speaker to have coffee/lunch and practice your conversation on a regular basis. And if you pair that with reading the newspaper in Spanish, you'll probably be able to get as fluent as one can get without actually living in a Spanish-speaking country.

[GreenEggs]

Not familiar with the Federal Defender track, but my understanding has been that outside San Diego very few offices hire straight out. Most hire laterals from big law. So go big law first then lateral.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Not familiar with the Federal Defender track, but my understanding has been that outside San Diego very few offices hire straight out. Most hire laterals from big law. So go big law first then lateral.

My local FPD hires mostly clerks and/or county PDs, actually. So I would imagine it depends on the office. Though I agree people don't usually get hired straight out.

[GreenEggs]

Not familiar with the Federal Defender track, but my understanding has been that outside San Diego very few offices hire straight out. Most hire laterals from big law. So go big law first then lateral.

My local FPD hires mostly clerks and/or county PDs, actually.

Oh interesting, which office is that?

[A. Nony Mouse]

Definitely flyover. It's not New England, so not much help to the OP, of course.