Best/worst PD's offices Forum

[Anonymous User]

What are the best and worst PD's offices to work for after law school? Interested in different metrics--caseload, advancement to interesting cases, mentorship, retention, etc.

[objctnyrhnr]

I can’t answer that question. I can however say that if you’re the same person who also put up a similar question about DAs offices, your first priority should be to nail down which of those two you want to do. It’s not just two sides of the same coin, the two gigs are VERY different.

Some people can’t stomach keeping factually guilty people on the streets, and some people can’t stomach facilitating punishment for criminal behavior. You need to figure out which of those camps you fall into.

[nixy]

It's true that the two gigs are really different, but I think there are other, more salient differences between them (some people can't handle working with indigent clients during what's likely one of the worst times of their lives; other people can't handle helping the government when it already holds most of the deck of cards). It's also true that lots of prosecutors go into private practice as defense attorneys, so I don't think the divide is unbreachable.

[objctnyrhnr]

It's true that the two gigs are really different, but I think there are other, more salient differences between them (some people can't handle working with indigent clients during what's likely one of the worst times of their lives; other people can't handle helping the government when it already holds most of the deck of cards). It's also true that lots of prosecutors go into private practice as defense attorneys, so I don't think the divide is unbreachable.

That’s fair. There are important differences between the practices themselves. I could have named them but I didn’t because I think that really wanting to do the work is perhaps the most important.

It’s true that prosecutors go into private practice defense afterwards, but in my anecdotal sample of those former prosecutors, money is the motivating factor; not some sort of kool-aid swap. I’m sure there are exceptions but I just wanted to emphasize that it would behoove you to figure out where your heart is (or, conversely, where it isn’t) before setting down this path.

For instance, on final interviews at some PDOs, you get pretty intense hypotheticals in which a brutal rape or something is described and basically the guy tells you he did it and shows no remorse and then questions are asked about your defense strategy and they want to make sure you don’t hesitate. If Defending somebody brutally raping a victim and not being remorseful bothers you, don’t be a PD. ADAs are typically not as kool-aid drunk as prosecutors, IME. While some certainly show the zeal that you’d typically see in a PD, it’s not nearly as pervasive. Moreover, ADAs often have some degree of discretion (though of course this is office dependent) whereas if you’re a PD you get your case and generally you stick with it until s/he threatens you personally or something like that.

[person237]

The ones that get thrown around as good:
- Colorado
- San Diego
- Maricopa County (Phoenix, AZ)

[Bakersfieldwood]

I heard Nassau County in NY is not good.

[Anonymous User]

NYU's PD people encourage applications to: NYC offices (mainly BxD, BDS, Legal Aid), Miami-Dade PD, and Colorado (state-wide).

Other good offices w/nationwide reps are some NorCal offices (e.g., Alameda, Contra Costa, SF, Santa Clara), PDS in D.C., NJ Office of the PD, etc.