Hey all,
So I just started my fed agency job in September 2020. I was a county prosecutor before this job and since law school have only been interested in criminal law. After the stress and non-existent pay of being a county prosecutor, I made the leap to my current federal agency. I won't say which one, but it is criminal law-adjacent. The work I do isn't really all that interesting/stimulating, but it's fine. I do very much like that the work isn't necessarily grueling, and that my boss actively encourages us to not work more than 40 hours a week. Plus, I'm making literally twice as much as I was as a prosecutor and will be getting a $20k raise after I complete my first year (not to mention the awesome federal benefits).
That being said, I can't help but revisit the dream of being a federal criminal prosecutor and if that's something I would still want at some point in the future. As far as actually getting that job if I wanted it, I do think I could theoretically land one some years in the future as I work closely with AUSAs and will at some point be thrown a bit of SAUSA work myself to do. I live in a mid-sized metro area.
However, after only working with the AUSAs a few months now, I can already see how incredibly overworked/stressed they are, and they are actually making quite a bit less than I am (and I'm not working nearly as hard). This has caused me to wonder if I would really want to work that much harder for that much less pay just because I like the subject matter better. I'm also currently unmarried and childless, but am planning on having children within the next 5-10 years, with or without a partner (if that's a consideration).
So I ask all you AUSAs out there, why did you take the job? Is it something you want to do forever, or is it just a stepping stone for something else? Do you feel like it was worth it? Do you enjoy your job?
Why did you become an AUSA? Forum
(Issue areas, International Law, International Public Interest, Public Service in the private sector, Non-Profits, Public Interest Organizations, Government/ government agencies, employment settings)
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- Posts: 103
- Joined: Sun Mar 13, 2011 9:32 pm
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