Top Law Schools

Why would someone do a SAUSA? There's a new posting with USAO in DC and was curious about whether you can earn outside income while serving as a SAUSA?

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 25, 2022 12:59 pm

Why would someone do a SAUSA? There's a new posting with USAO in DC and was curious about whether you can earn outside income while serving as a SAUSA?

The people I know who’ve done them had either working spouses or savings from biglaw or both, and they did them as a way to get a foot in the door at a USAO. I don’t think you could earn extra income through the practice of law, but something non-legal, maybe - you’d probably have to get it approved (for ethics/conflicts).

(Also, the uncompensated SAUSA is its own thing - there are also plenty of paid SAUSAs, usually on loan from another federal or state agency and paid for by that agency. I’m assuming you’re talking about the uncompensated job though.)

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 25, 2022 12:59 pm

Why would someone do a SAUSA? There's a new posting with USAO in DC and was curious about whether you can earn outside income while serving as a SAUSA?

As a past compensated SAUSA (on loan from Main Justice), I am telling you that you won’t have a single free hour to dedicate to another job. So if you’re talking about the unpaid version, unless you have a wealthy spouse or parent don’t do it. I’ve seen many retired folks with pensions do it in the past as well.

AUSA here. The benefit of getting to know people inside the office is absolutely huge. If you gain the friendship and trust of a bunch of AUSAs, not to mention a couple of supervisory folks, the next time there's an opening for a regular AUSA position your odds of winning it have skyrocketed.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 27, 2022 10:11 am

AUSA here. The benefit of getting to know people inside the office is absolutely huge. If you gain the friendship and trust of a bunch of AUSAs, not to mention a couple of supervisory folks, the next time there's an opening for a regular AUSA position your odds of winning it have skyrocketed.

Yes and no. There are some offices that hold and adhere to the policy that they will not hire uncompensated SAUSAs within the office (some job postings even specify this).

That said, if the office doesn’t have that policy, I completely agree, and even if it does, making those connections is really valuable for applying to other USAOs.

(I also agree that working to the extent it would make you any appreciable amount of money isn’t going to be realistic on top of a SAUSA gig.)

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 27, 2022 10:59 am

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 27, 2022 10:11 am

AUSA here. The benefit of getting to know people inside the office is absolutely huge. If you gain the friendship and trust of a bunch of AUSAs, not to mention a couple of supervisory folks, the next time there's an opening for a regular AUSA position your odds of winning it have skyrocketed.

Yes and no. There are some offices that hold and adhere to the policy that they will not hire uncompensated SAUSAs within the office (some job postings even specify this).

That said, if the office doesn’t have that policy, I completely agree, and even if it does, making those connections is really valuable for applying to other USAOs.

(I also agree that working to the extent it would make you any appreciable amount of money isn’t going to be realistic on top of a SAUSA gig.)

AUSA here again. That policy comment doesn't really make a lot of sense, for the context I am describing anyway. Whether you are a SAUSA, or an undergrad intern who became chummy with a bunch of lawyers, or the office janitor who then went to law school, who you know is what makes the world go round folks.

Uncompensated SAUSAs within the office not being hired is beside the point. If a supervisor wants you in the office, they will find a way.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 27, 2022 9:37 pm

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 27, 2022 10:59 am

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 27, 2022 10:11 am

AUSA here. The benefit of getting to know people inside the office is absolutely huge. If you gain the friendship and trust of a bunch of AUSAs, not to mention a couple of supervisory folks, the next time there's an opening for a regular AUSA position your odds of winning it have skyrocketed.

Yes and no. There are some offices that hold and adhere to the policy that they will not hire uncompensated SAUSAs within the office (some job postings even specify this).

That said, if the office doesn’t have that policy, I completely agree, and even if it does, making those connections is really valuable for applying to other USAOs.

(I also agree that working to the extent it would make you any appreciable amount of money isn’t going to be realistic on top of a SAUSA gig.)

AUSA here again. That policy comment doesn't really make a lot of sense, for the context I am describing anyway. Whether you are a SAUSA, or an undergrad intern who became chummy with a bunch of lawyers, or the office janitor who then went to law school, who you know is what makes the world go round folks.

Uncompensated SAUSAs within the office not being hired is beside the point. If a supervisor wants you in the office, they will find a way.

I mean I don't know what you tell you, the policy may not make sense to you, but it's a rule that some offices follow. In particular, I think offices that use a lot of uncompensated SAUSAs don't want to hire all their SAUSAs and don't want to deal with them all thinking the job will become permanent.

I agree that getting to know AUSAs is really valuable and that's one reason why people take these uncompensated jobs; perhaps I could have been clearer, but my point was simply that in some offices, you can't convert directly from an uncompensated SAUSA gig to a regular one, while your comment implied (to me) that you could. I don't want people to go in assuming that will happen. But yeah, of course getting to know AUSAs is valuable and will help in the long run even if you can't immediately convert to a permanent/paid job in that office. (I'm also an AUSA.)

Fellow AUSA here. I think we're saying the same thing but emphasizing different points. Maybe that's me being kumbaya but I'll leave it at that!