I recently finished a summer internship as a legal clerk in the Domestic Violence Prosecution Unit of the Office of the District Attorney General. The internship was an amazing experience, and has certainly shaped my future career. Prior to working at the DA’s office, my exposure to the criminal justice system was limited to television and movies. After a quick introduction to prosecutorial life, the seven prosecutors in my assigned unit threw me right into the fast lane. I followed them to court appearances, negotiations with defense attorneys, interviews with victims, and even a visit to a crime scene in the projects. Prosecutorial work is very fast-paced and exciting. There is never a dull moment down in the courtrooms or behind-the-scenes.
From my limited exposure to prosecutors on television, I expected the fast pace and quick thinking; that is what drew me to the job initially. I will be twenty-six years old when I graduate law school. At this point in my life, I cannot imagine sitting behind a desk in a law firm waiting for the chance to step in a courtroom. I want to be in the middle of the action now, while I’m young. Money and fancy offices can wait. Most of the prosecutors I’ve met have a lot in common. They are young, energetic, overworked, underpaid, and the happiest group of lawyers I’ve ever met. They find fulfillment in their work and happiness in the time they have to themselves – a rarity in the legal profession.
After the first week or two at the DA’s office, the job seemed manageable. There weren’t a lot of particularly difficult legal issues to deal with, and minimal research and writing. The hardest aspect of working in domestic violence seemed to be getting victims to come to court or to testify once they got there. So many victims are terrified of their abusers, or too compassionate to prosecute, making the prosecutor’s job difficult, if not impossible.
As I got more involved with the cases that the attorneys in my office handled, I started to realize that the hardest parts of prosecutorial work had to do, not with the legal aspect of the cases, but with the ethical and moral dilemmas attached to every case. As I watched how the attorneys handled suppressing their emotional responses in order to follow the law, my respect for them grew exponentially.
This is what I want to do.
From my limited exposure to prosecutors on television, I expected the fast pace and quick thinking; that is what drew me to the job initially. I will be twenty-six years old when I graduate law school. At this point in my life, I cannot imagine sitting behind a desk in a law firm waiting for the chance to step in a courtroom. I want to be in the middle of the action now, while I’m young. Money and fancy offices can wait. Most of the prosecutors I’ve met have a lot in common. They are young, energetic, overworked, underpaid, and the happiest group of lawyers I’ve ever met. They find fulfillment in their work and happiness in the time they have to themselves – a rarity in the legal profession.
After the first week or two at the DA’s office, the job seemed manageable. There weren’t a lot of particularly difficult legal issues to deal with, and minimal research and writing. The hardest aspect of working in domestic violence seemed to be getting victims to come to court or to testify once they got there. So many victims are terrified of their abusers, or too compassionate to prosecute, making the prosecutor’s job difficult, if not impossible.
As I got more involved with the cases that the attorneys in my office handled, I started to realize that the hardest parts of prosecutorial work had to do, not with the legal aspect of the cases, but with the ethical and moral dilemmas attached to every case. As I watched how the attorneys handled suppressing their emotional responses in order to follow the law, my respect for them grew exponentially.
This is what I want to do.
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