Well ladies and gentlemen, I am curious about what kinds of questions and responses you all look for when putting young entry level misdemeanor prosecutors through the ringer in an interview.
With the last bar exam's scores being out, the applications/resume's are flying.

[This message was edited by Smith123 on 05-17-05 at .]

[This message was edited by Smith123 on 05-17-05 at .]

Having been one, here is what should be said:

Can you work long hours?

Can you listen to defense attorneys and pro se defendants whine without harming them?

Will you work for peanuts while your brethren make a fortune?

Have you ever seen a protective order?

Can you take it if a Judge chews you out?


"Yes" would be the preferred answer!

We often go for the, "suppose....1) the defense attorney shows up drunk; 2) the defendant shows up drunk; 3) you have 50 cases on the docket the next day; 4) your complaining witness just perjured himself on the stand"....etc.

Some of the reponses we get are quite interesting.

Are you willing to recognize that despite 3 years of law school and passing the bar exam, you don't know everything yet?

Are you willing to seek experienced coworkers for assistance?

Do you understand that despite your meager pay, the support staff is paid less and knows more, so they deserve consideration and not condescension?

These are just a few rhetorical questions they should hear before accepting...

For newbies, an effective question is: "Now that you're finished with law school, tell me what you know about practicing law." Most of us know what the "right" answer is, but the chatty ones may give you some insight into their approach to the profession.

Sometimes, it's also useful to ask the applicant what he/she sees himself/herself doing in five years. The response should provide some information about (1) the applicant's self-image; (2) whether you're dealing with someone who wants to be a career prosecutor; and (3) the applicant's planning and organizational propensities (e.g., whether they're prepared to answer the question or have to fumble for a response). And now that I've given away my secret questions, I'll have to completely revamp my interview regimen.

Scott, would you ever threaten to move them to the civil division if they screwed up in the criminal section?

quote:

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Originally posted by Beck Gibson:

Have you ever seen a protective order?

"Yes" would be the preferred answer!

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You might want to ask them the circumstances as to why they have seen a protective order...

Given the desire of most young lawyers to advance to the more prestigous level of felony prosecution, I am more interested in what commitment I can get as far as staying with me. I have yet to find a youngin' who wants to be a career misdemeanor prosecutor.

I am starting to think that just maybe I wasn't hired for my eye-candy appeal. That's kinda a blow to my shallow conceited ego.