I�ve been reading these forums for a while now and decided I would post to get some advice. I am coming up on the end of my 2L year and am getting ready for my last year of Law School. I have decided that I want to be a prosecutor in one of the bigger cities (suburbs are fine, I just want to live near or in a big city) in Texas. When I started law school I thought it would be the last thing I wanted to do, but through my schools externship program I discovered I really loved working in the DA�s office. I enjoyed it so much that after my externship ended (120 required hours) I just kept coming in to work. So now I�m an unpaid intern, and plan to remain doing that through at least the fall of next year. So basically at this point I�m trying to get as much done as I can to attempt to land a job out of school. My grades are average, nothing that will standout either way. So I�m really banking on the fact that I�ve spent so much time interning in the DA�s office. If anybody on here can give me any advice going into my last year, or even some words of wisdom that would be great!
I know this is where I want to be and it is what I want to do, I�m just trying to figure out the best path to reach that goal.

It sounds like you're already doing the right things. The only other thing I would suggest is to be sure to write thank you notes (not emails) at every opportunity (at the amicable end of your service with your current employer, when someone writes a letter of recommendation on your behalf, after interviews to the person/people involved in the interview). Sincerely express your appreciation and you'll be remembered when it comes time for a job.

I agree, it sounds like you're on the right track already. I would just add that you should be active and involved in everything you can when you're doing your ex/internships. I've seen interns who are annoyed and upset when asked to do anything but actually help try a case and act like it's "beneath" them. But there are others who come in and will do anything you ask of them, even the non-glamorous stuff, and are always asking for more ways to help out, do extra research to get familiar with the issues we're handling even if they're just there to watch, etc. Guess which one gets my recommendation if they apply at our office?

Make sure to be involved in moot court activities, trial advocacy, etc. There is no substitute for actually getting up and practicing the craft.

JSH is correct. Do a lot of mock and moot. Number one, it prepares you for this job in a way that a classroom NEVER will and number two, it shows potential employers that you want to try cases and that you've prepared yourself to do that. I assure you that is a lot more valuable than an A in some Contracts class.

Thanks for all the replies!

First of all AndreaW I do anything and everything I can to help out. While I would always rather be working on helping with a case, I just pray that they don't discover copy machines cause cancer.

As far as mock trial and moot court, I had to pass on doing any of the teams because of my internship. Basically it came down to where I had time to either be an intern or try to get myself on a team, and I took the internship. Now I have geared my classes towards criminal law, however with all our requirements, it's difficult to have much time for things that are not strictly required.

I am crossing my fingers that between this Summer and the Fall I'll be able to get into a courtroom a little bit using my 3L bar card, but that remains to be seen.

Best experience -- getting your own in court; 2nd best --watching others in trial, even if it is just sitting there; 3rd best -- reading every trial transcript you can from the appeals, especially those that were tried by GOOD prosecutors and those tried by GOOD DEFENSE ATTORNEYS. From the transcripts you get to see how objections are made and met and what takes place outside the presence of the jury. You also get to see how to go in a backdoor when the front door has been closed off because of a rule of evidence or procedure.

The more you know about how good defense attorneys try cases, the better you can anticipate their moves and head them off while you are putting on your own outstanding case.
(And you learn that we all seem like idiots
sometimes when you read the actual words that come out of our mouths!)

Early in my career I did a lot of appellate work - preceded by a lot of real-world appellate work in law school. To me, that is some of the best training there is for becoming a good trial lawyer. Reading transcripts and applying them to legal issues helps you grasp the concept of making a good record like nothing else. I try to maintain a keen awareness of how everything I do and say in court translates to the written page. Court reporters notice such things, and they're usually appreciative of the effort. It's always a good thing to be in the good graces of the court reporter.