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How to become A District Attorney

Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security

Every city needs a District Attorney devoted to upholding the constitution, protecting the public, and prosecuting criminal behavior when it occurs in their district. Continue Reading

Skills a career as a District Attorney requires: Law Law Enforcement Criminology Crime Legal Studies View more skills
District Attorney salary
$95,859
USAUSA
£45,256
UKUK
Explore Career
  • Introduction - District Attorney
  • What does a District Attorney do?
  • District Attorney Work Environment
  • Skills for a District Attorney
  • Work Experience for a District Attorney
  • Recommended Qualifications for a District Attorney
  • District Attorney Career Path
  • District Attorney Professional Development
  • Learn More
  • Conclusion

Introduction - District Attorney

Every city needs a District Attorney devoted to upholding the constitution, protecting the public, and prosecuting criminal behavior when it occurs in their district.
Similar Job Titles Job Description
  • D.A.
  • State Attorney
  • State’s Attorney
  • Commonwealth’s Attorney
  • Circuit Attorney
  • Prosecuting Attorney

What does a District Attorney do?

What are the typical responsibilities of a District Attorney?

A District Attorney would typically need to:

  • Advise and represent the State in all criminal trials, for all crimes which occurred in their geographical jurisdiction
  • Present the case against an individual or group suspected of breaking the law; initiate and direct further criminal investigations; guide and recommend the sentencing of offenders
  • Decide what criminal charges to bring, and when and where an individual will answer to those charges
  • Negotiate and reach settlements with the charged individuals through plea bargaining, in exchange for lesser charges and punishments
  • Release statements to the media regarding the criminal cases; hold media interviews if the case is high profile
  • Defend the State against civil suits; occasionally initiate civil suits on behalf of the State; prepare or review contracts entered into by the State; provide legal advice and counsel to local government
  • Run campaigns stating their credentials to get elected and win their place through democratic elections
  • Stay current on all the latest forensic developments so that they can present them in court
  • Train the assistant district attorneys as they are next in line to take over the responsibilities

District Attorney Work Environment

District Attorneys spend most of their time in office and court. Besides, they need to conduct media interviews and meet other government agents. Travel is rare. The dress code is always business formal.

Work Schedule

District Attorneys work 50 to 60 hours a week. They may need to give more hours to complex or high-profile cases but never need to work overnight. Media interviews and other events may take up weekends.

Employers

Potential District Attorneys can seek election or appointment to the position in their districts and typically serve four-year terms, but the length may vary between jurisdictions. 

District Attorneys are employed by:

  • Local Governments
  • State Governments
  • The Federal Government
Unions / Professional Organizations

Professional associations and organizations are a crucial resource for District Attorneys interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more looks excellent on your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications.

Membership in the International Bar Association (IBA) or the Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA) is advantageous to all attorneys, including DAs.

Workplace Challenges
  • Enormous caseloads leading to significant burnout
  • Extreme pressure during trials in court to ensure that a defendant’s trial is fair and the judicial proceedings appear appropriate to the public
  • Interacting and liaising with all kinds of individuals, including government employees, elected officials, law enforcement officers, hardened criminals, and innocent defendants
  • Managing large numbers of attorneys and administrative staff
  • Intrusive media employees reporting on high profile cases; loss of privacy because of position as a public figure
  • The need to tackle the media professionally despite being interviewed and quizzed continuously by them

Work Experience for a District Attorney

In addition to coursework, students often participate in legal externships to gain hands-on experience, often under the supervision of experienced lawyers. Many District Attorney positions require applicants to have at least a few years of legal practice before they can be considered.

Law students can obtain practical experience by conducting research and submitting articles to the school's law journal; they can participate in college- or university-sponsored mock trials, legal clinics, and moot court competitions; forums where students present and defend legal arguments are also a good choice.

Students can also gain experience clerking in law firms, corporate legal divisions, or government agencies. These clerkships can lead to employment after law school and help students determine their specialty.

Recommended Qualifications for a District Attorney

Admission to law school is highly competitive; it may depend on your academic grades, score in standardized tests that measure an applicant’s aptitude for the study of law, prior work experience, and, in some cases, an interview with the admissions staff. Individual law schools emphasize different admission criteria.

Potential law students should also possess good reading, speaking, research, analytical, logic, and writing skills. Taking classes in public speaking, philosophy, or foreign languages can help improve these skills.

Students who wish to specialize should take courses related to the specialty; a student hoping to specialize in patent law should take engineering and science courses while one who wants to specialize in tax law should take accounting classes.

Law school usually takes three years to complete; first-year students study core subjects including legal writing, civil procedure, torts, property law, contracts, and constitutional law. They may then take specialized courses in corporate, labor, or tax law. The degree must provide them with critical-thinking, communication, and research skills.

Schools may allow students to tailor their studies by choosing electives in criminal law, especially beneficial to aspiring District Attorneys. Law schools are beginning to offer part-time programs to accommodate students who cannot attend full time.

Colleges and universities may offer advanced law degrees which allow law students to research, teach, or specialize. Students earning joint degrees usually spend an additional year or semester in school. Some joint degree programs include public or business administration.

Certifications, Licenses and Registration

Most locations require prospective District Attorneys to take licensing exams called bar exams. The exam focuses on general legal principles and local laws and ordinances. Prior felony convictions, academic misconduct, or a history of substance abuse are just some factors that may disqualify an applicant from being admitted to the bar.

Individual government entities conduct licensing. It typically requires the passage of an examination in addition to the fulfillment of eligibility requirements, such as a minimum level of education, work experience, training, or the completion of an internship, residency, or apprenticeship.

District Attorney Career Path

After graduating from law school and obtaining significant work experience over three to six years at a law firm, attorneys strongly inclined towards criminal justice and the judicial process may start doing backup work at an established law firm or /hi>may apply to the position of assistant district attorney at the District Attorney's office. Political savvy, formidable litigation skills, and negotiating with a broad range of constituents are essential prerequisites.

Selection as assistant DAs will quickly provide exposure to the inside of a courtroom as part of on-the-job training. It will further develop the skills necessary to litigate criminal cases and prosecute criminals.

In the wake of experience comes the opportunity to take on more complicated cases. A select few may be elected or appointed to the coveted post of District Attorney.

Once you establish yourself as a successful DA, you can move to a similar position in a larger jurisdiction. A proven track record and strong networking will help you move into the state level and, if you play your cards right, to the federal level in Washington D.C., or the local United States Attorney’s office.

Once their tenure is up, DAs can choose to move into the corporate world as a Partner in a law firm, a Corporate Counsel, an Associate General Counsel, or a Senior Attorney.

Job Prospects

Limited employment opportunities cannot be accessed through a mere simple, abstract desire to become a District Attorney. A strong résumé and strong credentials are essential. But among the most important factors is whether the applicant has the experience, the maturity, the judgment, and the ability to go alone into court and exercise good judgment.

District Attorney Professional Development

Continuing professional development is the holistic commitment of District Attorneys towards enhancing personal skills and proficiency throughout their active careers through work-based learning, a professional activity, formal education, or self-directed learning. There are a whole host of CPD courses, seminars, and workshops to help professionals in the field.

District Attorneys must stay informed about legal developments that affect their practices. Active participation in continuing legal education courses provided by most law schools and state and local bar associations help DAs stay current with recent developments. Courses vary from place to place and generally cover a subject within the practice of law, such as legal ethics, taxes & tax fraud, and healthcare. Some states permit DAs to benefit from online continuing education programs.

CPD allows individuals to upskill continually, regardless of their age, job, or level of knowledge. It prevents practical and academic qualifications from becoming outdated. It enables District Attorneys to identify any knowledge gaps and progress to a new specialism.

Learn More

What’s in a Name?

The term District Attorney is most commonly used in the United States for the chief public prosecutor of a local government area, typically a county. Depending upon the system in place, DAs may be appointed by the chief executive of the jurisdiction or elected by local voters. The name and scope may vary by state or jurisdiction. The geographical jurisdiction may be delineated by the boundaries of a county, judicial circuit, or judicial district.

The equivalent position in the UK is that of a chief crown prosecutor, while in Canada, it is that of a crown attorney, crown counsel, or crown prosecutor. In many other countries, the most common title used is a public prosecutor.

Gatekeepers to the Criminal Justice System for Juveniles and Adults

The principal duties of the DA are usually mandated by law. They are the only attorneys allowed to participate in grand jury proceedings. They have the authority to investigate persons, grant immunity to witnesses and accused criminals, and plea bargain with defendants.

DAs with authority also decide when to pursue charges against a juvenile or allow their families or schools to address the unlawful behavior. They decide whether the juvenile’s misdemeanors need to be addressed through the state juvenile or adult criminal justice system.

Other crucial decisions include when charges should be dropped or dismissed because of lack of evidence, when a witness should be held in jail even if they committed no crime, or when a charged individual should enter a treatment program.

The state-sponsored recommendations for a felon’s probation, the cash bail imposed on an individual awaiting trial, and when a person will face a death sentence are also matters that require the DA’s judgment.

In some instances, the DA prosecutes traffic matters and misdemeanors. In others, the DA does not handle any criminal matters at all but acts only as chief counsel for city police, county police, state police, and all state law enforcement agencies within their jurisdiction

DAs may also need to educate the public and law enforcement officials about crime prevention, provide job-related legal advice to state officials, work with the state legislature on revising or creating legislation, and train and advise local law enforcement about investigation procedures and filing formal charges. 

Jurisdiction & Scope of Responsibilities

The local District Attorney works hand-in-hand with the police to bring charges against criminals accused of driving violations, theft, assault, and murder. A DA at the state level oversees both civil and criminal issues that impact state citizens. For example, they may bring a case against a company affecting the water system in the state. Even broader in scope is the job of a federal DA who handles cases involving multi-state offenses, violent crimes, tax evasion, counterfeiting, scams, fraud, money laundering, and civil rights issues.

The Team

A DA leads a staff of prosecutors, most commonly known as deputy district attorneys (DDAs). The deputy who serves as the supervisor of the office is often called the assistant district attorney. DDAs handle most cases; the DA prosecutes the most critical ones while remaining ultimately responsible for the agency.

Open Lines of Communication

A DA must consistently practice open and respectful communication with all associates, including colleagues, law enforcement officials, victims, and witnesses to the defendants.

Collaborating With Law Enforcers

A stable relationship with law enforcement personnel is of paramount importance when investigating and developing evidence to build a strong case.

Approach to Victims

Protecting the judicial process while securing convictions do not always go hand in hand. DAs often struggle to determine which role takes priority in a given situation. Interacting With Witnesses Interaction with witnesses can be frustrating, but it is not easy to be a witness to violent cases or sometimes testify against friends or family. Authentic empathy will likely lead to productive outcomes.

Working Relationships With Colleagues

DAs who have a symbiotic working relationship with colleagues have access to expertise and facts that help them represent the case accurately and in detail to the judge and jury, paving the way for a ruling in favor of the State.

Conclusion

Crusaders against crime and champions of crime victims are the dual designations that help District Attorneys sleep peacefully and wake up purposefully.

Advice from the Wise

Success is not the number of convictions, but rather whether the truth is established, and the verdict stands the test of time.

Did you know?

In ancient Greece, the earliest attorneys were orators who became advocates for people. They wrote speeches for litigants and occasionally stood up before juries as witnesses.

Introduction - District Attorney
What does a District Attorney do?

What do District Attorneys do?

A District Attorney would typically need to:

  • Advise and represent the State in all criminal trials, for all crimes which occurred in their geographical jurisdiction
  • Present the case against an individual or group suspected of breaking the law; initiate and direct further criminal investigations; guide and recommend the sentencing of offenders
  • Decide what criminal charges to bring, and when and where an individual will answer to those charges
  • Negotiate and reach settlements with the charged individuals through plea bargaining, in exchange for lesser charges and punishments
  • Release statements to the media regarding the criminal cases; hold media interviews if the case is high profile
  • Defend the State against civil suits; occasionally initiate civil suits on behalf of the State; prepare or review contracts entered into by the State; provide legal advice and counsel to local government
  • Run campaigns stating their credentials to get elected and win their place through democratic elections
  • Stay current on all the latest forensic developments so that they can present them in court
  • Train the assistant district attorneys as they are next in line to take over the responsibilities
District Attorney Work Environment
Work Experience for a District Attorney
Recommended Qualifications for a District Attorney
District Attorney Career Path
District Attorney Professional Development
Learn More
Did you know?
Conclusion

Holland Codes, people in this career generally possess the following traits
  • R Realistic
  • I Investigative
  • A Artistic
  • S Social
  • E Enterprising
  • C Conventional
United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals that this career profile addresses
Quality Education Reducing Inequality Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions