Week 5
My internship has taught me that to reach a point in your career where you feel like you “made it” takes a long time and a lot of hard work. This week I had a conversation with one of my coworkers and he told me about the various steps one has to take in order to be a public defendant. Usually, young lawyers who wish to take this path become an Assistant District Attorney at a district court. Then they work there way up from there becoming a supervising ADA, an ADA at a superior court, and then a supervising ADA at a superior court. Then they switch sides and try to work as a public defender or move into corporate law. However, the work they do is thankless. It requires a lot of time with very little pay. However, I think the motivation to reach a career goal is what drives people to put up with a couple of hard years before many more of more rewarding work.
A tip I have for future interns is to try to get to know the people you work with. If you ask them questions about their work and their lives they will most likely be happy to talk to you. Getting to know these people makes your work environment much more fun. Doing this also gave me more perspective on what it might be like to work in a courthouse and as a lawyer.