Diversity in the DA's Office

Deputy District Attorney Jobs


Job Summary

Deputy District Attorney I is the first working-level of the five-level Deputy District Attorney class series. Incumbents prepare and prosecute cases in Superior Court as training progresses; review evidence and advise law enforcement officers and complainants on law and criminal proceedings; interview complainants and witnesses to obtain case information; prepare motions, orders, and other legal documents; and assist higher level prosecutors in preparing and prosecuting Superior Court criminal cases. Job locations include the downtown Hall of Justice as well as branch offices in the South Bay, East County, North County and Kearny Mesa areas.


Requirements

Qualified applicants must be an active member in good standing with the State Bar of California. The ideal candidate will have knowledge of Federal and California criminal statutory and case law; Superior Court procedures; criminal and civil law principles and procedures and their application; rules of evidence; and principles and techniques of legal research. The ideal candidate will also have the skills and abilities to analyze and apply legal principles and practices; prepare, organize, and prosecute criminal and civil cases; interview witnesses and complainants; advocate a wide range of criminal and/or civil cases; prepare motions, orders, pleadings and other legal documents; present statements of fact, law and argument clearly and logically orally and in writing; and establish and maintain effective working relationships with County staff and representatives from outside agencies.

Application Information

Post Bar Graduate Law Clerk Program

Job Description
The Graduate Law Clerk Program of the San Diego District Attorney’s Office affords individuals who have taken the California Bar examination the opportunity to work for a prosecutor’s office while awaiting California Bar results. The Graduate Law Clerk Program offers full time, paid positions, and Graduate Law Clerks will be expected to work at least 40 hours a week.

Graduate Law Clerks are assigned to all divisions of the Office within San Diego County. They will be assigned to answer defense motions, do legal research and write reports thereon, and assist attorneys in trial preparation. If certified, they have the opportunity to conduct felony preliminary hearings and misdemeanor jury trials under the supervision of Deputy District Attorneys.

Because San Diego is a civil service county, employment as a Deputy District Attorney is by competitive application and interviewing after the Graduate Law Clerk has passed the California Bar examination. Temporary employment as a Graduate Law Clerk is NOT a guarantee or promise of employment as a Deputy District Attorney I. Graduate Law Clerks can be employed for no longer than a year. If a Graduate Law Clerk has passed the California Bar, he or she can apply for a position as a Deputy District Attorney during open recruitment for that position.

Training
Every Graduate Law Clerk participates in an introductory training course before being assigned into a particular division. Experienced trial deputies administer this training to familiarize Graduate Law Clerks with the California criminal justice process and our Office. After the initial training, each Graduate Law Clerk will receive on the job mentorship from an experienced prosecutor who will provide relevant training for each assignment.

All Graduate Law Clerks are expected to apply with the State Bar for their certification. Such certification status allows these then Certified Graduate Law Clerks to research, write, and argue motions, conduct preliminary hearings, assist in the preparation of serious felony cases and may even be assigned to assist with some aspects of case preparation in rape, kidnap and murder trials.

Requirements
The requirements for the Graduate Law Clerk positions are as follows:

  • 3L Status
  • Commitment to taking the California Bar examination in February or July 2012
  • Resume, cover letter, transcript, and writing sample
  • Grade Point Average of 3.0
  • Subject to background and medical clearance

The requirements for Graduate Law Clerk position consist of a review of the individual’s cover letter, resume, writing sample and transcript. After the written application materials have been reviewed, some applicants will be scheduled for a personal interview.

Application Information
Effective Fall 2011, the District Attorney’s Office is now actively recruiting graduating law students from local, California, and out-of-state law schools through the Symplicity online recruitment tool. Please consult your law school’s Symplicity web page for further application instructions. If your law school does not participate in Symplicity online recruitment, please apply directly to the Office as directed below.

To apply for the Graduate Law Clerk position, please submit the following: (1) Resume; (2) Cover Letter; (3) Writing Sample (not to exceed five typed pages); and (4) Transcript as a SINGLE PDF through email to kim.allen@sdcda.org.

Graduate Law Clerk Program applications for FEBRUARY and JULY 2012 BAR TAKERS must be submitted by October 7, 2011. Applicants selected for interviews will be contacted directly. For the Graduate Law Clerk position, interviewing will take place either through Skype/teleconferencing or in person at the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.

Interview Information
If you have been scheduled for a GLC interview, please review the following PDF documents and follow the instructions. You will be expected to present only one of the two cases.

NOTE REGARDING ALL FEBRUARY 2012 BAR TAKERS (Effective 9/15/11) Please apply directly to kim.allen@sdcda.org by October 7, 2011. In your application email, include the following: “FEB 2012 POST BAR GLC APPLICATION.” Symplicity online recruitment will only be effective for July 2012 bar examination takers.

Certified Legal Internship Program

The District Attorney's Office offers volunteer internship positions to eligible second and third year law students. See Certified Legal Internship Program for more information.