Diversity in the DA's Office
DDA Victor Ou
1. Why did you choose a career as a prosecutor?
I initially started in the District Attorney's Office as a graduate law clerk, looking for courtroom experience. After working with several of the Deputy District Attorneys, it became apparent to me that there was something very special about being a prosecutor. I chose a career as a prosecutor because each day, I get to work on exciting cases with the mindset of always trying to do the right thing.
2. Why would an attorney of color choose a career as a prosecutor?
Attorneys in criminal law play an important role in cases that have a huge impact on criminal defendants and their victims. Prosecutors are entrusted with both the responsibility of fairness and discretion in charging crimes as well as the task of protecting the public. As the San Diego community is made up of many people from different backgrounds, I feel that the people interested in protecting this community should be equally as diverse. I think that anyone who has an interest in serving the public would find a career as a prosecutor to be very rewarding.
3. Why is it significant to communities to have prosecutors who are from minority groups?
Communities that are ethnically diverse should also have diversity in law enforcement. This is important because community members should not feel that they are bound to follow a law imposed upon them by some biased, non-representative group. The law is something that each person in the community, at some level, has chosen to follow. Diversity in law enforcement gives the people of the community greater trust in this system of government.
4. What advice would you give minority students who aspire to become prosecutors?
Although people come from many different backgrounds, one common ideal shared by all is justice. To be an effective prosecutor, one must find satisfaction in always trying to do the right thing.