I interviewed at NJOPD last year. Full disclosure, did not get past the head PD of the state and into the panel interview stage, but I got offers at other PD offices in neighboring states.Anonymous User wrote:what kinds of questions did NJ ask?
and for those who interviewed at other places, what kinds of questions should I expect in a PD interview, more generally? should I study criminal law? memorize outlines?
J.K. (the head PD) personally interviews everyone offered an interview who isn't coming from a job fair like EJW or through on-campus recruitment at T14s (they get him in their second interview after a screener with a lower-level PD). The interview is pretty standoffish. He challenges anything and everything in your application packet. He does the typical "Why PD?" and "Could you defend people who you think are guilty?" stuff like any PD interview, but then he'll usually launch into challenging stuff in your writing sample or ask about claims you made in your cover letter. He's incredibly discerning and will latch onto anything he sees as an inconsistency or puffery/job-seeking BS on your part. All of the advice I got was to not disagree with him, especially on policy matters like NJ's recent criminal justice reform. This differs with many other typical PD office interviews where they're looking for applicants to stand up for themselves and defend their positions against persons in authority.
Overall, I really didn't like it as an interview because I thought he crossed the line from being challenging to being a little unprofessional and rude. I was not surprised when I was rejected about a month later. Colleagues of mine who interviewed with him told me similar stories, so I know it wasn't just me. Friends who got to the final stage where they were asked to present an opening/closing or do an appellate argument, and said that it was more genial and predictable. NJOPD is a phenomenal office though and I recommend it highly. J.K. is a bit of an odd duck, but if you can somehow convince him to give you his stamp of approval, you won't ever have to deal with him again.