Top Law Schools

I've been asked this a few times during prosecutor interviews.
They ask why prosecution?
I respond, I want to be in court, do public service.
They ask, what about being a public or federal defender?
I don't have a good answer.


The actual reason is that (1) I think prosecutor discretion is cool, (2) I don't want to deal with ungrateful indigent folks who don't understand what I can and can't do for them.

What's a nice way to say that/answer the question?

not sure, but I think you'll be a very successful prosecutor!

jd20132013 wrote:not sure, but I think you'll be a very successful prosecutor!

OP just say the bs fake answer everyone says in response to that question: prosecutors have discretion and are the ones who can drop cases if they think the charged is innocent — defense attorneys have to represent everyone

I think you can expound on your answer of prosecutor discretion.

Defenders ultimately have one goal -- to seek the best possible outcome of their client.

On the other hand, prosecutorial discretion is a powerful tool to help society. It enables you to help defendants, victims, and society as a whole. In some cases, you may exercise that discretion to seek a defendant be enrolled in a drug treatment program or anger management class, not a criminal conviction, because the defendant is one that needs help, not a stay at Riker's. On the other hand, you can use that discretion to ensure that "justice is done," as cheesy as it sounds, to make sure that a defendant who has committed an atrocious crime against victims pays for his crimes.

I’ve been on both sides of the interview process for prosecutors, and the answer you gave above wouldn’t disqualify you. It would tell me that you do know some of what being a PD is like, but you don’t know that victims (and sometimes cops) are cut from the same cloth as defendants.

A better answer would include that bearing the burden of proof forces you to do more and be better, you enjoy wearing the white hat and holding yourself to a higher standard, and you prefer to have more control over the cases.

Still loving that both sides filter.

Current NYC ADA here.

I went to a law school known for its liberal bent and its defender clinic. I also interned for a few judges that are considered (sometimes unfairly) to be
very much pro-defendant. Every interviewer commented on it and one asked straight out what defender offices I was also applying too (none).


When asked why prosecution, I pretty much started with personality fit (based on true believer students and some public defenders* I have met, including an internship interview years prior) and moved from there. I'd point out that I did not think I would be very good at defending clients, and that a defendant deserves to have at least an attorney confident in his own competence. Then I'd move onto the typical "prosecutors have a unique roll" BS, that interviewers like to hear.

*To be clear, I don't have a disdain for public defenders or mean to paint them with too broad of a brush.