What Does an Assistant District Attorney Do?

An Assistant District Attorney helps the District Attorney, a government official. They represent the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses.

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Assistant District Attorney Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real assistant district attorney resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

Draft search warrants, cell site orders, and subpoenas on a frequent basis as part of developing and managing investigations.
Handle all phases of criminal prosecution including witness interviews, grand jury presentations, hearings, trials and appeals.
Draft briefs, motions, orders, subpoenas, contracts and other legal documents, as well as correspondence and reports.
Research and co-authore multiple briefs for interlocutory appeals regarding suppression of evidence.
Provide presentation and legal defense of insure persons in personal injury actions through mediation and/or trial.
Review and analyze medical records, permanency evaluations, interrogatories, and transcripts.

Assistant District Attorney Job Description

Perhaps the hardest question to answer when deciding on a career as an assistant district attorney is "should I become an assistant district attorney?" You might find this info to be helpful. When compared to other jobs, assistant district attorney careers are projected to have a growth rate described as "as fast as average" at 6% from 2018 through 2028. This is in accordance with the Bureau of Labor Statistics. What's more, is that the projected number of opportunities that are predicted to become available for a assistant district attorney by 2028 is 50,100.

An assistant district attorney annual salary averages $73,970, which breaks down to $35.56 an hour. However, assistant district attorneys can earn anywhere from upwards of $50,000 to $108,000 a year. This means that the top-earning assistant district attorneys make $39,000 more than the lowest-earning ones.

As is the case with most jobs, it takes work to become an assistant district attorney. Sometimes people change their minds about their career after working in the profession. That's why we looked into some other professions that might help you find your next opportunity. These professions include a general counsel, legal counsel, lawyer, and bankruptcy specialist.

Learn More About Assistant District Attorney Job Descriptions

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5 Assistant District Attorney Resume Examples

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Stephen Porter Assistant District Attorney Contact Information Washington, DC (410) 555-5418 sporter@example.com Skills Identity Law Firm Pre-Trial Motions Jury Instructions Local Government Allstate Administrative Hearings Emergency Criminal Division Legal Memos Employment History Assistant District Attorney 2016 - Present U.S. Department of Justice Washington, DC Conducted officer/witness/victim interviews; formulated and offered pleas when appropriate; prepared for and conducted preliminary hearings. Presented cases at consumer hearings on behalf of the TLC before administrative law judges and opposing counsel. Assistant Public Defender 2012 - 2016 Baltimore City Hall Baltimore, MD Prosecuted misdemeanor and felony criminal cases in District and Juvenile Courts. Aided in the preparation criminal and civil motions, subpoenas, exhibits and witness testimony for hearings. Prosecuted criminal cases, including both felony and misdemeanor crimes, in the Juvenile and Circuit Courts for Baltimore City. Counseled law enforcement on legal elements of crimes and probable cause for arrest when preparing arrest reports. Prosecuted felony and misdemeanor cases from arrest to disposition. Judicial Law Clerk 2008 - 2012 U.S. Department of Justice Washington, DC Drafted client correspondence to banks and other financial institutions. Drafted pleadings and pre-trial motions including complaint, request to produce documents, and motion to compel. Assigned to habeas corpus, criminal and civil law and motion, and administrative mandamus dockets. Education Doctoral Degree Law 2005 - 2008 Suffolk University Boston, MA Master's Degree Political Science 2004 - 2005 Pennsylvania State University Main, PA Bachelor's Degree Political Science 2001 - 2004 Pennsylvania State University Main, PA


Nathan Richardson Assistant District Attorney Contact Info Sayville, NY (800) 555-3858 nrichardson@example.com Skills CADCriminal CasesTrial PreparationLieutenantsNew OfficersGeneral PublicCorrectional FacilityCounselTraining ExercisesCounty Departments Employment History Assistant District Attorney 2015 - Present suffolk County DPW Sayville, NY Represented Commonwealth in prosecution of criminal cases, including numerous bench and six-person jury trials. Conducted bail arguments, plea bargains, pre-trial motions, bench and jury trials. Lectured throughout the United States on DRE to law enforcement, prosecutors and members of the Judiciary. Lieutenant 2011 - 2015 Securitas Services Torrance, CA Manage performance of all troop personnel to ensure public safety objectives are met. Promoted from seasonal employee to shift lieutenant in 4 months. Provide leadership/supervision for a team of 18 security officers. Assist law enforcement with arrests. Trained Officers on safety procedures to ensure compliance with OSHA. Communications Officer 2000 - 2007 Pima County Sheriff's Department Tucson, AZ Maintain contact with all our public safety agencies. Facilitate arrests of clients for police departments when probation violation warrants are active. Assist police officers and detectives with information requested and with obtaining case information. Researched FCIC and NCIC data banks for stolen vehicles or wanted persons. Education Doctoral Degree Law 2008 - 2011 Southwestern Law School Los Angeles, CA Master's Degree Political Science 2007 - 2008 Arizona State University Phoenix, AZ Bachelor's Degree Political Science 1997 - 2000 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ


Nathan Richardson Assistant District Attorney Sayville, NY (800) 555-3858 nrichardson@example.com Experience Assistant District Attorney2015 - Present suffolk County DPW•Sayville, NY Represented Commonwealth in prosecution of criminal cases, including numerous bench and six-person jury trials. Conducted bail arguments, plea bargains, pre-trial motions, bench and jury trials. Lectured throughout the United States on DRE to law enforcement, prosecutors and members of the Judiciary. Lieutenant2011 - 2015 Securitas Services•Torrance, CA Manage performance of all troop personnel to ensure public safety objectives are met. Promoted from seasonal employee to shift lieutenant in 4 months. Provide leadership/supervision for a team of 18 security officers. Assist law enforcement with arrests. Trained Officers on safety procedures to ensure compliance with OSHA. Communications Officer2000 - 2007 Pima County Sheriff's Department•Tucson, AZ Maintain contact with all our public safety agencies. Facilitate arrests of clients for police departments when probation violation warrants are active. Assist police officers and detectives with information requested and with obtaining case information. Researched FCIC and NCIC data banks for stolen vehicles or wanted persons. Skills CADCriminal CasesTrial PreparationLieutenantsNew OfficersGeneral PublicCorrectional FacilityCounselTraining ExercisesCounty Departments Education Doctoral Degree Law2008 - 2011 Southwestern Law School•Los Angeles, CA Master's Degree Political Science2007 - 2008 Arizona State University•Phoenix, AZ Bachelor's Degree Political Science1997 - 2000 University of Arizona•Tucson, AZ

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Assistant District Attorney Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 7% of Assistant District Attorneys are proficient in Felony Cases, Criminal Justice, and Criminal Cases. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Interpersonal skills, and Problem-solving skills.

We break down the percentage of Assistant District Attorneys that have these skills listed on their resume here:

Felony Cases, 7%
Presented felony cases before the Grand Jury where responsibilities included conducting direct and cross-examination and providing instructions to the jury members.
Criminal Justice, 7%
Support criminal justice programs that assist in the rehabilitation of juveniles and first offenders
Criminal Cases, 6%
Investigated and evaluated criminal cases, including possible plea agreements.
Litigation, 6%
Managed a caseload of over seventy indictments and handled all aspects of criminal litigation.
Crime Scenes, 6%
Responded to crime scenes, supervised line-up identifications and interviewed felony defendants.
Adas, 5%
Screen cases for indictment to the Superior Court and work with Superior Court ADA's on indictment decisions.

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"felony cases," "criminal justice," and "criminal cases" aren't the only skills we found assistant district attorneys list on their resumes. In fact, there's a whole list of assistant district attorney responsibilities that we found, including:

Arguably the most important personality trait for an assistant district attorney to have happens to be analytical skills. An example from a resume said this about the skill, "lawyers help their clients resolve problems and issues" Additionally, other resumes have pointed out that assistant district attorneys can use analytical skills to "second-chaired a double homicide trial; handling five of the state's nineteen witnesses; including one expert in fingerprint analysis. "

While it may not be the most important skill, we found that many assistant district attorney duties rely on interpersonal skills. This example from a assistant district attorney explains why: "lawyers must win the respect and confidence of their clients by building a trusting relationship so that clients feel comfortable enough to share personal information related to their case." This resume example is just one of many ways assistant district attorneys are able to utilize interpersonal skills: "used interpersonal and persuasive skills in mediations, negotiations, and trials provided day-to-day legal advice department of human services"

Another skill that is quite popular among assistant district attorneys is problem-solving skills. This skill is very critical to fulfilling every day responsibilities as is shown in this example from a assistant district attorney resume: "lawyers must separate their emotions and prejudice from their clients’ problems and objectively evaluate the relevant applicable information" This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "resolved 140 cases through litigation and in the process became extremely familiar with new mexico's judicial and legislative system. "

In order for certain assistant district attorney responsibilities to be completed, the job requires the skill "research skills." According to an assistant district attorney resume, "lawyers need to be able to find those laws and regulations which apply to a specific matter, in order to provide the appropriate legal advice for their clients." As an example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies: "conducted legal research and fact investigation for case litigation. "

Yet another important skill that an assistant district attorney must demonstrate is "speaking skills." Lawyers must be able to clearly present and explain their case to arbitrators, mediators, opposing parties, judges, or juries, because they are speaking on behalf of their clients. This is clearly demonstrated in this example from an assistant district attorney who stated: "represented county officials in arbitration proceedings and employment litigation matters. "

Another skill commonly found on assistant district attorney resumes is "writing skills." This description of the skill was found on several assistant district attorney resumes: "lawyers need to be precise and specific when preparing documents, such as wills, trusts, and powers of attorney." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill could fit into the day-to-day assistant district attorney responsibilities: "performed extensive legal research and writing on state, federal, statutory and local levels. "

See the full list of assistant district attorney skills.

We've found that 39.3% of assistant district attorneys have earned a bachelor's degree. Furthermore, 3.7% earned their master's degrees before becoming an assistant district attorney. While it's true that most assistant district attorneys have a college degree, it's generally impossible to become one with only a high school degree. In fact, one out of every ten assistant district attorneys did not spend the extra money to attend college.

The assistant district attorneys who went onto college to earn a more in-depth education generally studied law and political science, while a small population of assistant district attorneys studied criminal justice and history.

Once you've obtained the level of education you're comfortable with, you might start applying to companies to become an assistant district attorney. We've found that most assistant district attorney resumes include experience from NC.gov, Columbus Consolidated Government, and McLennan County. Of recent, NC.gov had 8 positions open for assistant district attorneys. Meanwhile, there are 2 job openings at Columbus Consolidated Government and 2 at McLennan County.

Since salary is important to some assistant district attorneys, it's good to note that they are figured to earn the highest salaries at Gwinnett Center, Albany International, and Fort Bend County. If you were to take a closer look at Gwinnett Center, you'd find that the average assistant district attorney salary is $85,423. Then at Albany International, assistant district attorneys receive an average salary of $80,324, while the salary at Fort Bend County is $80,157.

View more details on assistant district attorney salaries across the United States.

We also looked into companies who hire assistant district attorneys from the top 100 educational institutions in the U.S. The top three companies that hire the most from these institutions include Office Of The Public Defender, Office Of The Attorney General, and Miami-Dade County.

The three companies that hire the most prestigious assistant district attorneys are:

NC.gov8 Assistant District Attorneys Jobs
McLennan County2 Assistant District Attorneys Jobs
Columbus Consolidated Government2 Assistant District Attorneys Jobs

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What General Counsels Do

A general counsel, also called a chief legal officer, is the chief lawyer in the legal department of an organization. The counsel represents an enterprise for any pending legal matters. They work proactively to lessen possible problems associated with legalities and potential risks. They have to monitor practices and the people within the law firm for misconduct. They also perform dominant roles in regulation, ethics, public affairs, and legislation. It is common for them to serve as the public spokesperson of the company during the publicity of legal matters.

In this section, we take a look at the annual salaries of other professions. Take general counsel for example. On average, the general counsels annual salary is $51,278 higher than what assistant district attorneys make on average every year.

While the salaries between these two careers can be different, they do share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both assistant district attorneys and general counsels positions are skilled in litigation, district court, and subpoenas.

As far as similarities go, this is where it ends because an assistant district attorney responsibility requires skills such as "felony cases," "criminal justice," "criminal cases," and "crime scenes." Whereas a general counsel is skilled in "legal advice," "intellectual property," "juris," and "risk management." So if you're looking for what truly separates the two careers, you've found it.

General counsels receive the highest salaries in the finance industry coming in with an average yearly salary of $135,018. But assistant district attorneys are paid more in the government industry with an average salary of $79,524.

General counsels tend to reach similar levels of education than assistant district attorneys. In fact, general counsels are 4.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 11.7% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

What Are The Duties Of a Legal Counsel?

A Legal Counsel supervises the legal aspects of a business. They give accurate and timely counsel to executives on a variety of legal topics, such as labor law, partnerships, or international ventures.

Now we're going to look at the legal counsel profession. On average, legal counsels earn a $58,897 higher salary than assistant district attorneys a year.

While the salary may be different for these job positions, there is one similarity and that's a few of the skills needed to perform certain duties. We used info from lots of resumes to find that both assistant district attorneys and legal counsels are known to have skills such as "litigation," "district court," and "subpoenas. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences that are worth noting. For example, assistant district attorney responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "felony cases," "criminal justice," "criminal cases," and "crime scenes." Meanwhile, a legal counsel might be skilled in areas such as "legal advice," "legal support," "intellectual property," and "legal risks." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Legal counsels may earn a higher salary than assistant district attorneys, but legal counsels earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $159,575. On the other side of things, assistant district attorneys receive higher paychecks in the government industry where they earn an average of $79,524.

On the topic of education, legal counsels earn higher levels of education than assistant district attorneys. In general, they're 7.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 11.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

How a Lawyer Compares

A lawyer is a legal practitioner who specializes in understanding and interpreting laws and other legal matters. Their responsibilities revolve around providing legal counseling and advice, representing clients in different kinds of court proceedings, conducting research, collecting evidence, and coordinating with various experts. A lawyer must also manage and oversee the performance of assistants, paralegals, and other team members. Furthermore, there are instances when a lawyer must draft or manage documents such as contracts, trusts, deeds, and wills, assisting clients as needed.

The lawyer profession generally makes a higher amount of money when compared to the average salary of assistant district attorneys. The difference in salaries is lawyers making $41,838 higher than assistant district attorneys.

While looking through the resumes of several assistant district attorneys and lawyers we discovered that both professions have similar skills. These similarities include skills such as "criminal cases," "litigation," and "district court," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

Some important key differences between the two careers are a few of the skills necessary to fulfill responsibilities. Some examples from assistant district attorney resumes include skills like "felony cases," "criminal justice," "crime scenes," and "adas," whereas a lawyer might be skilled in "law firm," "real estate," "civil law," and "legal advice. "

Lawyers typically study at higher levels compared with assistant district attorneys. For example, they're 10.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 28.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Description Of a Bankruptcy Specialist

The bankruptcy specialist is responsible for filing and documentation loan bankruptcy materials with the appropriate attorneys. They ensure full compliance with loan bankruptcy regulations and monitor accounts throughout the loan bankruptcy process to contact the appropriate party when necessary. A bankruptcy specialist might be an administrator or lawyer in a bankruptcy office and supports bankruptcy law. They are likely to evaluate state declaration and affidavits for legal progression, interact with customers and outside counsel about bankruptcy proceedings through written and verbal communication, and work with local counsel and upper management in effectively reviewing client's files.

The fourth career we look at typically earns lower pay than assistant district attorneys. On average, bankruptcy specialists earn a difference of $38,472 lower per year.

Each job requires different skills like "felony cases," "criminal justice," "criminal cases," and "crime scenes," which might show up on an assistant district attorney resume. Whereas bankruptcy specialist might include skills like "relief," "pacer," "foreclosure," and "msp."

Bankruptcy specialists earn a higher salary in the finance industry with an average of $47,222. Whereas, assistant district attorneys earn the highest salary in the government industry.

In general, bankruptcy specialists reach similar levels of education when compared to assistant district attorneys resumes. Bankruptcy specialists are 1.1% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 53.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Updated October 2, 2020