What does a district attorney do?
District attorneys represent the government in court and prepare criminal prosecution cases. Besides partnering on criminal investigations and evaluating police reports, district attorneys also consult with alleged perpetrators, law enforcement, and judges. They uphold professional ethics, abide by the country's prosecution laws, and supervise and guide legal clerks and associates. Moreover, district attorneys prepare and file pre-trial motions, study case law, and gather enough evidence needed to prosecute alleged perpetrators in the court. Also, they assess legal merits to bring criminal charges against the alleged perpetrators.
District attorney responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real district attorney resumes:
- Manage, train and mentore newly hire ADA's in courtroom management and trial advocacy.
- Maintain legal files and filing/tracking systems on all court cases, appeals, invoices and billings.
- Research, analyze and write response to an order to show cause in appeals proceeding.
- Represent county officials in arbitration proceedings and employment litigation matters.
- Prosecute misdemeanor caseload in criminal court through various stages of litigation up until trial
- Calculate restitution, issue subpoenas, and contact victims regarding upcoming trials and other court determinations.
- Counsele victims of judicial activity regarding the judicial process and record law enforcement personnel and witness response to on-call court subpoenas.
- Specialize in DUI prosecution and gain considerable expertise in DUI law.
- Handle all aspects of domestic violence misdemeanor prosecutions from intake to final disposition.
- Investigate and evaluate prospective felony prosecutions; try numerous jury cases to verdict; train and supervise new assistant district attorneys.
- Review and analyze medical records, permanency evaluations, interrogatories, and transcripts.
District attorney skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of District Attorneys are proficient in Pre-Trial Conferences, Legal Research, and Law Enforcement Agencies. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Interpersonal skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of District Attorneys that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Pre-Trial Conferences, 10%
Handled all aspects of the docket, including court trials, jury trials, sentencing, pre-trial conferences and motions hearings.
- Legal Research, 10%
Drafted motions and pleadings and assisted with legal research using LexusNexis and LexusNext
- Law Enforcement Agencies, 8%
Collaborated with law enforcement agencies on numerous investigations and procurement of evidence.
- Subpoenas, 5%
Perform various complex administrative functions, including preparing subpoenas, maintain daily Calendar for attorneys.
- Criminal Cases, 4%
Developed and organized criminal cases and prepared prosecution summaries and documents for court use.
- Felony Cases, 4%
Prosecuted hundreds of criminal misdemeanor and felony cases from filing to final disposition.
"pre-trial conferences," "legal research," and "law enforcement agencies" are among the most common skills that district attorneys use at work. You can find even more district attorney responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a district attorney to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "lawyers interpret the law as it applies to their client’s case." District attorneys often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "provided extensive and complex legal research and analysis for difficult criminal and civil matters. "
Interpersonal skills. Many district attorney duties rely on interpersonal skills. "lawyers must build relationships with current and prospective clients, as well as with their colleagues and other members of the legal community.," so a district attorney will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways district attorney responsibilities rely on interpersonal skills: "leveraged interpersonal skills to explain to juries complex legal issues and obtain convictions. "
Problem-solving skills. This is an important skill for district attorneys to perform their duties. For an example of how district attorney responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "lawyers must evaluate information to propose viable solutions, mediate disputes, and reach agreements or settlements for their clients." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a district attorney: "resolved misdemeanor and lower-level felony complaints by negotiating plea agreements with defense counsel. ".
Research skills. district attorney responsibilities often require "research skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "lawyers need to find laws and regulations that apply to a specific matter in order to provide appropriate legal advice for their clients." This resume example shows what district attorneys do with research skills on a typical day: "assisted four separate homicide prosecutions within montgomery county, pa. * conducted evidence review and research. "
The three companies that hire the most district attorneys are:
- Pueblo2 district attorneys jobs
- County of San Joaquin, CA2 district attorneys jobs
- Erie County, NY2 district attorneys jobs
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Compare different district attorneys
District attorney vs. General counsel
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.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between district attorneys and general counsel. For instance, district attorney responsibilities require skills such as "pre-trial conferences," "law enforcement agencies," "criminal cases," and "felony cases." Whereas a general counsel is skilled in "litigation," "legal advice," "intellectual property," and "juris." This is part of what separates the two careers.
General counsels really shine in the finance industry with an average salary of $135,018. Comparatively, district attorneys tend to make the most money in the professional industry with an average salary of $79,101.general counsels tend to reach similar levels of education than district attorneys. In fact, general counsels are 1.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 12.9% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.District attorney vs. Council member
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.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real district attorney resumes. While district attorney responsibilities can utilize skills like "pre-trial conferences," "legal research," "law enforcement agencies," and "subpoenas," council members use skills like "public policy," "finance committee," "community outreach," and "alumni."
Council members earn higher levels of education than district attorneys in general. They're 7.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 12.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.District attorney vs. Legal counsel
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.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a district attorney is likely to be skilled in "pre-trial conferences," "law enforcement agencies," "criminal cases," and "felony cases," while a typical legal counsel is skilled in "legal advice," "litigation," "legal support," and "intellectual property."
Legal counsels earn the best pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $159,575. District attorneys earn the highest pay from the professional industry, with an average salary of $79,101.When it comes to education, legal counsels tend to earn higher degree levels compared to district attorneys. In fact, they're 5.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 11.7% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.District attorney vs. Bankruptcy specialist
Types of district attorney
Updated January 8, 2025
