3L - Entry Level Assistant District Attorney - Fall 2025

3L - Entry Level Assistant District Attorney - Fall 2025

DAO Overview

The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office is the largest prosecutor's office in Pennsylvania, and one of the largest in the nation. It serves more than 1.5 million citizens of the City and County of Philadelphia, employing 600 lawyers, detectives and support staff. Our Assistant District Attorneys are dedicated to public service, public safety, and justice for all involved in the criminal justice system.

Working in a major metropolitan prosecutor's office offers an attorney a broad spectrum of experience. The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office in particular is committed to several citywide collaborations aimed at reducing Philadelphia's jail population and improving the criminal justice system overall.

Law Division Overview

The Law Division consists of four units : Appeals, Civil Litigation, Federal Litigation, and Post Conviction Relief Act (PCRA). It includes the largest appellate litigation department in Pennsylvania, representing the Commonwealth at all levels of the appellate process. We handle over one thousand appeals annually.

Law Duties

An entry-level attorney in the Law Division is assigned based on the needs of the office and on one's demonstrated ability and experience. Attorneys in the Appeals Unit write briefs and argue before the appellate courts. Attorneys in the Civil Litigation Unit practice litigation (including complex discovery), right-to-know law, contracts drafting, review and negotiation, and employment law. Attorneys in the Federal Litigation Unit litigate petitions for writs of habeas corpus filed in federal court by prisoners prosecuted by our office. Magistrates and district court judges sometimes order evidentiary hearings or oral arguments in these cases which are handled by the Assistant District Attorneys in that unit. PCRA attorneys review incoming PCRA petitions to determine whether to agree to some form of relief or to assign for the filing of a motion to dismiss. In nearly all cases, appellate attorneys are assigned full responsibility, under supervision, for the briefing and arguing of their own cases.

Trial Division Overview

The Trial Division is responsible for prosecuting adults and juveniles charged with committing misdemeanor and felony crimes. It consists of the Municipal Court Unit, Juvenile Court Unit, the Major Trials Unit, which handles major trials and felony waivers, and our specialized trial units, the Family Violence and Sexual Assault Unit, and the Homicide and Non-Fatal Shootings Unit.

Trial Duties

An entry level attorney in the Trial Division is first assigned to the Municipal Court Unit, where misdemeanor trials and felony preliminary hearings are handled, the Juvenile Court Unit, where they handle delinquency hearings involving a range of charges including serious felonies, or the Diversion Unit, where they handle cases eligible for alternatives to prosecution. The progression from the initial assignment into other units is based on the needs of the office and on one's demonstrated ability and work ethic. Typically, after an initial period in the Municipal Court Unit, Assistant District Attorneys either move on to the Juvenile Court Unit where they handle delinquency hearings involving a range of charges, including serious felonies, or the Major Trials Unit where they begin handling felony waivers. During the course of their first few years, Assistant District Attorney can expect to be assigned to the Charging Unit for a six-month rotation. Again, this progression is based on the needs of the office and on one's demonstrated ability and work ethic.

Qualifications

All qualified applicants must have earned a J.D. from an accredited law school and must sit for and pass the Pennsylvania bar exam. Candidates should have a demonstrated commitment to public service and a strong academic record. Ideal candidates will also possess a capacity for fairness and empathy, a strong work ethic, an ability to manage a demanding workload, and sound problem-solving and decision-making skills. Attorneys completing judicial clerkships, including Federal District and Circuit Court clerkships are also encouraged to apply.

BENEFITS

Assistant District Attorneys are exempt employees with the City of Philadelphia. Immediately upon assuming office, Assistant District Attorneys receive benefits similar to those of other City of Philadelphia exempt employees, including a pension plan, sick leave, 11 paid holidays per year, four annual administrative leave days, 20 paid vacation days each year, a choice of medical insurance plans and a term life insurance policy. Additional Benefits Available to qualified staff :

• Choice of medical insurance plans, including vision, prescription and dental coverage, which can be extended to spouse and eligible dependents;
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP);
• Optional supplemental life and ADD policies, including options for salary continuation benefit for survivors and dependent life coverage;
• Optional deferred compensation plan for retirement;
• Other options :

Membership in credit union

Applications will be active for one year from the date of receipt by the Office.

All exempt employees of the District Attorney's Office are at-will employees and serve at the pleasure of the District Attorney. The at-will relationship shall not be modified for any employee and no agreement, oral or written, shall be entered into that changes the at-will relationship.