Route to ADA in a Specific City

NotMyName

Asst. District Attorney in Philly or Pittsburgh -- that's my goal.

Numbers: Avg 167 LSAT (fighting for 170+ this cycle); 3.55 UGPA

Non-traditional applicant with 4 years work experience. Debt-averse. Not about "prestige-for-prestige-sake" but understand the practical advantages offered alongside prestige in many cases. Not about Big Law.

My numbers likely don't get me into Penn. The job placement and bar passage numbers for remaining PA schools scare me. I'm looking for strong T1/T2 schools where I can get significant scholarship money and reasonably expect to have good job prospects outside of that region (since I'd like to work in PA).

So what do ya'll think? How should one in my situation go about pursuing an ADA position in these specific cities?

I hear that prestigious PI is quite competitive; does that mean I should be chasing T13? Those schools also have much better LRAP. But what about a strong school like BU for which I'd be at/above the medians? That is where my focus has been.

What differentiates law students when applying for 2L internships at a DA's office? Should I prioritize larger cities for a 2L DA internship or is a DA internship in Pittsburgh considered as strong as in Philly/Boston/etc? My guess is the former but also if I want to work in Philly/Pitt then I should probably pursue those.

Of course, the standard networking is also wise. I really like what the reforms the new Philly DA has implemented and I plan to reach out on those grounds.

Any and all input is greatly appreciated. I've spent almost all my time preparing for the lsat so am behind in my law school and career research.

EDIT: My GPA is below BU 50th but at least above the 25th.
EDIT: ADA is not a PI position. My bad.

westcoastbestcoast

Have you thought to apply to UPitt law? I would imagine it would get in you touch with those in ADA. I went to school in CMU. Pittsburgh is a great city

NotMyName

Have you thought to apply to UPitt law? I would imagine it would get in you touch with those in ADA. I went to school in CMU. Pittsburgh is a great city

I love Pittsburgh... born and raised : )

I intend to apply but their numbers are so concerning that I would be hesitant to attend even with an unconditional full scholarship : / I suppose this could change if someone int he DA office told me it was my best bet, but even then, I would be totally locked into a small employment region (pittsburgh) with no gauruntee of hire.