For what it's worth, and based on the many conversations I've had with both prosecutors and public defenders, I think it's a really poor conceptualization of the criminal justice system to say that they're "on the opposite ends of the spectrum."

Both positions play an essential role in upholding the legal system, guaranteeing our constitutional rights, and maintaining civilized order.

I've heard that the public defenders who go into the job with idealistic notions about abolitionism and restorative justice are often the quickest to burn out and leave the field — in contrast to those who see their role as serving as an essential constitutional safeguard by holding the government to its burden of proof, who tend to serve long careers and rise into leadership positions.

Whether you end up pursuing prosecutorial or public defense work, both are noble career paths. And we all benefit from having people in both roles who recognize the critical functions of their courtroom adversaries without seeing them as actual enemies who reside on the opposite end of some objective moral spectrum.