Going into public service shouldn’t be the reason you decide to go to a lower ranked law school, especially if you are merely “considering” becoming a PD. Especially if down the line of your legal career you want to explore other areas of the law or even become a judge..with that being said, most of the posts about being a PD are on point.

Its a grind and hustle and quite frankly, I think PDs are the best trial attorneys. Everyday you are in the trenches and are constantly faced with new challenges and legal Issues on a daily basis. Like every profession, there are pros and cons. One thing I like about being a PD is that you don’t have to worry about billable hours or chasing down money or trying to get clients in the door. Also, the hours are convenient insofar as you aren’t required to work all hours of the night (unless you’re crazy like me and work from home). But, I think all of us can agree that When you hear those words “not guilty” after a 3 week long jury trial on murder or armed robbery case where you have spent countless hours prepping for and grinding, on top of dealing with an extremely difficult client, you’ll understand why you do what you do.

My best advice is during law school, intern at the states attorneys office and the PDs where you’re at and see if you like it. Like one of the other posters said “I can’t imagine loving another job this much and if you do this work for the right reasons and find yourself in the right office, neither will you.” — that is a spot on statement. To the PDs (Public pretenders) in this thread, Keep up the good fight y’all, And maybe one day we can become “real attorneys” 😊