Working as an Assistant District Attorney

Assignments

Each of the office's roughly 550 Assistant District Attorneys (ADAs) is assigned to one of several divisions within the office. The District Attorney makes decisions about staff assignments in accordance with the office's needs, taking into account individual preferences. Typically, new ADAs will begin in either the Trial Division, Appeals Bureau, or in the Special Narcotics Prosecutor's Office. Some ADAs ultimately spend their entire careers in the division where they were initially assigned. Other ADAs serve in more than one division during their tenure in the office. [Read more about the types of cases handled by each of the office's divisions]

Community Outreach

In addition to their primary role prosecuting crimes, many ADAs also volunteer in the community, mentoring youth and educating them about law and the criminal justice system. [Find out more about community affairs activities]

Joining the Office

New Assistant District Attorneys commit themselves to serving the Office for three years. Most stay well beyond their commitment. Traditionally, the new class joins the office several weeks after taking the bar examination. After completing a four-week orientation and training program, ADAs begin work in their bureaus.

Assistant District Attorneys are given substantial responsibility early in their careers. In the first few months, ADAs are assigned their own cases to investigate and prosecute. Unlike many other prosecutor's offices, we prosecute cases vertically, meaning that one ADA handles a case from its inception to final disposition.

"What I get the most satisfaction out of is hiring a lot of talented people and watching them develop."

District Attorney
Robert M. Morgenthau

[How to apply for a position as an Assistant District Attorney]

Salary and Benefits

The starting salary for Assistant District Attorneys joining the Office during 2008-9 is expected to be $57,000 for law school graduates not yet admitted to the practice of law, and $57,500 for newly admitted attorneys. The salary is higher for those applicants who have practiced elsewhere before joining the staff. Periodic raises have typically been granted, as the budget allows.

Benefits offered to Assistant District Attorneys include:

• 25 days of annual leave (accrued)
• 12 days of sick leave (accrued)
• 12 paid holidays per year
• Paid childcare leave for both female and male attorneys
• Military leave benefits
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Life and long-term disability insurance
• Pre-tax health and dependent care spending options
• Pre-tax "TransitChek" programs
• Deferred compensation 401k plan
• Deferred compensation 457 plan
• Health club reimbursement
• Domestic partnership benefits consistent with NYC policy
• New York City Employees Retirement System Pension

[Get a full description of benefits]