Attorney
(Female, Age 28) from Tamarac, NY
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 28 who works as a Attorney in Tamarac, NY. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Attorney |
|---|---|
| Salary | $42,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 50 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Tamarac, NY |
| Years Experience | 1.5 years |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
I am currently employed by the Public Defender’s Office in Broward County. We have 150 attorneys in our office. We are employees of the State of Florida. We represent indigent criminal defendants.
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I am a criminal defense attorney for indigent criminal defendants. I receive files on a daily basis and must review them. I am in court every day handling motions and arraignments. On average, I have around 75 cases. I have a case from beginning to end. A case can resolve at arraignment or go all the way to trial. Given that, I may have a case for as few as a week or as long as a year.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
2 weeks paid vacation, paid full medical benefits, small fee dental, unlimited sick leave
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
under
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
Yes, I am constantly interacting with clients, co-counsel, co-workers, opposing counsel, judge, courtroom personnel, and courthouse personnel.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
I work in the courthouse everyday. I have an office of my own in the main office, but spend a lot of time in the courtroom.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 5
Benefits: 4
Hours: 3
Co-Workers: 6
Supervisors: 7
Job Title: 2
Level of Responsibility: 8
The Actual Work: 1
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | Arrive at the office, pull the cases that will be in court that day, review my calendar for the day, review probable cause affidavits in preparation for arraignments, check voicemail messages |
| 8am to 9am | continue to prepare for court, enter court at 8:15, talk to clients for fifteen minutes, judge takes the bench at 8:30. Handle arraignments and hearings until around 11am |
| 9am to 10am | Handle in court hearings and arraignments. Speak to client who are in court that day. Negotiate with the state attorneys on cases. Attempt to resolve cases. |
| 10am to 11am | Finish court. |
| 11am to 12pm | Return to office. Prepare for the afternoon. Check email, respond as appropriate. Return phone messages, check voicemail once again. |
| 12pm to 1pm | Lunch |
| 1pm to 2pm | Take depositions in pending cases. Attent client meetings to review cases. |
| 2pm to 3pm | Continue depositions and client meetings |
| 3pm to 4pm | Go through in-box, review discovery, call clients about their cases, return phone calls, review new case law. |
| 4pm to 5pm | Prepare for the next day by pulling files and reviewing paperwork. Set new depositions and client meetings. write motions and file with the court. SEt new dates with the clerk of court. |
| 5pm to 6pm | Finish up any left over work. |
| 6pm to 7pm | NA |
| 7pm to 8pm | if I have trial the next day or a motion, I will review the file at home. |
| 8pm to 9pm | na |
| 9pm to 10pm | na |
| 10pm to 11pm | na |
| 11pm to 12am | na |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
Referral
What was the application process?
submit resume and then several follow-up interviews
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
Yes, there were three different interviews. The first was a basic phone interview. the second was an interview with several office chiefs and the third was an interview with the head boss in the company. I was the only interviewee in each interview
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
Why I wanted to be a public defender, how confident I was, what my case law experience was, what my courtroom experience was, my expectations of the job, conceptions of the job, and my overall goal.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes, the best way to become proficient at this job is to just do it. I was prepared as much as possible in the basic training, but heavily relied on my mentor to help get me though the day to day issues.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
Yes, two weeks of basic training followed by several months of mentoring.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
It helped me learn to research the law, but did not prepare me for actual courtroom interaction with Judges, clients and opposing counsel.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
I did not intern in criminal defense.
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Complete lawschool with an emphasis in study on criminal law, criminal procedure, and public service.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
A person in my job should be able to effectively communicate with others, handle stress well and be very organized.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Law school, but no job experience necessary
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Stay organized, keep in touch with clients frequently, and learn from others as much as possible.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes, the experience I am gaining is invaluable.
What are your current career goals?
I love working where I am now. I hope to become a better trial attorney with time and become a major crimes attorney with the office.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
It is fulfilling and excited everyday. I am learning on a daily basis skills that will make me a better attorney and a better person. I am exposed to new ideas, people, and beliefs everyday and greatly enjoy that aspect of the job.
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Law Clerk | 1 year | 44000 | Law clerk for a district court judge. wrote memos of prospective oral arguments |
| Prior Job 2 | na | na | na | na |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:3.2
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.2 | University of Florida | Political Science, minor in criminology |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
3.3 | St. Thomas School of Law | Juris Doctor |
Ask a Question of this Mentor
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