Assistant Attorney General (Lawyer) 

(Female, Age 25) from Springfield, IL

This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 25 who works as a Assistant Attorney General (Lawyer) in Springfield, IL. 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 Assistant Attorney General (Lawyer)
Salary $52,500
Other Compensation None Set
Hours/Week 40
Company Size (not answered)
Location Springfield, IL
Years Experience 2 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 Illinois Attorney General’s Office. Our office serves as the attorneys for the State of Illinois and employees of the State of Illinois, among other functions.

Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I defend State employees who are sued in State or Federal Court for conduct that occurred on the job.

Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
comprehensive State insurance including dental

Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
well compensated, given that I work for the State

Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
I complete most of my work on my own however I do depend on others on a daily basis. For example, I depend on litigation coordinators at various State agencies to get me necessary information and to act as a liason between my client and me. I would say that I dislike this part of my job as I hate bugging other people to do things/get things for me. I prefer to be completely self sufficient, however this is often not possible.

Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes

Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?

Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
I work in a typical large office setting with 50+ others, however I also do a fair amount of traveling. I like being in the office most of the time however it is nice to get away sometimes. I also dislike greatly the community bathrooms at our office!

Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 2
Benefits: 7
Hours: 3
Co-Workers: 5
Supervisors: 4
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 6
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
8am to 9am Arrive at work at 8:45. Sign in to our electronic timesheet program. Check emails and voicemails (none today). Surfed the internet a little.
9am to 10am Began preparing a motion for summary judgment which will be filed in Court. I am representing employees of the Department of Corrections who are being sued by a former inmate regarding the medical care he received while there. Began reading his deposition (a transcript of a bunch of questions I asked him which were recorded by a Court reporter) in preparation.
10am to 11am Continued reading the plaintiff’s deposition. Made some notes about the issues I need to address in my motion.
11am to 12pm Began drafting affidavits for each of the defendants I represent in this case. I need to explain their role in the the medical care that the Plaintiff received while incarcerated.
12pm to 1pm Continued drafting affidavits- drafted one for the Warden of a Correctional Center and another for a Correctional Officer, basically stating that they cannot second guess a doctor’s decisions about medical care and treatment.
1pm to 2pm
2pm to 3pm Continued drafting affidavits. Mailed a letter along with a completed affidavit to a client who is retired, requesting that she take it to a notary public for signature and authorization.
3pm to 4pm Continued drafting affidavits. Did some filing.
4pm to 5pm Received a new motion in relation to another case and read through it and began to prepare a response. Did some legal research on Westlaw. Signed out at 4:45 and went home.
5pm to 6pm
6pm to 7pm
7pm to 8pm
8pm to 9pm
9pm to 10pm
10pm to 11pm
11pm to 12am

Table of Contents

How you got your job

How did you get your current job?
I saw the position in a job announcement at my law school but also was referred by a former classmate of my boss.

What was the application process?
I submitted a resume by mail to the HR department and to the Bureau Chief (my current boss).

Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
I first interviewed with the Bureau Chief and Deputy Bureau Chief. I then interviewed with their bosses (can’t remember their titles). I was supposed to interview with the Chief of Staff however she was out of town and after some negotiation I was offered the job without having the last interview.

If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
I can’t remember most of the questions. I do remember being asked why I wanted to work here.

Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes. It’s pretty much learn as you do however my supervisors are most helpful when needed.

Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
No additional training other than law school and the continuing legal education requirements that apply to all attorneys.

Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
No. Law school did not really teach me anything about the actual practice of law. You just have to get out there and start doing it to learn.

If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
N/A

If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
My position is basically an entry level attorney position so one would need to attend law school first, but there aren’t really any other requirements.

What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
Reading and writing skills are very important, as well as attention to detail, and dependability. I handle my own cases with little supervision so it is important to be careful and reliable with deadlines, etc.

Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes, one would need a JD.

What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
I would advise them to take everything one step at a time and to seek out coworkers or supervisors for direction.

Long-term career plans

Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes. This is a good entry level job and I am getting a lot of experience that will hopefully transfer somewhere else eventually.

What are your current career goals?
I do not know, at this time. I think I may wish to stay with government employment for the long haul, but would like to end up in a higher position making more money!

Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
I don’t like being a lawyer! If I could do it all over again I would do something else! However I do not have much earning potential in any field besides law.

Educational background

Please list your educational background:

High School GPA:3.8

GPA School Degree
College (Undergraduate)
or Technical/Vocational
3.8 Illinois State University B.A., Political Science
Graduate or Professional
(Masters or Doctorate)
3.6 Southern Illinois University School of Law J.D.

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