Job Description of an Assistant Attorney
An assistant attorney is a lawyer who generally works for the government in local, state or federal capacities. Assistant attorneys are also commonly known as assistant attorneys general or state's attorneys, assistant public defenders, or assistant district attorneys. Assistant attorneys are often in court representing plaintiffs or defendants. Other duties include conducting research on previous court cases, interviewing witnesses, managing details related to court cases, and advising clients of their legal rights.
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Training
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An assistant attorney is an attorney with a degree from a law school backed by a four-year bachelor's degree. It is helpful for assistant attorneys to obtain a four-year bachelor's degree in a subject that will prepare them to enter law school, such as pre-law, English, history and psychology. After receiving a bachelor's degree it is necessary to attend law school in order to become an attorney. Law school generally lasts three years and prepares individuals to take the bar exam in their state and become licensed attorneys.
The District Attorney's Office
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Assistant attorneys working in the office of a district attorney are also known as prosecutors, and mainly work to represent their state government in legal trials.They are either hired by the office of the district attorney or are elected to their position. Assistant district attorneys work for the district attorney (DA) by preparing and researching court cases, trying cases in court, filing motions, meeting with the DA to decide strategies for cases, and working with lawyers of the defendants to make deals instead of taking cases to trial.
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The Public Defender's Office
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Assistant attorneys can work in a public defender's office, where they represent individuals and families who are accused of a crime but cannot afford legal counsel. Duties include informing defendants of their legal rights, researching cases, interviewing witnesses, and providing legal representation in court if necessary. In some instances, they also work with prosecution and law enforcement officials to find alternative sentencing options to incarceration.
The Attorney General's Office
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Assistant attorneys working in an attorney general's office (called the state's attorneys office in some states) carry out the policies of the attorney general. The attorney general's office is responsible for a wide variety of issues, including computer-related crimes, domestic violence, fraud and public interest. Duties are different depending on the assistant attorney's assigned area, but include charging persons with crimes, researching cases, contacting crime victims, providing community outreach services, and mounting defenses in charges brought against the state.
Salary
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for attorneys as of 2008 was $110,590. Attorneys working for the state government, such as most assistant attorneys, earned a median annual salary of $78,540. Attorneys working for the federal executive branch of government earned $126,080 per year, and attorneys working for local government earned $82,590 per year.
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