why do you want to be a government attorney

by Viviane Jerde II 6 min read

The number one advantage of a government legal job is the fact that you can have work hours that are close to a 9-to-5 job. You can also have a flexible work schedule; some lawyers have every other Monday off, others have job share situations with other attorneys.

Full Answer

Why do you want to be a lawyer?

Your past successes and achievements can also be very compelling reasons for pursuing a career as a lawyer.

Why do you want to work for the government answer?

An employer wants to understand why you want to work for the government specifically, as opposed to other areas of society. You should avoid answers related to pay, benefits or time off, and instead center your answer around the foundational reason for government.

How do you answer why do you want to study law?

Discussing specific areas of law is a surefire way to demonstrate a mature commitment to the study of law. However, admissions officers certainly do not expect this level of decisiveness. Another way to show your reasons for pursuing law is to tie your interest to personal qualities or skills.

What inspired you to become a lawyer?

Discuss something you experienced in your previous roles or background that inspired you to become a lawyer. For instance, maybe a family member is an attorney and shows passion, excitement and enjoyment for their job and that interests you, or maybe you're interested in family law because you've personally witnessed the impacts of a divorce.

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What Is A Government Lawyer?

In almost every aspect of law (both domestically and internationally), government lawyers work at the federal, state, and local levels (for example...

What Are Government Lawyers Called?

Attorneys who work in government branches are called government attorneys. The jurisdiction in which government attorney works determines what type...

What Is The Role Of A Government Lawyer?

Governing bodies make laws to protect the rights of citizens and to regulate society. The laws exist locally, state-wide, and federally, although p...

How Do You Become A Government Lawyer?

The licensing process varies by state based on whether an attorney is a private or governmental entity. The following educational steps must be com...

How to Get A Job As A Government Attorney?

Taking the bar exam and meeting the educational requirements are both prerequisites for working as a government attorney.See if any job openings ar...

What Is The Average Salary For A Government Attorney?

According to your experience and the type of institution you work for, your salary will vary as a government employee. Based on the Bureau of Labor...

How much can an attorney get for student loans?

Attorney Student Loan Repayment Program: Lawyers who commit to working for the Department of Justice for three years are eligible for the Attorney Student Loan Repayment Program (ASLRP), which provides a maximum of $60,000 in assistance. To be eligible, DOJ employees must have at least $10,000 worth of federal student loan debt, and this includes Stafford loans, federal consolidation loans, Perkins loans, and supplemental loans. Chosen candidates can receive up to $6,000 in assistance a year for up to ten years.

What is a government attorney?

Attorneys who work in government branches are called government attorneys. The jurisdiction in which government attorney works determines what types of legal issues they deal with. Because of this, they are designated differently based on the type of legal work they do. Here are a few of them:

Why are attorneys considered assets?

Attorneys who work for the government are seen as assets at law firms because they understand the way the system works and have generally developed a rolodex of valuable contacts. Harrison Barnes, the founder of BCG Attorney Search, a legal recruitment company, said that he has seen many public attorneys easily transition to the private sector.

What does a city attorney do?

City attorneys may provide legal advice to city officials, enforce ordinances, and prosecute criminals. The laws they create also benefit local businesses and communities in general. Public defenders, enforcement of state law, and advice to government officials make upstate attorneys. Additionally, some represent the state as public defenders in criminal cases.

Why do law students go private?

Pay seems to be the most cited reason why law students choose to go private instead of public. Even though data from NALP shows that government attorney pay increases year to year, the amount is still significantly less than what a private attorney would pull in.

Why do attorneys work for the government?

Attorneys who work for the government immediately after law school are usually given more autonomy and responsibility than their private sector peers, many report. They also have the benefit of being able to grow in their departments for long periods of time or transition into other areas of government.

How much can a public defender get for a student loan?

John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program: Public defendants can receive up to $60,000 with the John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program. Eligible candidates can get up to $10,000 per year and must have worked as a public defender for at least three years. To apply, public defenders should look at the rules for their particular state.

What are some examples of skills that make you successful as a lawyer?

For instance, your ability to communicate persuasively, your attention to detail and your compassion towards your clients are strengths that you can have as a lawyer that make you successful at doing your job. Your pride in your skills and expertise can show the interviewer how motivated you are to succeed in the career.

Why do you ask a question about your interests?

Your answer to this question (or a similar variation of it) will help the interviewer understand your core values, philosophies and perspectives on practicing law and how these ideals match up with their company and the job. Additionally, this question allows interviewers to get a sense of how you view this career path and whether you are truly passionate about it or you are just fulfilling a need for a lucrative career.

What does it mean to interview for a lawyer?

Interviewing for a position as a lawyer means you'll likely encounter several different types of questions that will help the interviewer get to know you, assess your skills and compare your qualifications with what they're looking for.

What do you want to know about practicing law?

The interviewer will likely want to see that your core values and philosophy about practicing law connects with the job responsibilities and their firm's mission and values. Describe the character traits you feel you have developed as a lawyer and how these traits helped shape the values you have today. Then, relate these values to what you know about the company and the clients it serves.

What inspired you to become a lawyer?

Discuss something you experienced in your previous roles or background that inspired you to become a lawyer. For instance, maybe a family member is an attorney and shows passion, excitement and enjoyment for their job and that interests you, or maybe you're interested in family law because you've personally witnessed the impacts of a divorce. Whatever personal experience you choose to share that inspired you to pursue law as a career, make sure to relate it to the field of law you'll be practicing within the firm you're interviewing for.

How to answer why you want to become a lawyer?

You can answer this question by following the steps below to highlight your strengths and make a great impression on the interviewer: 1. Focus on your strengths and skills. Give examples of your strongest skills that make you successful as a lawyer. For instance, your ability to communicate ...

What to include in an interview for a company?

This will show the interviewer that you have researched some of the challenges, cases and other processes of the company and considered different ways that you can make achievements. Additionally, this will also demonstrate your initiative to take on challenges, make beneficial changes and contribute to the success of the company and its clients.

What do lawyers do?

What Lawyers Do. Lawyers advise and represent individuals, businesses, and government agencies on legal issues and disputes. · Work Environment · How to Become a (31) …

What is the book "So You Want to Be a Lawyer" about?

So You Want to be a Lawyer: The Ultimate Guide to Getting into and Succeeding in Law School [Fairchild Jones Esq., Lisa, Francis, Timothy B., Jones, (19) …

Why You want to Be a Lawyer?

Most kind-hearted people join the law field to serve humanity. They want to give relief to human beings from their tensions and worries. They think all this is possible by joining the law field. In this way, they can have an opportunity to make the system of their society better.

Frequently Asked Questions

To learn the behaviors, psychology, and attitudes of society and to serve the people will be reasons behind my joining the law field.

Conclusion

Joining the law school for the welfare of the people of society or state is a good idea. Many reasons may cause someone’s entrance into the law field. Whatever the reason may be, joining the field of law is an honorable and profitable profession.

How competitive is it to get a job in the SEC?

Attorney’s Office or at the SEC is extremely competitive. A single opening might attract hundreds of applications, many of them from candidates with judicial clerkships and Biglaw stints on their résumés. So if you don’t get hired the first time you apply, don’t give up; as you gain more experience, you’ll become a more compelling candidate.

How to market yourself as a lawyer?

Speaking at conferences and writing articles can be an excellent form of marketing (for more on this, see some of the past columns of Mark Herrmann ). It’s a great way of putting yourself out there without bragging about your own awesomeness; instead, you’re simply demonstrating your expertise in certain issues. Some of your conference presentations or law review articles might have drab-sounding titles, but when a prospective client is doing preliminary research into that highly technical area of law, they might come across your pieces and call or email you with specific questions. That contact can be a great opportunity to build a relationship.

Why do you want to be an AUSA?

One question that is almost always asked at U.S. Attorney’s Offices: why do you want to be an AUSA? With so many applicants, offices seek out lawyers who are not just capable of doing the work, but excited and enthusiastic about it. Evincing an interest in public service is a typical response — it’s common (maybe even clichéd) to talk about your desire to stand up in a courtroom and say, “My name is [X], and I represent the United States” — but it’s also important to have the work experience and other résumé items to back up that interest.

What is the role of a public servant?

As a public servant, you will be assigned to where the powers that be think you can best serve the public. So you might want to work on white-collar cases but get assigned instead to drug cases, and there’s not much you can do about that. 6. Don’t stress too much about exit opportunities; it’ll all work out.

What are the advantages of being a white hat?

The advantages: the opportunity to be in court constantly and to try cases to juries, the ability to get to know judges and law clerks, and the aforementioned privilege of standing up in a courtroom and saying you represent the United States — in other words, the opportunity to do justice or to “to wear the white hat,” as one panelist put it.

Do panelists use recruiters?

Some panelists said they developed business plans as they marketed themselves to firms; others did not. Some panelists used recruiters; others did not. Recruiters can be helpful in terms of speeding up the process, but you shouldn’t delegate the entire process to them.

Is being a prosecutor the best job you have ever had?

It helps to have realistic expectations. You’ll often hear former AUSAs talk about how being a prosecutor was “the best job I ever had.” But these jobs, while wonderful in many ways, aren’t perfect. They have their pluses and minuses, just like any other.

What is the Louden County government agency?

Example: "Our government agency is devoted to serving the citizens of Louden County by planning and overseeing fun and educational events , such as the trail-walking club, Christmas festival and historic figure talks at the pavilion in Whitetail Park. Our agency is also responsible for making sure that our city's parks remain in pristine condition to be enjoyed by all."

What are some questions to ask yourself?

The following list includes generalized questions that could be asked of you in relation to your personal life: 1 How was the drive? 2 Tell me about yourself. 3 Where are you from? 4 What are your three greatest strengths? 5 What are your three greatest weaknesses? 6 Where do you see yourself in five years' time? 7 What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment? 8 What are you passionate about? 9 What is your biggest regret? 10 Would you rather work alone or with others? 11 If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be and why? 12 What is the last book you read?

Why do you ask an employer why you want to work for the government?

An employer wants to understand why you want to work for the government specifically, as opposed to other areas of society. You should avoid answers related to pay, benefits or time off, and instead center your answer around the foundational reason for government.

Why do you ask an interviewer to explain your job?

An interviewer asks this question not only to see how comfortable you are with the role but also to see how in-depth you have researched the position and its responsibilities . Your answer should demonstrate that you understand the specific title and its required job duties.

What is the purpose of preparing for an in person interview?

Preparing for an in-person interview can be a deciding factor in whether or not you receive a job offer. By reviewing the job requirements and possible interview questions, you can give yourself the best chance to present yourself as a qualified candidate to an employer. In this article, we review general, experience-related and in-depth interview questions that could be asked of you in a government job interview. There will also be eight interview questions with tips and sample answers to help you formulate your own responses.

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