Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Alternate Public Defenders Los Angeles
Los Angeles County Alternate Public Defender Rachel suggests that undergraduate students interested in this field consider "volunteer worker positions" at the public defender's office, a pathway she herself didn't take, but recommends as a way to gain experience before pursuing a graduate degree and a paid clerkship, which she describes as "a direct pipeline" to a public defender career.
Entry-Level Jobs, Volunteer Opportunities, Legal Clerkships, Public Defender, Career Exploration
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Rachel Cala
Alternate Public Defender
Los Angeles County
University at Buffalo
Pepperdine Law -- Juris Doctorate
English
Government & Public Sector, Law
Legal
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Volunteer positions are available at the Public Defender's and Alternate Public Defender's offices.
2. Paid clerkships are offered to law students and post-bar graduates.
3. Clerkships provide valuable experience and networking opportunities within the public defender system.
Transcript
What entry-level positions can an undergraduate college student consider in this field?
The public defender's office and the alternate public defender's office both offer volunteer worker positions. When you're in law school, you can apply to be an actual clerk and get paid if you are taking the bar or post-bar. I believe post-bar clerks are paid.
I recommend contacting either the public defender or the alternate public defender to ask about volunteer positions. This is a great way to see what it's like to be a public defender.
If you pursue a graduate degree, you would be eligible to be a clerk. That's what I did, and it was amazing. It was a direct pipeline to becoming a public defender because you meet everyone, learn the rules and the system.
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