Job Title: Entry Level Assistant District Attorney - Fall 2025
Job Responsibilities:
The Entry Level Assistant District Attorney is an essential role within the organization, particularly in the Post Conviction Relief Act (PCRA) Unit. The position involves a diverse range of legal responsibilities in both the Law Division and the Trial Division.
In the Law Division, the responsibilities include:
- Handling cases in various units such as Appeals, Civil Litigation, Federal Litigation, and PCRA.
- Writing briefs and arguing cases before appellate courts in the Appeals Unit.
- Engaging in litigation, including complex discovery, right-to-know law, drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts, and employment law in the Civil Litigation Unit.
- Litigating petitions for writs of habeas corpus in federal court by prisoners prosecuted by the organization in the Federal Litigation Unit.
- Reviewing incoming PCRA petitions to decide on the appropriate form of relief or assigning them for a motion to dismiss.
In the Trial Division, the responsibilities include:
- Initially being assigned to the Municipal Court Unit, Juvenile Court Unit, or Diversion Unit.
- Handling misdemeanor trials, felony preliminary hearings, delinquency hearings, and cases eligible for alternatives to prosecution.
- Progressing to the Juvenile Court Unit or Major Trials Unit based on performance, where responsibilities include handling delinquency hearings involving serious felonies and felony waivers.
- Participating in a six-month rotation in the Charging Unit during the initial years.
Education and Experience Information:
Candidates must have earned a Juris Doctor (.) degree from an accredited law school and must sit for and pass the Pennsylvania bar exam. The organization seeks candidates with a demonstrated commitment to public service and a strong academic record. Ideal candidates should exhibit fairness, empathy, a strong work ethic, the ability to manage a demanding workload, and sound problem-solving and decision-making skills. Attorneys who have completed judicial clerkships, including Federal District and Circuit Court clerkships, are also encouraged to apply.
Salary Information:
The text does not provide specific salary information for the Entry Level Assistant District Attorney position.
Benefits:
Assistant District Attorneys are considered exempt employees with the City of Philadelphia and receive benefits similar to other City exempt employees. These benefits include:
- A pension plan
- Sick leave
- 11 paid holidays per year
- Four annual administrative leave days
- 20 paid vacation days each year
- A choice of medical insurance plans
- A term life insurance policy
Additional benefits available to qualified staff include:
- Vision, prescription, and dental coverage that can extend to spouses and eligible dependents
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Optional supplemental life and accidental death and dismemberment (ADD) policies
- Optional deferred compensation plan for retirement
- Membership in a credit union
- Health club membership discounts
- Before-tax commuter program
- Health care flexible spending accounts
- Dependent care flexible spending accounts
- Critical illness insurance
- Sick leave bonuses and exchanges
Legal Terminology and Employment Terms:
All exempt employees of the organization are at-will employees and serve at the pleasure of the District Attorney. This at-will relationship shall not be modified for any employee, and no agreement, oral or written, shall be entered into that changes this relationship. Applications for the position will be active for one year from the receipt date by the office.
