Presently the Office has over 300 lawyers on staff. Each year the Office hires recent law school graduates (or judicial law clerks) for its incoming fall class. Interviews for permanent hires for the incoming fall class begin in mid-September and conclude in December.

We hire lateral attorneys, i.e. law school graduates who are members of the Pennsylvania Bar, on an as-needed basis throughout the year. Lateral applications are accepted January through August.

New attorneys hired for our fall class participate in an intense training and orientation program in November.  Appointment as an Assistant District Attorney cannot occur until passage of the Pennsylvania Bar Examination.  The training program consists of lectures, seminars, courtroom and other observations designed to familiarize the new Assistant District Attorney with the Philadelphia criminal justice system as well as the Office of the District Attorney.  Training continues throughout the Assistant District Attorney’s career as a prosecutor.  Additionally, a full Continuing Legal Education program is available to the entire legal staff.

Deadline is September 28^th for 3L applicants and judicial law clerks (who will not be available until the following fall).

Rolling application process for lateral applicants January thru August.

What are the time lines for interviews/offers for permanent hiring?

Interviews for permanent hires for the incoming fall class begin mid-September and conclude in December.  Final offers are generally made by the end of December; however, a few early permanent offers are made to our summer intern class by the beginning of November.

Do you hire lateral candidates?

Yes.We accept applications for lateral or interim positions January through August to be hired on an as-needed basis. Candidates must be Pennsylvania bar members before they can apply. We retain an eligible pool of applicants and make offers when necessary.

Mail a hard copy of your resume and a cover letter to:

Where do I send my resume and cover letter?
Resumes and cover letters should be sent to:

What else should I include with my resume and cover letter?
The initial application does not require anything else be submitted. You will be asked for additional information as the hiring process moves forward.

What is the hiring process for permanent hires as Assistant District Attorneys?
The hiring process consists of two steps.

What type of writing sample should I submit?
The writing sample need not be a criminal law issue. It should be writing that is 100% your work product, i.e., not edited by anyone other than you. It should also demonstrate an advocate's tone. The writing sample should be persuasive writing, rather than a bench memo, etc. A good example is a brief that you submitted for a law school course.

What are the time lines for interviews/offers for permanent hiring?
Interviews for permanent hires for the incoming fall class begin mid-September and conclude in December. Final offers are generally made by the end of December; however, a few early permanent offers are made to our summer intern class by the beginning of November.

How many offers are extended each year?
Each year we hire approximately 25 recent law school graduates (or judicial law clerks) for our fall class.

Do you hire lateral candidates?
Yes. We accept applications for lateral or interim positions January through August to be hired on an as-needed basis. Candidates must be Pennsylvania bar members before they can apply. We retain an eligible pool of applicants and make offers when necessary.

If I still have questions, whom should I contact?
If you have a procedural question (such as: "Did you get my resume"; "What is my status"; "I have to change my interview time"; "Can I get directions to the office"; "I need my work/study records", etc.), please contact the Hiring Coordinator, Catherine Schuler at 215-686-8022 or catherine.schuler@phila.gov. If your question is more substantive (such as: "I have another offer and need to get back to someone"; " I need an extension on my offer response time", etc.), then contact the Hiring Chair, George Mosee, George.Mosee@phila.gov, 215-686-6302

The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, religion, age or disability.