Employer Name  

United States Department of Justice

Employer  Website

www.usdoj.gov

Job Title  

Assistant United States Attorney

Additional education

University of Chicago Law School, J.D., 1992

Briefly describe what you do   

Federal criminal prosecutor

What other jobs have you had?

Attorney in private civil litigation practice; U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division attorney

What are the key skills, abilities, and personal qualities necessary to succeed in this type of work?  

-Desire to do something worthwhile and important.
-Lawyer skills (advocacy ability, writing, multitasking, etc.)
-Judgment

What do you enjoy most about your current position?  

The satisfaction that comes from doing something worthwhile and important.  Also, the work is usually quite interesting, exciting, and very challenging.

Most important/valuable lesson or activity in college that impacted your career  

• Trinity provided the credentials and education that made it possible to get into and do well at a top law school.

• The economics training was helpful in providing useful analytical and writing skills.

What advice for someone entering this field?

Federal criminal law enforcement is a rewarding and exciting field, whether, e.g., as an badge-and-gun-carrying FBI agent, or (like me) a prosecutor.  It's exciting, and it's often full of human drama and personal satisfaction.  (As public service careers go, it pays pretty well too.)  I think more bright young people with a social conscience should consider it.  These are troubled times, and the United States could use smart, dedicated people.

Questions?

Email askalumni@trinity.edu
Put the name of the alumni you wish to contact in the subject line, then type your question.