Entry-Level Prosecutors

The Office of the Queens County District Attorney is currently seeking applicants for our Spring 2021 Assistant District Attorney class.

Application Information:

District Attorney Katz’s goal of building the finest prosecutor’s office in the state is making the Queens District Attorney’s office the choice for talented and motivated attorneys.

She has assembled an unparalleled leadership team of top-notch career prosecutors, some from within the office itself and some who came to Queens from every major prosecutor’s office in the metropolitan area. In addition, she has added talented staff with diverse backgrounds; for example, the office’s first Conviction Integrity Unit is headed by a veteran of the Innocence Project. Together, they are individuals who share her vision and will assist the DA in making the Queens District Attorney’s Office a well-managed and thoroughly professional public office.

The Queens District Attorney leads a staff of approximately 330 Assistant District Attorneys plus an equal number of investigators, accountants, paralegals, administrative assistants, clerks and other support personnel. District Attorney Katz has organized the office to reflect the prosecutorial priorities of her administration: assuring the safety of all those in Queens while at the same time instituting progressive and innovative strategies.

Because the success of any DA’s office depends on the performance of the Assistant District Attorneys on the front lines, we place the highest priority on attracting law school graduates who have the greatest potential to develop into first-class prosecutors and then on carefully and comprehensively training them in order to maximize their legal, trial and investigative skills.

In our view, the ideal prosecutor is as effective when summing up to a jury as when briefing and arguing a sophisticated issue of law. The ideal prosecutor is as comfortable when interrogating a suspect in a station house at three o’clock in the morning as when cross-examining a defense expert in a courtroom at three o’clock in the afternoon. We believe each skill complements and enhances the other and strive to develop each of them with every one of our new assistants.

Diverse and Cosmopolitan

The areas of special emphasis in our office are, naturally, heavily influenced by the characteristics of our jurisdiction, Queens County. More than two million people form a remarkable polyglot of neighborhoods and ethnic groups that make the county the most diverse and cosmopolitan area in the world. The county contains almost half of the city’s Asian population, as well as large communities of Caribbean, African, European, South and Central American people. This county is the most linguistically diverse place on Earth, with 138 languages spoken.

Reaching into these culturally diverse areas presents special challenges to law enforcement, an issue to which our office has been especially sensitive. Like New York City itself, Queens is a collection of neighborhoods which span the economic spectrum, each with its own proud history, and each requiring specialized attention from our office.

As the home of New York City’s two major airports (John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia), Queens is also one of the most important international borders in the United States. This presents our office with special law enforcement challenges, such as international drug smuggling, organized crime activity and labor racketeering.

Entry level salary is $70,533; upon admission to the New York State Bar, the salary is $71,575. Comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, 401K and more. A three-year commitment to serve in the office is also required. Pursuant to Public Officers Law Section 3(1), United States citizenship is required of all Assistant District Attorneys upon commencement of their employment, as is New York State residency. 

The Office of The Queens County District Attorney is an equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to the diversity of our organization and workforce. 

*The deadline to apply to this vacancy is February 1, 2021*

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter addressed to Director of Legal Hiring, Mariela R. Palomino Herring, by clicking on the link below.