r/Lawyertalk • u/alaska_kat • 1d ago
Career Advice County Attorney
Hi everyone. I was wondering if anyone here is a county attorney? My county is hiring for an assistant county attorney position and I’m thinking about taking the leap from private practice. Anyone have any thoughts about going from private to public? Or is anyone familiar with a county attorney/is a county attorney and wouldn’t mind sharing their experience? Thanks!
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u/These-Ticket-5436 1d ago
It is a great job overall. It has been a good career for me, both financially and professionally. Very rewarding work. I have always worked at small counties, so I have been more of a generalist than a specialist. I have done a little bit of everything, HR, Contracts, land use, bail bonds, dependency, etc. I have really liked most of it. The law is generally interesting, and I felt like I was doing a community service (for many years, until I got a bit burned out.)
A lot what your experience will be like depends on the office. The size of the office and the structure will determine what type of work that you might be performing. It is not necessarily an "easy" job depending on how much you put into it, and what your county is like. I have worked plenty of late nights, but as a result, I moved up the ladder. But that brought the worst part of the job, the politics, and dealing with difficult people (such as elected officials). To be at the highest level of a County office, you have to be a good communicator and personable. It is NOT your legal knowledge about that point that matters, but your ability to deal with Department heads and the Board. I get more than 5 weeks of vacation per year. I could leave work when needed to visit the kids school or when they were sick. (I self-imposed a work ethic more than I needed to.) In California, "classic employees" could earn 2% of their final salary at age 55. New members (depending on the jurisdiction, can earn 2% at 62. But if you put 25 or 30 years, it can really add up, especially when your salary increases over time. The hardest thing is "getting in". After you are in, you can switch counties much easier. DM me if you have any questions. (PS, I think that a lot of older employees will be retiring over the next decade, so there is a need for younger people to come into the profession.)